I love Chinese food, and takeout is one of the things I’ve missed the most since switching how I eat. Luckily, a majority of the things I love ordering the most are easy to make keto versions of, so I haven’t suffered too much – but there are some things that have breading, which is a huge no-no for anyone following a ketogenic diet. Other things, like thick sauces, are made with too much sugar and other carb-heavy substances, so those are out of the question, too.

One of the first things I did when I decided to do this was to follow a few YouTube channels and check out a couple of blogs. Through my ‘research’, I discovered KetoConnect, and soon after, their cookbook – Keto Made Easy (which I’ll share my review of on here soon!). There are so many comfort foods that I thought I’d never eat again – except made with ingredients I can actually still use! They’re also just super friendly, nice people, and you can learn a lot from watching their videos.

This recipe is adapted from one of the ones in that book – and it’s delicious! I only changed a few things to my preferences, and you can feel free to switch things up as you prefer based on your tastes, too!

 

What You’ll Need:

For the Chicken

🌈 1/2 cup coconut oil

🌈  1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

🌈  1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt

🌈  1/4 tsp black pepper

🌈  1/3 cup coconut flour

 

For the Sauce

🌈  1 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil

🌈  2 cloves garlic, minced

🌈  1 half inch piece of ginger, grated

🌈  1/4 cup soy sauce

🌈  2 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

🌈  2 1/2 tbsp sugar replacement (I used monkfruit)

🌈  2 tbsp water

🌈  1 tsp red pepper flakes

🌈  1/4 tsp xanthan gum

 

For the “Rice”

🌈  2 cups riced cauliflower (frozen or fresh, it doesn’t matter!)

🌈  1 tbsp butter

🌈  1/4 tsp garlic powder

🌈  1/4 tsp onion powder

 

Optional Toppings

🌈  Sesame seeds (white or black)

🌈  Sliced green onions

 

 

What You’ll Do:

1. Heat the coconut oil in a medium pan over med-high heat – using a deep fry thermometer, it should be between 330 and 350 F degrees. My household does not own a deep fry thermometer, and I like to live life on the edge – we just sort of went with it and got it as hot as it could get at this temperature before going for it.
2. To prepare your chicken, wash and dry your chicken thigh meat. Cut it into small chunks, and season with salt and pepper, and then roll them in the coconut flour until well coated.
3. Handling small batches at a time, fry the chicken in the hot oil, making sure to rotate the pieces so all sides cook evenly. It’ll take about 3 – 6 minutes for each batch.
4. Once the chicken is cooked, scoop it out of the oil and onto a plate lined with paper towels. This will help soak up any excess oil while you cook the remaining batches!
5. Once all the chicken is cooked, heat the sesame oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger, cooking until fragrant – about 1 minute. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients, except for the xanthan gum, and whisk everything to combine.
6. Simmer the sauce for 3 – 5 minutes, or until it seems a little less thin. Add the xanthan gum, continuing to whisk the sauce, and turn the heat up to med-high. Allow the sauce to reduce and thicken for about 6 minutes.
7. While the sauce is thickening, steam the rice per the instructions if frozen, or by placing it in a microwave safe bowl and covering with a few damp paper towels while it cooks for 5 minutes. It should be tender but not mushy!
8. Add the butter, onion & garlic powders, and salt and pepper to taste to the cauliflower and mix until well incorporated.
9. Divide both the cauliflower and chicken into two servings, and top with sesame seeds, green onions, or whatever you want!
10. Enjoy!