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 crispy chicken good for keto diet? ›
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.
Can I eat KFC on keto? ›
KFC. 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.
How many calories are in keto chicken tenders? ›
Keto Classic Chicken Tenders (1 servings (3.75 oz each)) contains 9.3g total carbs, 4.6g net carbs, 37g fat, 29.3g protein, and 471 calories.
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) ...
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).
Can you have cornstarch on keto? ›
If you love cooking, you're probably used to recipes that call for cornstarch as a thickening agent. But cornstarch is typically forbidden on Keto, with a whopping 116g of net carbs per cup. That's enough to knock you and your 5 best friends out of ketosis.
Can you eat panko on keto? ›
Are Panko Breadcrumbs Keto-Friendly? The traditional panko breadcrumbs from Kikkoman are not keto-friendly. There are 24g net carbs in a ½ cup serving. If you want a Panko-style breadcrumb, make this version with pork rinds instead.
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.
Can I eat burgers on keto? ›
Yes, you can enjoy a burger without the bun on a keto diet. Opt for lettuce wraps or simply eat the burger with a fork and knife. Remember to choose high-quality ingredients, and consider adding keto-friendly toppings like avocados and cheese.
Are cheeseburgers Keto-friendly? Yes, cheeseburgers are Keto-friendly since they have almost zero carbs (without the bun). Cheeseburgers are high in fat and protein which make them perfect for Keto, Low Carb, and LCHF diets.
Is McDonald's fried chicken keto? ›
Chicken sandwiches: All of McDonald's chicken options are breaded, so they're too high in carbs for Keto. Filet-O-Fish: Likewise, the Filet-O-Fish is breaded — making it too high in carbs, even without a bun.
Can you have almond flour on keto? ›
Almond flour is a 100% keto-approved baking flour. It is also the most widely used keto flour on shelves. However, what it lacks in carbs, it makes up for in calories. Though almond flour is significantly higher in calories than many other flours, it also contains considerable amounts of protein and fiber.
Can you get keto honey? ›
The short answer: no. The long answer: still no, but that doesn't mean honey is bad for you or can't be part of a healthy diet. Honey just happens to be high in carbs––which are healthy and valid sources of fuel for your body in moderation––while the keto diet requires consuming almost no carbs at all.
How many carbs are in 4 breaded chicken tenders? ›
Wendy's 4-piece Chicken Tenders (1 serving) contains 26g total carbs, 26g net carbs, 19g fat, 29g protein, and 400 calories.
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 I eat breaded fried chicken on keto? ›
Unfortunately, fried chicken uses flour or cornmeal (and sometimes cornstarch) to create its familiar beloved crunchy crust. That means it's not keto-friendly. Traditional fried chicken can be made keto-friendly if you remove the breading before eating.
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.
Is it OK to eat chicken tenders on a diet? ›
While fried chicken tender can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet, it's important to be aware of the potential drawbacks. Consuming excess fried chicken fingers or tenders may lead to higher cholesterol and sodium levels, increasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
