Who doesn’t love some crispy chicken when they want an easy keto dinner? I take the ultimate comfort food recipe and make it healthy and low carb! The combo of almond flour and parmesan really give this keto chicken tenders recipe so much flavor. I give easy to follow instructions for your air fryer or oven baked!
I love chicken tenders, but I am not a fan of any store bought varieties. That's why when I really want some chicken tenders, I bust out my almond flour and parmesan cheese and make my own keto chicken tenders. They are the ultimate recipe for picky eaters on the keto diet.
Let me tell you the best things about these low carb chicken tenders...there is no frying, no pork rinds, and they are only 5 net carbs! The kid in you is craving chicken strips and now it is time to get in the kitchen!
Ingredients needed
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for this keto chicken tenders recipe, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For a printable recipe, see the recipe card below.
8 - 12 chicken tenders - You can also use a whole chicken breast and cup it up into strips.
½ Cup almond flour
½ cup parmesan cheese (the powder kind)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teapoon garlic powder
1 teapoon Mustard Powder
1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 Large Eggs, beaten
2 Tablespoons water
How to make the best keto chicken tenders
This section explains how to make this low carb chicken tender recipe recipe, step by step. For a full printable recipe, see the recipe card below.
- In a shallow mixing bowl mixing bowl, combine eggs and water. Whisk until combined. In another shallow mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, parmesan cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, mustard powder and thyme. Making sure to stir to combine ingredients well.
- Dredge each piece of chicken in the egg mixture and then into your almond flour. Set aside on a baking sheet and continue this process with each strip/tender.
Air fryer keto chicken tenders:
- Spray the inside of your air fryer with cooking spray or line with foil and spray the foil. Place breaded strips into air fryer basket. Spray the tops of your chicken with a little bit of cooking spray. This will help them get really crispy. Cook chicken at 425F for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. If you air fryer will not go as high as 425F, put it at the highest temperature.
Oven baked keto chicken tenders:
- Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray. Place your breaded chicken on baking sheet, spray the tops with cooking spray, and bake for about 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Dipping sauces: There are a variety of dips you can use for your keto chicken strips. I like to use BBQ sauce, ranch dressing (checkout my 24 calorie Greek Yogurt ranch), or keto honey mustard.
Pro tip:
- You can use chicken tenderloins or whole chicken breasts to make your keto chicken tenders. Chicken breasts would just need to be cut into strips.
How to remove the tendon from a chicken tenderloin
That tendon in a chicken tenderloin is one of the reasons why I buy chicken breasts instead of chicken tenders for any chicken tender dish. That is until I learned this trick!
The tendon is usually hanging out of one end of the chicken tenderloin. Grab the tendon firmly with a small piece of a paper towel and place the tendon between the tines of a fork. In one motion, pull the tendon up with one hand and push the fork down with the other hand. This will pull the tendon right out.
Side Dish suggestions
- Keto Coleslaw
- Crack Green Beans (Green beans with bacon!)
- The Ultimate Cheesy Cauliflower
- Loaded Cauliflower Rice Casserole
- Delicata Squash Fries
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Keto Chicken Tenders - Air Fryer or Oven!
Ingredients
- 2 Large Chicken cut into strips or 8 raw Chicken Tenders
- ½ Cup almond flour (click here to see my favorite on Amazon)
- ½ cup parmesan cheese (the powdered kind)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teapoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teapoon Mustard Powder
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 2 Large Eggs, beaten
- 2 Tablespoons water
Instructions
- In a shallow mixing bowl mixing bowl, combine eggs and water. Whisk until combined. In another shallow mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, parmesan cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, mustard powder and thyme. Making sure to stir to combine ingredients well.
- Dredge each piece of chicken in the egg mixture and then into your almond flour. Set aside on a baking sheet and continue this process with each strip/tender.
Air fryer:
- Spray the inside of your air fryer with cooking spray or line with foil and spray the foil. Place breaded strips into air fryer basket. Spray the tops of your chicken with a little bit of cooking spray. This will help them get really crispy. Cook chicken at 425F for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. If you air fryer will not go as high as 425F, put it at the highest temperature.
Oven:
- Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray. Place your breaded chicken on baking sheet, spray the tops with cooking spray, and bake for about 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy only. Please re-calculate on your own with the ingredients and amounts you used for the most accurate data.
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