Cinnamon Chicken (Low Carb, Gluten-free)

This Cinnamon Chicken recipe starts in the skillet and finishes in the oven. Coating in almond flour offers a low carb and gluten-free fried chicken option. 

This Low Carb Cinnamon Chicken is so insanely delicious.

When I was in high school, my mother was into cooking “light” meals. At the time the government and doctors were pushing low fat diets to cure heart disease, lower cholesterol and to stem rising obesity rates. In particular, my mother had 4 or 5 hard backed Cooking Light cookbooks and I remember looking at the pictures and reading the recipes over and over. One of the recipes was for Cinnamon Chicken which was crumbed, cooked in the oven and then drizzled in honey. It was delicious.

I’ve long since lost the recipe and now follow a low carb ketogenic diet, so the recipe needed some updating — just as the old thinking of avoiding fat and eating more carbs is being updated, albeit slowly. I decided to coat bone-in chicken breasts with almond flour and start them in a cast iron skillet before transferring them into the oven to finish cooking. Almond flour is a great low carb coating for meats and vegetables but it can burn. I have found that laying a piece of foil over the dish will prevent it from over browing or burning in the oven.

Cinnamon Chicken makes a great Sunday dinner… I prepared it in a cast iron skillet. It’s a pretty big pan. Because the chicken breasts I had were so big I had to cook them two at a time before putting them together in the skillet for baking. The breasts were big enough to feed eight. My family of 4 enjoyed this Cinnamon Chicken two times for dinner and still had chicken left over to mix into the remaining Riced Cauliflower Pilaf to have for lunch. My kids love this recipe!

BTW, these were great with Garlicky Oil and Vinegar Green Beans on the side.

Time wise, this dish is great. It comes together really fast then cooks in the oven for about an hour, providing enough time to prepare sides, do a little dishes, spend some time with loved ones or maybe catch-up with your favorite show on Netflix.

***The nutritional value is for the cinnamon chicken coating per serving.

Low Carb Cinnamon Chicken is 2 net carbs per serving

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Low Carb Cinnamon Chicken

Cinnamon Chicken is a great recipe for those following a gluten-free, grain-free, low carb life style. The nice flavorful cinnamon coating, makes it a comforting meal. 

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 384kcal

Author: lowcarbmaven.com

Equipment

• Sheet pan
• shallow bowl
• large plate or shallow bowl
• cast iron pan

Ingredients

• 4 large bone-in chicken breasts
• salt and pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp water
• 2-3 tbsp oil enough to cover the bottom of the skillet

Cinnamon Chicken Coating

• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/8 tsp coriander
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp onion powder

Instructions

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 350 and place the rack into the lower third.
• Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and put on a sheet pan.
• Measure and mix the ingredients for the coating on a dinner plate or shallow bowl large enough to hold a chicken breast.
• With a fork, beat the eggs and water in a shallow bowl large enough to accommodate a chicken breast.

Method: Standard Breading Procedure

• Dip a chicken breast in the egg, coating both sides and letting the excess drip off before placing it in the coating.
• Put the chicken breast-side-down into the coating and coat well. Flip the it over and coat the back side lightly. Return the coated chicken to the sheet pan and repeat procedure to coat the remaining chicken.

Cooking

• Heat an oven proof skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, turn heat down to medium and add the oil, tilting the pan to coat with oil.
• When oil shimmers, add two chicken breasts, breast-side-down. Cook for about 3-5 minutes. Check after 3 to make sure the coating isn't burning because nuts burn quickly. Remove the chicken from the skillet and place it breast-side-up on the sheet pan.
• Cook the other two pieces of chicken in the skillet for 3-5 minutes, breast side down. Flip them over and turn off the heat. Add the other two pieces of cinnamon chicken (from the sheet pan) to the skillet, breast-side-up.
• Place the skillet into the oven and cover loosely with a piece of foil. Cook for 30-40 minutes until the internal temperature is 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the chicken and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. It will continue cooking as it sits.
• Serves 6 at 2 NET CARBS each.

Nutrition

Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 297mg | Potassium: 291mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 237IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 2mg