By Tanya K. / Dinner, Recipes / updated on October 17, 2023
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I’ve cracked the code to make these delicious keto chicken tenders (also known as chicken fingers, chicken goujons, or chicken strips). They are perfect for a snack or for a full lunch.
This mouthwatering low carb chicken tenders will make your friends and family love you. They won’t even know that it’s low carb.
Traditional fried chicken tenders is breaded with enriched flour or all purpose flour, which contains gluten and is highly inflammatory for some people. It’s also loaded with carbs and empty calories.
Almond flour is an excellent gluten-free substitute for flour. It’s loaded with healthy nutrients, including monounsaturated fatty acids and fiber.Using almond meal as breading is a good choice for low carb diets.
Almonds are also a good source of vitamin E, which acts as an antioxidant in the body to reduce inflammation and free radicals. Vitamin E also helps improve skin health (1).
I like it a little bit spicy. You can add extra herbs and spices of your choice when marinating the chicken but it is optional. You can prepare them fried or baked.
You can use homemade ketchup, mayonnaise, or sour cream for the dip. The entire process is very simple: marinate chicken and coat with almond flour then deep-fry it. That’s it!
To deep fry food, it’s best to use high smoke point oils, such as beef tallow (rendered beef fat), lard (rendered pig fat), or coconut oil.
How to Make Low Carb Fried Chicken Tenders
Cut the chicken breast in lengthwise strips.
With a mortar, mash the garlic cloves and spices. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Add egg, lemon juice and sour cream in and mix well to marinate the chicken strips.
Cover and refrigerate approximately one hour, turning occasionally so all the flavors can get inside the meat.
Once the chicken is well-marinated, drain all the unnecessary liquid off to get ready for coating.
In a plastic container with lid, place almond flour in and the chicken pieces. Make sure the lid is on and shake until all the chicken is covered with almond flour.
Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees. Add coconut oil in.
Fry coated chicken in hot oil for 10 to 15 minutes or until it begins to turn brown.
Slice your chicken breast to produce lengthwise ribbons.
Smash the spices and garlic clove in a mortar. Coat the chicken with the crushed spices and garlic. Crack the egg in the chicken bowl. Mix together with the sour cream and lemon juice. Fold gently to drench the chicken in the seasonings.
Cover the chicken with the lid and chill in the fridge for about an hour, flipping the pieces occasionally to marinate thoroughly. After an hour, remove the liquid to make sure the meat is not too wet and soggy.
Pour the almond flour in a container with a lid. Transfer the seasoned chicken into the container. Replace the lid on and shake well to coat the chicken with enough flour.
Set a deep fryer to 375°F and pour in the oil in.
Once the oil becomes hot enough, deep fry the chicken strips for 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately once the strips become golden.
Nutrition/Macros
Nutrition Facts
Keto Fried Chicken Tenders
Amount Per Serving
Calories 349Calories from Fat 189
% Daily Value*
Fat 21g32%
Saturated Fat 4g20%
Cholesterol 128mg43%
Sodium 759mg32%
Potassium 498mg14%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Fiber 3g12%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 34g68%
Vitamin A 287IU6%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 90mg9%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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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.
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.
Yes, you can eat fried chicken without breading on a keto diet. Removing the breading reduces the carb content of the dish, making it a suitable option for those following a low-carb or ketogenic diet. Just be mindful of the cooking oil used, as some oils contain more saturated fats than others.
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.
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.
Pork rind dust. Though it may sound weird at first, crushed pork rinds (fried pork skins) make a great breading for fried, air-fried, or baked keto foods, since flour and cornmeal are off the table due to their carb content ( 1 , 11 ). You can buy pork rind crumbs or make your own using store-bought pork rinds.
When following a keto diet, it's important to pay attention to the portion size of the food you eat. While roasted chicken is generally considered a keto-friendly food, the amount you eat can affect your daily macronutrient intake and potentially impact your weight loss progress.
"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) ...
They're pretty low in carbs. 2 - Chicken: Chicken breast is one of the most common types of meat eaten on a ketogenic diet. But there are other options, too.
Food and drinks allowed on a no-carb diet include meat, fish, eggs, cheese, butter, oils, water, and plain coffee or tea. If you're less stringent, you can also eat nuts, seeds, non-starchy vegetables, and high fat fruits like avocado and coconut since these foods are low in net carbs.
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.
Rolled oats. Rolled oats are the perfect gluten-free binding ingredient, replacing breadcrumbs in meatballs or meatloaf and many more recipes when you need to bind meat and eggs. ...
But, we do want to point out that chicken skin may not be as bad as we once thought. It does contain lots of healthy fats that are associated with lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. If you're a big chicken eater, you don't have to remove the skin every time.
Deep-fried chicken wings are keto-friendly as long as you keep any coating and sauces low-carb. Don't use any breadcrumbs or wheat flour to coat the wings. Just frying the chicken on their own and adding flavors afterward is a great way to go too.
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