These Keto Air Fryer Kabocha Fries are sweet and salty with a crunchy coating that’s so easy to make! They make a great keto low carb alternative for potato fries that requires no oil frying!
I’m always looking for keto/low-carb alternatives with a crunch but you can only have so many Parmesan cheese crisps before your taste buds say no more.
These keto kabocha fries satisfy not only my crunch cravings with its crispy pork rinds outer coating but also my cravings for traditional french fries too!
To be honest though, this recipe turned out better and easier than I expected! My entire family devoured them in a matter of minutes and it made me seriously consider getting a bigger air fryer.
Not to mention kabocha is healthy and packs way more nutrients than a typical potato.
What is Kabocha?
Kabocha is a Japanese squash also known as a Japanese pumpkin. They’re usually deep green in color with a orange flesh and firm like that of traditional pumpkins. They taste like a mixture of pumpkin and sweet potato and have an exceptional sweet nutty flavor.
Is Kabocha Keto Low Carb?
A cup of Kabocha contains about 8g net carbs. Compared to sweet potatoes with about 20g net carbs per cup, you can see it’s a great keto low carb alternative!
What are the health benefits of Kabocha?
Kabocha is packed with fiber, iron, vitamin C and B. Its vivid orange flesh is due to its excellent source of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that is great for skin, eye health, and a strong immune system. Studies suggest that four servings a day of fruits or vegetables rich in beta-carotene can lower the risk of developing cancer and heart disease.
Why air fry Kabocha?
Air frying kabocha is probably the simplest way to cook this delicious squash. It’s less greasy and gives that crunchy texture similar to oil frying without the hassle of actually frying. Cooking time is short at roughly about 10 minutes depending on thickness.
So next time you have a craving for something sweet, salty and crunchy, make this delicious and addicting keto air fryer kabocha pumpkin fries.
If you like kabocha, check out our other keto low carb kabocha recipes here.
For this recipe, the special ingredient you would need is Unflavored Pork Rinds or Pork Panko, which you can get on Amazon or at a local supermarket. You can usually pick up some kabocha at an Asian supermarket or even regular supermarkets depending on your region.
You’ll also need an air fryer, which if you’re on the fence about, we couldn’t recommend them more! It’s a deep frying game changer if you dislike traditional frying methods!
Now, if you’re ready, let’s get Air Frying some Kabocha Pumpkins!
Prepping Time 5M
Cooking Time 12M
Total Time 17M
Net Carb/Serv ~4g
Servings 2
Ingredients
- 1/4 Whole Kabocha
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 Egg
- 3oz Unflavored Pork Rinds (1/3 Cup if using Pork Panko)
Directions
1) Gather all the ingredients.
2) Cut 1/4 of the kabocha into thin slices about 1/2″ thick. See pictures below on how we de-seed and cut the kabocha for this dish. Note – if you’re having a difficult time cutting into the kabocha, throw the whole kabocha in the microwave for about 1 – 1.5 minutes.
3) Lightly sprinkle some salt onto both sides of sliced kabocha and set aside.
4) Pour Unflavored Pork Rinds into a food processor and pulse until ground very fine. You can also use your hands to crush the pork rinds if you don’t have a food processor, but we strongly recommend using a food processor. Note – Skip this step if you are using Pork Panko.
5) Fill a mixing bowl with with beaten eggs and another mixing bowl with crushed Unflavored Pork Rinds.
6) Take a slice of kabocha, dip into the beaten eggs, then crushed Unflavored Pork Rinds and into the air fryer tray.
7) Air Fry for 12 minutes at 360F. Once fried, transfer to a serving plate and enjoy warm!
Hope you enjoy your low-carb Keto Air Fryer Kabocha Pumpkin Fries!
If you’re looking for other recipe ideas, be sure to check out our growing Recipe Index full of Asian inspired recipes!
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Keto Air Fryer Kabocha Pumpkin Fries
Ingredients
- 1/4 Whole Kabocha
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 Egg
- 3 oz Unflavored Pork Rinds 1/3 Cup if using Pork Panko
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Cut 1/4 of the kabocha into thin slices about 1/2" thick. See pictures below on how we de-seed and cut the kabocha for this dish. Note - if you're having a difficult time cutting into the kabocha, throw the whole kabocha in the microwave for about 1 - 1.5 minutes.
- Lightly sprinkle some salt onto both sides of sliced kabocha and set aside.
- Pour Unflavored Pork Rinds into a food processor and pulse until ground very fine. You can also use your hands to crush the pork rinds if you don’t have a food processor, but we strongly recommend using a food processor. Note – Skip this step if you are using Pork Panko.
- Fill a mixing bowl with with beaten eggs and another mixing bowl with crushed Unflavored Pork Rinds.
- Take a slice of kabocha, dip into the beaten eggs, then crushed Unflavored Pork Rinds and into the air fryer tray.
- Air Fry for 12 minutes at 360F. Once fried, transfer to a serving plate and enjoy warm!
Video
Nutrition
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