If you love crispy chicken skin, you are going to go crazy for our Keto Crispy Chicken recipe – these are a filling, protein-packed appetizer that is perfect for staying low carb on game day or at parties!

Chicken Cracklings Recipe

I love indulging in some crispy fried food at parties or on game nights, but I also don’t want to feel bloated and gross the next day as a result.

This chicken cracklings recipe reminds me of the pork cracklings that you can order at sports bars – crispy, just the right amount of salt, and incredibly flavorful! But what’s even better is that each chicken crackling is made with a full chicken thigh – not just the skin – so it ends up being a protein-rich treat that is also incredibly satisfying.

I enjoyed them plain, but they would also be great with additional seasoning, or served in a low carb wrap or as a crispy chicken sandwich. You could even cut into strips and serve on a salad.

To achieve the incredibly buttery flavor of this crispy chicken thigh recipe, I swapped out butter for ghee.

What is ghee? Ghee is clarified butter – pure butter fat without milk solids or moisture. It doesn’t burn as easily and because all of the moisture and milk solids are removed, it lasts in the fridge for up to a year! It’s a low carb staple and is also lactose free!

Of course, you can use butter for this recipe, but if you end up loving this recipe and want to take it up a notch – try it with ghee!

You can also switch of the flavor of this chicken cracklings recipe by swapping out the seasoning. Cajun chicken cracklings, ranch chicken cracklings, Italian chicken cracklings – the possibilities are endless!

For my low carb friends, these chicken thighs contain ZERO grams net carbs per chicken thigh! (Four chicken thighs works out to only 0.1g net carbs.)

Keto Crispy Chicken Thighs Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card below for exact ingredient measurements and nutritional info

• Skin-on chicken thighs or breasts
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Ghee or clarified butter

Tip: swap out the salt and pepper for your favorite chicken seasonings.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

• Skillet
• Sharp kitchen knife
• Measuring spoons
• Mallet or rolling pin

How to Make Butter Crackle Chicken

Place the chicken thighs or breasts on a cutting board and cover with a piece of wax or parchment paper. If your chicken has bones in, remove them now.

Using a rolling pin or meat tenderizer, flatten the chicken as thin as you can.

Season to taste.

Add the ghee to a medium pan over medium heat.

Let the ghee get hot before adding the chicken. Cook on each side 3-5 minutes until golden and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165F.

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Our crispy chicken thighs recipe is perfect for satisfying your cravings for cracklings or deep fried treats while staying true to your low carb goals!

For more delicious chicken recipes, check out our Low Carb KFC Chicken Copycat or our Low Carb Mozzarella Chicken.