a keto chicken “sandwich” that will blow your mind (copycat Chick-fil-A”)

Keto chicken “sandwiches” (copycat chick-fil-A) are even better than the real thing! Believe me, I love Chick-fil-A and it’s a darn good thing the closest one is 15 minutes away because I need some distance! If they could build a moat around it, that would be even better.

However, this keto chick fil a sandwich is a great healthier alternative that you can enjoy and feel good about afterward! Delight in a crispy, tender, deliciously seasoned chicken patty, with infused pickle flavor any time you want!

It’s important to limit the amount of processed foods, high in fat, salt and sugar, because it’s hard to have a stop button while you’re eating them. Carbohydrate & calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods are designed to make you crave them, because they lack the  the nutrition or satiety factors that tell your brain to stop eating them.

These keto chick fil a sandwich are made with whole food, nutrient-dense ingredients so you don’t have to worry about losing control, you can simply enjoy them.

how to make keto chick fil a

1. Prep chicken: Cut the breasts horizontally (and gently pound them with a meat tenderizer until they’re 1/2 in. thick. Place them in a bowl with pickle juice for at least an hour.
2. Dredge chicken: You can set up your dredging station by grabbing 3 bowls. In the first put arrowroot flour, an egg wash in the second bowl and the almond flour and seasoning in the 3rd bowl.
3. Fry chicken: Fry the pieces for 4 or 5 minutes until they are nicely browned and firm. Take the chicken and place them on paper towels to drain the excess oil.

how to dredge chicken

When the chicken is ready, make sure it is nice and dry before you dredge—this keeps the breading from falling off when frying. Pat the pieces dry with a paper towel and then take one and dip in arrowroot. Shake off excess and move it to the egg wash (again remove excess) and finally cover both sides in the almond flour combination. Do this for the remaining pieces. Keep the ingredients close by in case you need to add more.

Note, if you like a thicker breading, redo steps 2 and 3 for each piece (so arrowroot, egg, almond flour, egg, almond flour).

While you’re doing this, pour the oil in a pan and heat until it reaches 350 degrees F.

how to fry keto chicken

To fry, you need the oil in the pan to be 350 degrees F. If you have a thermometer, use that however if you don’t, here are some tricks:

• Use the wooden handle of a wooden spoon or chopstick. When the oil has preheated, dip the handle of the spoon/chopstick into the oil If the oil starts steadily bubbling, then the oil is hot enough for frying. If the oil bubbles very very vigorously, then the oil is too hot and needs to cool off a touch. If no or very few bubbles pop up, then it’s not hot enough.
• Use bread by dropping a 1-inch square of bread into the oil. If it takes 60 seconds to brown, then the oil is at 365. Turn down slightly and you’re ready to go.

Fry the pieces for 4 or 5 minutes until they are nicely browned and firm. Take the chicken and place them on paper towels to drain the excess oil.

Once finished, I place the chicken on a baking sheet rack and place it in the oven on 200 degrees F to keep it warm while I fry the remaining chicken.

how to serve this keto chicken sandwiches like Chick-fil-A

To serve, place each piece between 2 lettuce leaves and top with mayo, pickles and whatever else you may like (tomato, onion, bacon, cheese).

What to serve with keto Chick-fil-A

Some suggestions on what you can serve this with include loaded roasted potatoes with bacon and avocado sauce, herb roasted sweet potato fries or a side salad!

related recipes

• copycat in-N-out burger (whole30, paleo)
• parmesan crusted chicken
• easy whole wheat thin crust pizza

other whole30/paleo/Isagenix strict 30 recipes you’ll enjoy:

• bacon cheeseburger soup
• blackened mahi with mashed herb cauliflower
• roasted cauliflower soup with thyme and garlic
• easy breezy salmon with herb dijon sauce

keto chicken “sandwich” (copycat Chick-fil-A”)

4 from 13 votes

Recipe by Karen Course: lunch, dinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

320

kcal

Brine time

60

minutes

You’ll love this crispy, perfectly tender chicken topped with mayo and pickles, sandwiched in between lettuce leaves! This deliciousness won’t leave you dragging or overly stuffed! 

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

• 1/2 cup dill pickle juice*

• 1/4-1/2 cup arrowroot starch (sub with tapioca starch)

• 2 large eggs

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 cup almond flour

• 1 tsp. paprika

• 1 tsp. sea or kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp. celery salt

• 1 cup avocado or coconut oil for frying

• 8-10 lettuce leaves (butter or Bibb lettuce works best)

• pickle slices to top

• mayo for topping (see suggestions in notes)

Directions

• Slice chicken horizontally and then place in a zip lock bag or between parchment paper to gently pound with the flat side of a mallet until about 1/2″ thick.
• Marinate chicken in the pickle juice for at least an hour.
• Gather 3 bowls for dredging. In the 1st bowl place the arrowroot. Start with 1/4 and add more if necessary.
• In the second bowl, beat the eggs and add water. Mix until combined.
• In the third bowl, add almond flour, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder and celery salt. Mix well with a fork to get the lumps out.
• Heat the oil in a  8 inch skillet to about 350°F. (Use thermometer or see post for instructions on how to know if it’s hot enough).
• IMPORTANT, make sure chicken is dry before starting process. This helps keep breading on when frying. Dip each chicken piece into the arrowroot first (shake off excess), then the egg covering both sides, then coat in flour on each side. 
• Repeat dipping the chicken in egg and almond flour mix for thicker coating.
• Once the oil is 350 degrees, work in batches, adding chicken to the skillet and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Handle chicken carefully so breading doesn’t fall off.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Serve chicken immediately on lettuce leaves (or buns) with mayo & pickles.

Notes

• Most dill pickles should be whole30 compliant (double-check label for sugar). Bread & butter pickles typically have added sugar.
• Primal Kitchen is an avocado oil mayo brand or you can make your own. 

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