While on keto, lots op people stay away from too much chicken since it’s low in fat and high in protein. However, chicken thighs are a more fatty part of the chicken and when you leave the skin on and sear them in tallow, ghee or oil, you get enough fat in your dish to make it compliant with keto guidelines. When you are not specifically eating keto but are just trying to keep your carbs at a minimum, then dish dish will also fit perfectly within those guidelines of course. It’s really easy and yields super crispy results. Even for people who don’t like chicken thighs in general (like my husband), this one will hit the spot. I used an ingredient that I had never used before, beef tallow, and I have to say it made all the difference in flavor, it made it super rich. Worth a try for your next dish!
Ingredients
- 6 bone in whole chicken thighs with skin
- About 4 tablespoons beef tallow
- Spices of your choice. The original recipe I followed had a mix of spices that I will jot down in the “What I’ve learned…” section. Because I was trying something new for my kids, I kept it simple and seasoned my chicken (skin side) with salt, pepper, smoked paprika and garlic powder.They were delish. The amount varies to your personal taste, but never skimp on seasoning 🙂
Instructions
- To prepare your chicken thighs lay them opened up, flat, skin side down on a cutting board. With clean kitchen scissors, cut around the bone as close as you can (little snips works best).
- Remove the bone so you have a whole boneless thigh and repeat with the other thighs you have.
- If your thighs are not equal in thickness, put a piece of plastic wrap on top and gently pat to equal thickness with a rolling pin. If you don’t have a rolling pin, a wine bottle will do just fine :))
- Flip them over, skin side up, and season your heart out.
- In a large skillet (cast iron is even better if you have one, but my glass cooktop doesn’t like cast iron…!), heat 4 tablespoons of beef tallow on medium high till hot. If you don’t have beef tallow (most supermarkets carry it right now in the oil section), use ghee or butter. (avocado or olive oil is fine too, but tallow, ghee and butter have a richer taste).
- Once your choice of oil is hot, put the first 3 thighs in, skin side down. Keep them right where they are for 10 minutes. Flip, then cook for another 4-6 minutes. After flipping, it’s wise to put a grease catcher on top of your skillet since there will be spatter!
- Repeat with the remaining thighs while keeping the first batch warm between two plates.
- Cut them in half and serve with your favorite low carb side. Each serving has 3 thigh halves.
What I’ve learned…
- I love beef tallow…
- The original recipe spice mix was: 1/2 teaspoon each of chipotle powder, garlic powder, onion powder, coriander, smoked paprika, cumin and oregano. Let me know if you try this one, I would love to know how it turned out!
- If a recipe states you need a certain type of skillet, like this one needed a cast iron one, and you don’t have it, try another one! Just check when you are searing something on high heat if it’s not burning too quickly.
Approximate stats per serving of 3 thigh halves:
Calories: 597
Fats: 53.5 g
Net carbs: 0 g
Protein: 28 g
My Keto Test Lab 