You've heard of tortilla chips, potato chips, maybe even Pineapple Chips, but have you ever heard of chicken chips? This high-protein crunchy Keto snack has become one of my go-to recipes when I'm on a diet and need a salty treat. So if you're looking for keto chicken thigh recipes, give this chicken chips recipe a try!
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Whether you're looking for a Keto chicken thigh recipe or just trying to cut carbs, you'll love these crunchy and nutritious chips! A friend of mine was recently on the Keto diet and asked me if I had ideas for any good Keto chicken thigh recipes or Keto crunchy snacks. I suddenly remembered seeing this intriguing recipe for salmon chips a while back.
I thought it would be fun to try to make chips out of chicken. The result did not disappoint, and the process was so easy and quick!
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😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- These delicious & nutritious Keto crunchy snacks have 22 grams of protein per serving and 0 carbs!
- The process is quick and simple, with just a few easy steps.
- The only ingredients you need are chicken and spices. It's a great snack to make when you hardly have any groceries in the fridge.
🔖 Recipe Ingredients & Substitutions
- Chicken Thighs: Chicken breast works just as well. You can buy pre-ground chicken and save yourself a step! If you do use chicken breast, you may want to spray the parchment paper with cooking spray so that the chicken doesn't stick to the paper.
- Chipotle Powder: While I wouldn't say these chicken chips are spicy, the chipotle powder does provide a little bit of heat. You can leave this out if you prefer.
- Nutritional Yeast: I like adding nutritional yeast (paid link). Nutritional yeast provides a bit of a cheesy flavor and a little extra protein.
🍗 How To Make Chicken Chips
Preheat oven to 300°F
Step 1: If using whole chicken thighs, cut thighs into manageable portions and feed through a meat grinder and into a medium bowl.
Step 2: Mix spices in a small bowl, then add to the ground chicken. Mix thoroughly using a rubber spatula. Run the chicken mixture through the meat grinder one more time so that the texture of the chicken is paste-like.
Pro tip: If you don't have a meat grinder, you can either chop the meat with a sharp knife or use a food processor (paid link).
Step 3: Tear a piece of parchment paper equal to the size of a large cookie sheet. Add half of the chicken paste in the middle of the sheet. Cover with a piece of Saran Wrap that's the same size as the parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to flatten the chicken until it's paper-thin.
Pro tip: You want the chicken rolled thin enough that it becomes translucent when held up to the light.
Step 4: Remove the cling film and carefully transfer the parchment paper to a cookie sheet. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until it looks crispy but not burned. I cooked mine for 35 minutes, but because ovens vary, you may want to give or take 5-10 minutes. I would check on them at the 30-minute mark and go from there.
Step 5: Remove your giant chicken chip from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. If it doesn't feel crispy enough, toss it back in the oven for 5-10 more minutes.
Step 6: Once the chip is nice and crisp, break it into smaller chips. At this point, you can either make another batch or freeze the remaining half of the chicken. I recommend serving it with creamy guacamole, Lebanese hummus, or your favorite dip!
💨 How To Make Chicken Chips In An Air Fryer
Step 1: Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of your air fryer. Add a few tablespoons of chicken mixture to the center of the parchment paper and cover with Saran Wrap.
Step 2: Use a rolling pin to roll the chicken mixture as thinly as possible. Remove excess chicken if it goes over the edge of the parchment paper.
Step 3: Place into the air fryer and air fry at 375°F for 12-15 minutes or until the chicken is crispy.
🥚 Other Keto Recipes
If you're looking for other tasty Keto recipes, be sure to check out this delicious Keto Chicken Florentine Bake from Jen at Keto Cooking Wins. You can also give these tried-and-true recipes a go!
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Chicken chips are, in fact, a thing! Still, most people are surprised when they learn that you can make delicious protein chips out of chicken. While they're not as common as potato or tortilla chips, they do have a similar texture and satisfying crunch. If you're looking for a crunchy Keto snack, chicken chips are the perfect way to satisfy your cravings!
Chicken chips are made of chicken that has been ground and flattened into a thin layer, along with various spices, including sea salt, black or white pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and chipotle powder. They are completely free of any grains, gluten, or artificial ingredients, and are a great low-carb snack for anyone trying to cut back on carbs.
I would compare the taste of chicken chips to a cross between the skin on a rotisserie chicken and the spicy nacho-flavored Doritos. These chips are flavorful on their own, but if you really want to take your taste buds for a ride, I would suggest eating them with a buffalo ranch dip, sour cream and onion dip, or even nacho cheese.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- While this is technically a Keto chicken thigh recipe, chicken breast is also perfectly fine to use, and you can usually find it pre-ground, so you can skip a step!
- When rolling the chicken, you want it thin enough that it becomes translucent when held up to the light.
- If you want to make the chips a little easier to break up after they're done baking, you can score them with your rubber spatula before removing the cling film and putting the tray in the oven.
- When the chicken chips are done baking, they will have shrunk significantly, and the edges will have begun to curl. The chips should be a warm, dark reddish-brown when they're done baking and should feel crisp to the touch after cooling.
- I would suggest eating the chips the same day, as they will get soggy if stored in the fridge and could become rancid if left out for too long.
🌯 More Chicken Recipes
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- If using whole chicken thighs, cut thighs into manageable portions and feed through a meat grinder or food processor and into a medium bowl.
- Mix spices in a small bowl, then add to the ground chicken. Mix thoroughly using a rubber spatula. Run the chicken mixture through the meat grinder one more time so that the texture of the chicken is paste-like.
- Tear a piece of parchment paper equal to the size of a large cookie sheet. Add half of the chicken paste in the middle of the sheet. Cover with a piece of cling film that's the same size as the parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to flatten the chicken until it's paper-thin.
- Remove cling film and carefully transfer the parchment paper to a cookie sheet. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until it looks crispy but not burned. I cooked mine for 35 minutes, but because ovens vary, you may want to give or take 5-10 minutes. I would check on them at the 30-minute mark and go from there.
- Remove your giant chicken chip from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. If, at this point, it doesn't feel crispy enough, you can toss it back in the oven for 5-10 more minutes.
- Once the chip is nice and crisp, break it into smaller chips. I recommend serving it with guacamole or your favorite dip!
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- See the post for air fryer instructions.
- While this is technically a Keto chicken thigh recipe, chicken breast is also perfectly fine to use, and you can usually find it pre-ground, so you can skip a step!
- If you don't have a meat grinder, you can either chop the meat with a sharp knife or use a food processor.
- When rolling the chicken, you want it thin enough that it becomes translucent when held up to the light.
- If you want to make the chips a little easier to break up after they're done baking, you can score them with your rubber spatula before removing the cling film and putting the tray in the oven.
- When the chicken chips are done baking, they will have shrunk significantly, and the edges will have begun to curl. The chips should be a warm, dark reddish-brown when they're done baking and should feel crisp to the touch after cooling.
- I would suggest eating the chips the same day, as they will get soggy if stored in the fridge and could become rancid if left out for too long.
Debbie says
Due to technical difficulties, mine were TOO thin LOL The cling wrap was a nightmare, maybe cutting open a zip top bag would be better. I ended up just spreading it with an offset spatula. It was a little bland for me, next time I would add more seasoning. I also had to work with smaller batches - half a pound was too much to manage, so I ended up with several batches.
I had good luck storing them in the refrigerator uncovered. They stayed crisp....I took the shortcut of ground chicken, so there was likely more fat that may have helped it stay crisp. I accidently stumbled on the uncovered trick by leaving leftover bacon in the fridge uncovered.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Debbie, It is a pretty tricky process. It might take a few times to perfect. I do like your idea about using a ziplock bag. Thanks for your comment!
Sarah says
If you have bone in skin on chicken thighs can you cut out the bone and include the chicken skin in the grinder or should it be boneless skinless thighs?
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Sarah, We've only tried it without the skin so I can't really comment on the texture if you add the skin. The chips might be too greasy, or leave a puddle of grease as it cooks, so if it was me, I would not add the skin but if you feel like experimenting, I'd love to hear how it goes!
Anna LF says
How do you store this after pls
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Anna, This is one of those recipes that we eat right away. I've never tried storing it afterwards becasue I would guess that the chicken chips would soften in the fridge and go rancid if stored at room temperature.
Sandi says
I was just thinking about whether it was possible to make something like this the other day, then Googled it and found your recipe. Thank you so much!
Hilda Sterner says
You're welcome!
Mary says
mine ended up not quit as crispy as is have liked, and a bit chewy. does that mean it was too thick?
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Mary, thanks for trying and rating the recipe. That could definitely be the case. Either that or it needed to be cooked longer.
Katy says
Mine has been in the oven for an HR now and is still not firm. I rolled it out as thin as I could.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Katy,
Did you make any changes? Did you use chicken thighs or breast? Have the edges begun to curl and does it look dark as in my photos? The texture gets crispier as it cools so you can try taking it out and see if it's crisp and if not, put it back in to cook some more.
Laura says
This tasted amazing! My husband kept grilling me about what was it it because the chips "tasted too good!" The only problem I had is that about half of it stuck like glue to the wax paper. I am thinking that this may be because I used ground chicken breast and the lack of fat was the issue. Next time I will grease the paper a bit.
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Laura, that's a great tip! I'm glad you guys enjoyed them!
Laurie says
I used turkey breast and no sticking...though the flavor was very dull and the chip, though crunchy, was too dry. I think it needs the fat. Also, the popular Wilde brand adds egg whites and bone broth to their ingredients. I wonder how to incorporate those so you get a lighter crisp?
Also, don't use wax paper! Parchment is what you want. Big difference. 😉
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks Laurie, Thanks for the feedback. About the other ingredients, I would recommend experimenting adding to the ground mixture and seeing how it turns out. I can see the eggs helping, but I would expect the bone broth would make the mixture too wet and take a while to cook out. If you try it, let us know how it goes. And yes, no wax paper!
CJ says
OH MY GOSH..... your step by step photo's are heaven.. you are SO thoughtful and kind to do this and I will always look for YOUR recipes going forward... so grateful for you am I. MUCH APPRECIATED..... looking for more now.
Hilda Sterner says
I'm glad you find the pics helpful, CJ! You'd be surprised how many people skip over them and head straight to the recipe card then send me questions that could be easily explained in the photos! 🤷🏻♀️
Hungry4Hucks says
Okay! These are crazy! We made them for some guests with guacamole dip and they're a smash! We're going to try it next with the Green Goddess salad. Fabulous!!!
Nena Sterner says
Ooo that's a good idea! I'll have to try those two together next time!
Thanks!