Jump to Recipe·★★★★★5 from 2 reviews
This easy to follow family friendly recipe makes unbelievably good keto chicken tenders that aren’t just low carb and keto-friendly, but actually the best crunchy chicken tenders that I’ve ever had! Here’s how to make them.
How to Make Crunchy Keto Chicken Tenders
- Season. First, preheat your oven to give it some time to heat up while you season the chicken tenders with salt and black pepper.
- Create the dredge mixture. Add the almond flour, garlic powder, onion powder, Parmesan cheese, flaxseed meal, paprika, salt, and black pepper to a shallow bowl and mix to combine. Set the bowl aside.
- Prepare the egg mixture. Add the egg to a separate bowl and then beat it lightly.
- Dredge the chicken. Dredge your chicken properly for even coating. To do so, simply dip individual chicken pieces in the egg mixture and then coat with the almond flour mixture. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until all pieces have been coated.
- Bake. Spray the chicken with olive oil spray and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve. Serve immediately.
4 Tips to Making Keto Chicken Tenders That Have the Perfect Crunch
Here are a few handy tips to keep in mind when you’re making this keto chicken strip recipe to make sure that your tenders turn out perfectly crunchy every time:
- Use a good skillet. Make sure that you’re using a high quality skillet that you can control the heat well with.
- Dredge the chicken thoroughly. When you’re coating the tenders in the almond flour mixture, make sure that you’re pressing them in firmly to ensure it sticks better. This will help the breading to crisp up better when baking.
- Be generous with the almond flour mixture. Don’t be afraid to really make sure that your tenders are coated in the almond flour mixture, even the little edges.
- Don’t forget to spray. Make sure that you spray the tenders with olive oil spray before you bake them to help them turn golden brown.
How to Know When Your Keto Chicken Tenders Are Done Cooking
The internal cooking temperature for both white meat and dark meat chicken is the same; 165℉.
Using a meat or an instant read thermometer to quickly and accurately check the temperature of your meat is what I always recommend in order to be certain you’re not eating undercooked meat.
Chicken Breast vs Chicken Thighs – Which is Better for Chicken Strips?
There’s often a debate amongst keto dieters who love chicken. If you’re wondering that same thing in regards to making this keto chicken tender recipe, then the best answer that I can give you in all honesty is that it comes down to personal preference.
Chicken thighs are typically juicer and more flavorful cuts of meat than chicken breasts. They also have a higher concentration of saturated fats, on top of typically being significantly less expensive than chicken breasts are.
However, with that being said, I personally prefer to use chicken breast fillets whenever I make this recipe. I get more than enough calories from quality fat sources in the rest of my diet, so the trade-off is worth it to me.
How to Reheat Keto Chicken Strips
If you end up having some of these keto chicken tenders left over, you can always simply fire a few of them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds to reheat them. However, I like my leftover tenders to be a little bit on the crispy side of things, so I usually just heat up my oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit and throw the tenders in there for about 10 minutes or so.
Can I Freeze Cooked Chicken Tenders?
Yes, you may safely freeze your cooked chicken tenders for up to one month if you won’t have time to finish them off for whatever reason. If you do end up freezing them, I definitely recommend reheating them in the oven whenever you’re ready to enjoy them.
(View more: Easy Keto Chicken Recipes)
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Crunchy Munchy Baked Keto Chicken Tenders (Easy Recipe)
★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
- Author:Bree - KetoPots.com
- Prep Time:20 minutes
- Cook Time:15 minutes
- Total Time:35 minutes
- Yield:6 1x
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken tenders
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ cups fine almond flour
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 tbsp finely ground flaxseed meal
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
- olive oil cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Season the chicken with salt and black pepper.
- Place the almond flour, Parmesan cheese, flaxseed meal, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and salt and black pepper to taste in a shallow bowl and mix to combine. Set aside.
- Add the egg to another bowl and beat it lightly.
- Dip each chicken piece in the egg then coat in the almond flour mixture.
- Repeat this step.
- Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Spray the chicken with olive oil spray.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden.
- Serve immediately.
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FAQs
You can enjoy chicken tenders on a keto diet, and there are many ways to prepare them. If you want crispy breaded keto chicken tenders, use breading ingredients like crushed pork rinds, almond flour, and grated Parmesan.
Is KFC dirty keto? ›
Although KFC is renowned for the Colonel's crispy fried chicken, its batter unfortunately adds 8-11 net carbs for just one medium-sized piece. That being said, KFC can still be a keto-friendly spot to hit up when ordering Kentucky grilled chicken.
Can you eat crispy chicken on keto? ›
Fried chicken can be part of a healthy keto diet as long as you prepare it right, substituting high-carb ingredients with healthy fat and low-carb alternatives. These primarily include breading and cooking oil. As much as possible, avoid consuming take-out fried chicken unless you remove the breading before eating it.
What is KFC keto? ›
Though other chicken options at KFC may not be keto-friendly, the grilled chicken is. KFC Fried Chicken is not a healthy choice at all as it contains about 8-11 grams of carbs per medium-size piece whereas KFC Grilled Chicken is the healthiest option to consider when you are following a low-carb diet.
Can I eat chicken everyday on keto? ›
Meat and poultry
Meat and poultry are considered staple foods on the keto diet. Fresh meat and poultry contain no carbs and are rich in B vitamins and several important minerals. They're also a great source of high quality protein, which may help preserve muscle mass during a very low carb diet ( 18 , 19 , 20).
How many pieces of chicken can I eat on keto? ›
"With a keto diet, the breakdown is approximately 75 percent fat, 20 percent protein and 5 percent carbohydrates." For example, a woman who weighs 150 pounds and is moderately active is recommended to eat 25 grams of carbs (think one medium sized apple!), 86 grams of protein (a little over three 3 oz chicken breasts) ...
What junk food can I eat on keto? ›
Here are 9 fast-food options that you can enjoy on a ketogenic diet.
- Bunless Burgers. Share on Pinterest. ...
- Low-Carb Burrito Bowls. ...
- Egg-Based Breakfasts. ...
- Bunless Chicken Sandwich. ...
- Low-Carb Salads. ...
- Keto-Friendly Beverages. ...
- Lettuce-Wrapped Burgers. ...
- “Unwiches”
Hot Dogs Are Keto-Friendly
Hot dogs are made with ingredients that are naturally low in carbs. An average hot dog is about 1.73 grams of total carbs. As for the bun, you can't have a conventional bun in order to follow the keto diet. The average hot dog bun will cost you 24.3 grams of total carbs.
Are pickles clean keto? ›
Pickles can be keto-friendly as long as they don't contain added sugar. In general, you should select dill or sour pickles but avoid sweet, candied, and bread and butter ones.
Are fried eggs keto? ›
Eggs are keto-friendly and safe to eat when you're on the ketogenic diet. Eggs are low in carbs while containing high amounts of protein and healthy fats. You can have 6 to 7 eggs every day while on the keto diet.
Like I've said, the McDonald's chicken nuggets and crispy chicken sandwich are off-limits for the keto diet. But if you're really craving for chicken, you can get the Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich. Just order it with no bun for a total of 2 net carbs!
Can I eat Chinese fried chicken on keto? ›
Avoid breaded and water-velveted meats
Breaded and fried meats are common at Chinese buffets, especially in dishes like General Tso's chicken, butterfly shrimp, and sweet and sour chicken. Thick breading and sugary sauces make these dishes too high in carbs to be keto-friendly.
Does Wendy's have keto options? ›
Wendy's may be known for their burgers, but they also have some delicious breakfast options that are keto-friendly. For example, the Classic Bacon Egg and Cheese Sandwich is made with fluffy eggs, crispy bacon, and melted cheese between two buns. To make it keto-friendly, simply ask for no bun or English muffin.
What is a keto flour substitute for frying? ›
Good substitutes for frying include cornstarch, potato starch, and rice flour. Alternatives in baking include rice flour, chestnut flour, and all-purpose flour. Keto-friendly substitutes include almond flour, chia seed flour, psyllium husk powder, hazelnut flour, coconut flour and flaxseed meal.
Does KFC have breadless chicken? ›
'KFC Double Down' - the sandwich that replaces bread with chicken - is back after nearly 10 years. The Double Down made its debut in 2010 and sold more than 10 million sandwiches.
Are chicken tenders high in carbs? ›
A single serving of chicken tenders provides 499 calories and 31.7 grams of carbs. The breading provides a small amount of fiber (2.2 grams) and may even provide a small amount of sugar, although the actual count can vary based on the brand that you consume.
Can you eat breaded food on keto? ›
The short answer is No. The reasoning behind this is that most if not all of the fried food options are mixed with breading and other additives, which are more than enough to get you into the ceiling of your daily carb requirements.
Are chicken tenders high in carbohydrates? ›
In general, plain, unseasoned and unbreaded chicken tenders will have little to no carbohydrates. However, if they are breaded or prepared with coatings, the carbohydrate content will increase significantly.
Will one chicken nugget kick me out of ketosis? ›
No, the McDonald's chicken nuggets and crispy chicken sandwiches are considered out-of-bounds when following the keto diet. But if you're craving some chicken, you can definitely go for the Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich.
