Low-Carb Oven Fried Chicken

By Birgitta

Flour or bread crumbs can’t produce a crisp, brown crust that compares to this.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds chicken parts (2 breast halves, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, 2 wings)
• 4 ounces of pork rinds (about 1 1/2 cups of crumbled rinds)
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup peanut oil, light olive oil, lard, or bacon fat
• 1/4 cup butter

Preparation

Step 1

Have ready a rack (for drying) and a large roasting pan. You may need a second pan to avoid crowding the chicken. For more uniform-sized pieces, cut each breast half crosswise into 2 pieces or have butcher cut it. Rinse chicken pieces and blot dry. Trim away any extra skin and fat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.

Process pork rinds in the bowl of a food processor until finely ground. Place pork rind crumbs on a dish; you will need about 1½ cups of processed crumbs. Stir in Parmesan. In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites until foamy. Whisk in the cream. Dip chicken in egg white and cream mixture and then roll in pork-rind mixture until evenly coated. Place on a rack to dry for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425º F. Place the fat and oil in the roasting pan. Put the pan in the preheated oven until butter is melted, about 5 minutes. Place chicken in the pan, skin side down, and bake for 30 minutes. Turn the chicken and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until well-browned and crisp. Serve hot or cold.

Servings: 5 servings of 2 pieces each.

Per serving—Net carbohydrate: 0.7 grams; Protein: 48.9 grams; Fiber: 0 grams; Fat: 57.9 grams; Calories: 727

Total weight: 2 pounds 7 ounces or 1108 grams Weight per serving of 2 pieces including bones: 7¾ ounces or 222 grams

NOTE:
About ½ cup of the cream and egg white mixture and ½ cup of the pork rind and Parmesan mixture will be left over, so the carb count will actually be close to zero. Most of the fat will also stay in the pan, so the actual fat and calories will also be lower.

Recipe from Nourished; a Cookbook for Health, Weight Loss, and Metabolic Balance.