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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Air Fryer Keto Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich

    by Oscar Chimenti, Last Modified: April 19, 2023 This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. See the Disclosure Policy linked in my footer.

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This delicious sweet and spicy Air Fryer Keto Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich is just like you would get in a restaurant, I would say even better. Made with some heat from cayenne pepper and the sweetness of brown sugar sweetener.

    This recipe be made in the air fryer or the oven. Plus, I got you covered with a Low Carb Hamburger Bun recipe so you can enjoy it just like you would from your favourite take out spot. You won't find a better low carb keto recipe for this Keto Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich.

    nashville hot chicken sandwich on a cutting board

    This sandwich is my interpretation of a hot chicken sandwich, topped with the usual fixings of slices pickles, lettuce and mayonaise.

    I was inspired to make this recipe after a fellow Instagrammer told me I should ketofy the original recipe. The flavours of this chicken remind me of my most popular recipe on this site which is my Sweet and Spicy Keto Pork Belly recipe.

    Jump To:
    • 🥘 Ingredient notes
    • 👨🏻‍🍳 Steps by step instructions
    • 🍴 More Air Fryer recipes you might enjoy
    • 📋 Substitutions and Variations
    • 🥣 Equipment
    • ♨️ How to store leftovers
    • 👨🏻‍🍳 Top tip
    • 🍴 What to serve with the chicken?
    • 💭 Frequently asked questions
    • 🍽 Dessert recipes you may like
    • Air Fryer Keto Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich
    • 🌡️ Food safety

    🥘 Ingredient notes

    This sandwich is perfect for lunch or dinner and is made with a blend of spices and breaded with almond flour and pork rind crumbs but you can use my Low Carb Bread Crumb recipe as an alternative.

    • Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: we use thighs as they have the most flavour and don't tend to dry out like chicken breast would. Plus the thighs have a lot more flavour.
    • Cayenne Pepper Powder: for its hot and fiery affect on your taste buds. Don't worry, you can make this recipe as mild as you want it if you don't like the heat.
    • Brown Sugar Sweetener: replaced regular brown sugar with this Swerve Brown Sugar so we can still get all the deep caramel like flavours without the sugar spikes.
    • Spice Blend: blended the cayenne with some paprika, chili and garlic powder to give it some special notes of different flavours. It truly does give it many different flavour profiles.
    • Almond Flour: ground blanched almonds were used for this recipe which gives it a slightly nutty flavour plus it's low carb and gluten free.
    • Pork Rind Crumbs: I like using pork rind crumbs as it gives the breading that extra crispiness. However, you can make it without but it won't have that crunchy texture.

    👨🏻‍🍳 Steps by step instructions

    How to make Keto Nashville Hot Chicken

    STEP 1: Mix the spices together with the swerve brown sugar in a small bow. Sprinkle half of the spice blend onto both sides of 4 chicken thighs. Set aside the other half of the spice blend. Store spiced chicken thighs in an enclosed container and refrigerate for one hour.

    sprinkling the spice blend onto the chicken thighs

    STEP 2: To make the breading, in one shallow bowl whisk together the 1 egg, buttermilk and hot sauce together. In another shallow bowl mix together the almond flour, pork rind crumbs and salt and pepper.

    bowl of egg mixture and another bowl of breadcrumb mixture

    STEP 3: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and coat each chicken thigh in the egg mixture and then dredge through the breadcrumb mixture.

    coating the chicken in the egg mixture
    coating the chicken in the breadcrumbs
    • STEP 4: Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray and place each chicken thigh in the basket. Lightly spray the tops of the chicken thighs with cooking spray. Air fryer for 8 minutes per side, then spray each side again with the cooking spray and cook for another 2 minutes per side. (see recipe card for oven method)
    Chicken in air fryer basket being sprayed with cooking spray

    STEP 5: Gently remove from air fryer and place on a clean wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Mix the remaining spice blend with the melted butter and brush the paste onto the chicken thighs.

    Mixing spice blend with butter
    brushing chicken with spice blend paste

    STEP 6: Enjoy the chicken thighs as they are or serve on a low carb hamburger bun, with butter, pickles, lettuce and mayo. See video for how I assembled the sandwich.

    spreading butter onto the bottom of a burger bun
    air fryer keto nashville hot chicken sandwich

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    • Roasted cauliflower in a white bowl.
      Roasted Frozen Cauliflower
    • two bacon-wrapped hot dog on a plate with a dollop of mustard.
      Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs Air Fryer Recipe

    📋 Substitutions and Variations

    Some people like really spicy and some like it a little more mild. Here are some different ways you could make this recipe.

    • Spice it up - the recipe calls for 3-5 tablespoons of cayenne pepper powder. If you like it really spicy use 5 tablespoons if you like it mild to medium use 3 tablespoons. If you prefer just a hint of heat just use 1 tablespoon of the cayenne pepper powder.
    • Bun - if you don't have time to make my low carb hamburger bun recipe you can simply have the chicken thighs on their own or some grocery stores carry low carb bread such as Carbanaught Bread or how about making a keto chaffle recipe from Keto Connect.
    • Gluten Free - this recipe is gluten free but do check your spices as some may contain flour or other contaminants while being manufactured.
    • Brown Sugar Sweetener: if you only have regular erythritol or another sweetener you can use it instead although the flavour profile will change.

    Check out this Low Carb Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese Sandwich I made in the air fryer.

    🥣 Equipment

    I love my air fryer. Click on the air fryer below to shop air fryers on Amazon. Other equipment used for this recipe was a wire rack and baking sheet.

    ♨️ How to store leftovers

    Allow chick to completely cool before storing in an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

    Reheat in the air fryer at 300°F for 3 minutes. Do not reheat in the microwave as breading will become really soggy.

    👨🏻‍🍳 Top tip

    Make sure to use cooking spray or grease the air fryer basket to avoid sticking. You also want to lightly use cooking spray on the chicken to help with crisping them up and to avoid sticking to the basket.

    🍴 What to serve with the chicken?

    • Serve on a bun: Serve between to hamburger buns with pickles, lettuce and mayo. I like to butter the bottom bun before I top it with the chicken.
    • Salad: best served with this chunky fauxtato salad made with cauliflower.
    • Fries: how about serving them with these Keto Asparagus Fries
    • Dessert: Cool down and finish off the hot chicken with a slice of Low Carb Blueberry Cheesecake Delight

    💭 Frequently asked questions

    How many calories in the nashville hot chicken?

    1 nashville hot chicken thigh has 496 calories.

    How many carbs per chicken thigh?

    Each thigh has 6g total carbs and 2g of fiber. This is considered a low carb recipe and can be part of a keto diet.

    Is this recipe diabetic friendly?

    All sugar from the original recipe was replaced with erythritol brown sugar and may be safe for diabetics. However, all foods affect people differently and you should monitor your blood sugars after consuming this chicken.

    Can I make the chicken without the spicy sauce?

    Yes. You can simply make this air fryer chicken without the sauce. You do not need to brush it with the spicy sauce once they come out of the air fryer. You can also omit sprinkling them with the spice blend and simply just use salt and pepper to taste.

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    nashville hot chicken sandwich on a cutting board

    Please comment, rate or review my recipe below!

    Keto Nashville hot chicken sandwich on a cutting board

    Air Fryer Keto Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich

    Oscar
    Delicious sweet and spicy hot chicken just like you would get in a restaurant, I would say even better.
    5 from 57 votes
    Print Pin This Recipe
    Prep Time : 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time : 12 minutes mins
    Resting Time : 1 hour hr
    Total Time : 1 hour hr 22 minutes mins
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : American
    Diet : Diabetic
    Servings : 4 people
    Calories : 496

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1ThighCalories: 496kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 52gFat: 31gFiber: 2gSugar: 2g

    Ingredients
      

    Spice Blend

    • 3-5 tablespoon cayenne pepper see notes about spiciness
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • 2 tablespoon brown sweetener
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

    Chicken Thighs

    • 4 skinless boneless chicken thighs
    • 1 large egg
    • ½ cup butter milk
    • 1 tablespoon franks red hot sauce
    • ½ cup pork rind crumbs
    • ½ cup almond flour
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
    • 4 tablespoon melted butter for adding to half of the spice blend to coat the cooked chicken thighs
    **New** I Hacked Diabetes recipe bookCheck out Low Carb & Diabetes Comfort Food!

    Instructions
     

    Spice Blend

    • Mix the spices and swerve brown sugar together in a small bowl

    Chicken Thighs

    • Sprinkle the chicken thighs with the half of the spice blend on both sides of the chicken. Store in an enclosed container in the fridge for 1 hour.
    • Take the chicken out of the fridge after 1 hour
    • Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (see notes for oven method)
    • In one shallow bowl whisk together the 1 egg, buttermilk and hot sauce together. In another shallow bowl mix together the almond flour, pork rind crumbs and salt and pepper.
    • Dip each chicken thigh in the egg mixture and ensure it is well coated. Then dredge through the breadcrumb mixture and it is nicely crusted on both sides.
    • Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray and place each chicken thigh in the basket. Lightly spray the tops of the chicken thighs with cooking spray. Air fryer for 8 minutes per side, then spray each side again with the cooking spray and air fry for another 2 minutes per side.
    • Gently remove from air fryer and place on a clean wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Mix the remaining spice blend with the melted butter and brush the paste onto the chicken thighs. If paste is too thick add more melted butter.
    • Chicken thighs can be served on their own or serve on a low carb hamburger bun topped with pickles, lettuce and mayo.

    Notes

    Each chicken thigh has 4g net carbs.  If serving on a low carb hamburger bun with two chicken thighs, pickles, lettuce and mayo it would be roughly 8g net carbs for the sandwich.
    All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
    Make sure to use cooking spray or grease the air fryer basket to avoid sticking. You also want to lightly use cooking spray on the chicken to help with crisping them up and to avoid sticking to the basket.
    Oven Method: You can bake these breaded chicken thighs in the oven at the same temperature on a wire rack sprayed with cooking spray and a baking sheet.  Times may vary but it would be roughly 6 -8 minutes per side.  Remove from oven once they are crispy and golden.
    Please note: Ingredients measurements in the video have been adjusted in the recipe card below. I was left with too much breading once I breaded the chicken and wanted to provide a more accurate amount. See accurate measurements in the recipe card below.

    This recipe card provides the basic details to make this recipe. For more information, questions or variations please review the content above the recipe card.

    Updates and Revisions

    If conflicting information between the video and recipe card, the recipe card will always have the most up to date information, ingredients and instructions.

    Click here to add your own private notes.

    Nutritional Information

    All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

    LOVE THIS RECIPE?Check out I Hacked Diabetes on Pinterest

    🌡️ Food safety

    • Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
    • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
    • Wash hands after touching raw meat
    • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    See more food guidelines

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Genevieve

      August 13, 2021 at 4:41 pm

      5 stars
      You can never go wrong with a chicken sammy recipe, especially one keto and made in the air fryer!

      Reply
    2. Brianna

      August 11, 2021 at 9:57 pm

      5 stars
      Crunchy, spicy and healthy; sandwiches don't get much better than this!

      Reply
    3. Freya

      August 11, 2021 at 4:09 am

      5 stars
      This sandwich was absolutely jam packed with flavour, but really straightforward to make!

      Reply
    4. Jere

      August 10, 2021 at 11:34 pm

      5 stars
      Using the pork rinds in this recipe is such a good idea. We love hot chicken sandwiches so I can't wait to try this.

      Reply
    5. Mama Maggie's Kitchen

      August 07, 2021 at 3:12 am

      5 stars
      You're making me hungry... I think I just heard my tummy growl. hahaha!

      Reply
    6. Sangita

      August 06, 2021 at 12:14 pm

      5 stars
      Nice detailed recipe and video. Thanks dear…

      Reply
    7. Jean

      August 05, 2021 at 11:50 pm

      5 stars
      the addition of sugar balances out the spiciness which is totally perfect.

      Reply
    8. Oscar Chimenti

      August 05, 2021 at 5:21 pm

      5 stars
      This hot chicken sandwich was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy and all of the flavours from the spice blend.

      Reply

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    I am a Type 2 Diabetic and enjoy creating low-carb and diabetic-friendly recipes that are good for you! All recipes are developed to help you make great food without the highs and lows of diabetes.

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    a low carb Nashville hot chicken sandwich on a cutting board.