Are you tired of making the same ol’ boring keto chicken recipes every week?
Or are you just starting a keto diet and wondering how to prepare chicken to stay within your carb limits?
Chicken is one of the healthiest, most versatile and widely-available proteins on a ketogenic diet.
On its own it can be quite plain, but when you show it a little love, you’ll be craving the leftovers of your smart keto meal prep and saving money at the same time.
So to help you take advantage of all chicken has to offer, we have 16 keto chicken recipes that will perfectly fit your keto macros, including:
Let’s start with the easiest recipes to prepare on this list first.
4 Keto-Friendly Salad Options (Including 1 Salad Wrap)
If you’re just branching out with chicken recipes, these four are a great place to start.
They’re easy enough for anyone to tackle yet still deliver professional chef-level flavor:
#1: Easy Keto Chicken Salad
You may think restaurant or store-bought chicken salad is keto-friendly.
After all, the recipe is pretty basic: shredded roasted chicken, mayo and a few creative additions.
Unfortunately, most food manufacturers ruin this simple recipe by dumping unnecessary added sugar and chemical ingredients in the form of preservatives to theirs[*].
Food manufacturers also use mayos made with crappy, sub-par oils like soybean, canola and sunflower instead of healthier oils like avocado and olive.
That’s why you’re better off making your own keto-approved chicken salad with healthy ingredients and zero hidden carbs, sugars or chemicals.
And there’s nothing easier than this keto chicken salad recipe, which provides 19g of healthy fats, 25g of protein and less than 1g of net carbs.
Here’s the best part:
This recipe works well for meal planning and batch cooking. Just make it once and you’ll have a healthy lunch or snack to last a few days, or to feed a lot of hungry mouths at once.
Prepare your chicken salad in a large bowl and add your serving to romaine leaves, a low carb wrap or scoop on a few low-carb and gluten-free flaxseed crackers.
Another classic lunch staple you’ll spend $15+ on if you order out can also be made for half the price and with zero cooking skills, as you’ll see next.
#2: Keto Chicken Caesar Recipe
As long as you leave out the croutons — or sub parmesan cheese chips for croutons — Caesar salads with chicken are a fat- and protein-rich meal that’s also easy to prepare.
With this keto chicken Caesar recipe, just marinate your chicken in Caesar dressing, roast it on a sheet pan and then assemble the rest of the salad when it’s cool enough to eat.
You can also use grilled chicken or cook your chicken in a cast iron pan for extra flavor.
And if you prefer a salad loaded with different ingredients and healthy fats, this next keto chicken recipe is for you.
#3: Delicious Keto Cobb Salad Kicked Up a Notch
Instead of spending $12-$14 on a pre-made cobb salad that will most likely kick you out of ketosis, you can whip this one up and stay on track with your keto goals.
With thick cuts of skinless chicken breasts, hard boiled eggs, spinach, bacon and blue cheese, you’ll have a filling salad that’s also super satisfying.
And when you want to take your chicken’s flavor profile to the next level, try weaving this next recipe into your weekly meal plan.
#4: Curry Chicken Lettuce Wraps
You may have to ditch the rice when you enjoy traditional Indian dishes like butter chicken, but this curry chicken lettuce wrap recipe proves you can still enjoy the flavors of curry on keto.
Inspired by the spice blends in India, this recipe uses the anti-inflammatory wonder spice turmeric, which has been studied for its improvement of Alzheimer’s symptoms and bone health.
This next batch of keto chicken recipes will be your hero when you’re craving takeout and don’t want to forgo ketosis.
5 Keto-Friendly Alternatives for Takeout Cravings
New ketoers tend to crave takeout and other foods they can’t have before they’re fully fat-adapted.
Thankfully, these low-carb versions to satisfy cravings for Chinese food, fried chicken and tacos will save the day:
#1: Quick Keto Egg Roll in a Bowl
After trying this egg roll in a bowl recipe, you’ll wonder why anyone would ever want that uncomfortable, post-bloat feeling of eating another fried eggroll shell again.
With keto-safe cabbage slaw, you’ll score all the same crunch of an eggroll without losing sight of ketosis.
And thanks to the soy sauce (or coconut aminos if you choose), you won’t even realize your leftover roasted chicken has transformed into a tasty keto takeout knockoff.
Recipes like this make it easier to stretch your batch cooking without feeling like you’re eating the same thing every week.
To go along with this takeout theme, you’ll want this fried “rice” recipe in your toolkit too.
#2: Super Simple Chicken Cauliflower Fried Rice
Put down the phone.
Counting prep time and cooking time, you can whip up this keto fried rice with chicken recipe faster than it takes to order and pick up takeout or wait for delivery.
And you’ll have enough delicious fried cauliflower rice to feed your family or keep as leftovers.
Because with only 260 calories, 14g of fat, 27g of protein and 5g of net carbs per serving, you can savor all the flavors of fried rice without ruining your hard work.
This next keto recipe may also replace a takeout staple in your house with a low carb option.
#3: Zesty Low Carb Chicken Tacos
Don’t deprive yourself of tacos just because you can’t eat the carby shells.
This low carb recipe for chicken tacos only requires 35 minutes of cooking time and 15 minutes for prep, which means you won’t spend your whole night in the kitchen.
While this recipe includes making your own keto-friendly tortillas using almond flour, you can also add your chicken to romaine cups or a salad if you’re short on time.
Tortillas aren’t the only thing you can transform into a low carb alternative.
Did you ever think you’d have keto fried chicken?
#4: Low Carb Crispy Keto “Fried” Chicken
Using chicken thighs, sunflower and sesame seeds and avocado oil, you can make chicken tenders that only taste “fried” when you follow this low carb keto recipe.
Ideal for both lunch and dinner, it only takes 10 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cook time. And for that work you’ll be rewarded handsomely with a low carb chicken tender sure to please picky palates, including kids and grownups alike.
This next recipe also shares that trait.
#5: Keto Chicken Hemp Heart Tenders
If you don’t have sunflower or sesame seeds in your pantry for the previous recipe, but you’re stocked on hemp hearts, you can use this chicken tender recipe to fill the same fried chicken craving.
Rather than using chicken thighs, this recipe calls for boneless skinless pastured chicken breast and uses hemp hearts and flax meal to create the crunchy “fried” texture on the outside.
With that hemp heart ingredient swap comes added health benefits such as:
- Inflammation control
- Arthritis and joint pain relief
- Appetite regulation
- Improved gut health, hair, skin and nails
The next two keto chicken recipes may not boast as many health benefits as hemp hearts and flax meal, but they’re sure to be a hit flavor-wise.
2 Dishes for Parties and Unexpected Guests
Parties and meals out with friends or family members may tempt you to cheat.
But these keto-friendly dishes are easy to make, freeze and take so you can stay in ketosis at your next potluck or defrost one when company comes over.
They’re so tasty even non-keto diners will be surprised they’re eating few or no carbs.
#1: Cheesy Keto Buffalo Chicken Dip
You can throw together this keto chicken recipe using your slow cooker so you’ll have a low carb appetizer on deck while you tend to other get-together activities.
By combining chicken thighs, Frank’s buffalo sauce, garlic powder, and both cheddar and cream cheese, this cheesy buffalo dip recipe is perfectly keto-friendly and won’t weigh you down.
This next low carb recipe is the best make-ahead meal everyone will be excited to gather around for.
#2: Prep-Ahead Low Carb Casserole
With this prep-ahead low-carb recipe, you can have a healthy, keto-friendly casserole that tastes better than the ones you grew up on.
Instead of condensed soup and other questionable, carby add-ins, you’ll find keto ingredients like:
- Chicken breast
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Eggs
- Parmesan cheese
- Heavy whipping cream
- Mozzarella cheese
You can make this recipe for a party or have it ready when you come home late from the office.
After all, there’s nothing better than not having to deal with this next question every night:
Answer ‘What’s For Dinner?’ with Confidence Using These 5 Keto Chicken Recipes
Whether it’s your kids, significant other or the voice inside your head asking, the What’s for dinner? question fills everyone with dread when they’re unprepared.
Without a plan, trying to reach or maintain ketosis is so much harder and you’ll be more tempted to give into carb cravings and cheat meals — especially when you’re exhausted after a hard day at work.
To keep yourself on track, have these 5 keto dinner recipes on hand at all times and you’ll be one step closer to reaching your goals.
#1: Lemon Balsamic Chicken Keto Dinner Recipe
Let this lemon balsamic chicken recipe transport you to the south of Italy and replace your pasta cravings with keto-approved zucchini noodles.
Using chicken, balsamic vinegar and Italian seasonings, you’ll only feel as if you’re cheating with this tasty meal.
Not only that, you’ll see the following health benefits from using balsamic vinegar since it’s made from fermented and aged grapes:
- Strengthened immunity
- Improved bone health
- Cancer-fighting antioxidants
- Appetite suppression
- Headache reduction
- Improved digestion
Keep in mind, not all balsamic vinegars are okay to use in keto. So be sure to check the nutrition facts and ingredient labels before assuming any balsamic is fair game.
If you don’t have any zucchini on hand, you can also take your lemon chicken on an avocado boat ride with this next recipe.
#2: Lemon Chicken Avocado Boats
Need another way to hit your avocado intake on keto?
Of course you do!
With this delicious keto chicken recipe, you can reuse your favorite green fruit and the skinless chicken thighs from your weekly meal plan to create a light and refreshing dish that’s also filling.
Thanks to the healthy fats and protein found in the avocado, chicken, olive oil and grass-fed butter combo, you’ll be clocking in 26g of fat, 8.8g carbs and 26.1g of protein per serving for just 356 calories, according to the nutrition facts.
The next chicken recipe on the list is also made to be a pre-portioned size, which is perfect for anyone having trouble with this.
#3: Roasted Chicken Stacks
With cut up chicken breasts stacked on beds of savoy cabbage and topped with crispy prosciutto, this roasted chicken stack recipe is a nice savory option that works well for meal prepping lunches and dinners and feeding a crowd.
You’ll also find ground black pepper in this recipe, which provides its own set of health benefits such as:
- Digestive relief
- Improved intestinal health
- Weight loss
- Improved metabolism
- Better skin
For another savory chicken dish earmarked for keto dinners and leftovers, check out this next recipe.
#4: Creamy Mushroom Chicken Recipe
This creamy mushroom chicken recipe loaded with coconut milk and grass-fed butter is sure to become one of your new fave comfort foods. And you’ll love it even more when you find out it only takes 25 minutes to make from start to finish.
When you’re ready to take your culinary skills further, this next recipe will help you impress yourself and all your dinner guests.
#5: Mouth-Watering Miracle Noodle Stuffed Chicken
Stuffing a chicken breast isn’t as hard as it sounds. And when you open up this cavity, you also expand the flavor profiles you can create by stuffing it with all sorts of keto-friendly options.
One really cool way to do this while keeping it low-carb is to use Japanese Shirataki noodles, which are also called Miracle Noodles since they don’t contain any carbs.
Even though they’ll satisfy your pasta fix, these faux noodles are also made of 97% water and 3% fiber so they’re also excellent for helping you lose weight.
So with these 16 keto chicken recipes under your belt, What’s for dinner? now becomes Which recipe will you try first?
Never Settle for Boring; Try A New Keto Chicken Recipe Today
Chicken is one of the easiest proteins to master on a ketogenic diet — and it will feed your body right in the protein and healthy fats departments.
Now you just have to try one of these new keto chicken recipes from today’s list and save or pin the rest for later.
While these 16 recipes prove following a keto diet doesn’t have to be difficult or boring, there are many more recipe ideas to help you reach ketosis and maintain it the easy way.
So visit the Perfect Keto recipe pages next to find more!