Chunks of chicken coated in a pork rind dust and then fried until golden brown! These pork rind Keto chicken nuggets are crunchy, smoky, juicy, and golden brown. they are so flavorful and easy to make!
Related: I get all of my grass fed beef and pasture raised chicken from Butcher Box. Read my honest review here.
Word on the street is kids like chicken nuggets. Who knew?
My kids are out of school for the summer…are yours? One of my biggest dilemmas is what to feed the little rascals for lunch! I don’t know about your kids, but mine are unbelievably picky. Nothing green, nothing leafy, nothing even minutely resembling a vegetable! I have to be really clever with their meals because I don’t want them eating a ton of carbs…and did I mention my youngest doesn’t like meat? Help me!
One thing they do like are these pork rind chicken nuggets. My oldest likes them dipped in Primal Kitchen Foods Ranch, and my youngest just likes them plain.
What I really like about these yummy little nuggets is that they are breaded (crusted) in pork rinds, duh. The pork rinds give them such good flavor! I did a 2 step crusting (breading) process that involves beaten egg and the crushed pork rinds. You know how people season their flour before they bread their chicken? I think that is such a waste of seasoning! Why not season the chicken before you start breading (crusting)? That’s what I do!
Season chicken, dip in beaten egg, smother with crushed pork rinds, fry until golden brown. The egg doesn’t wash off the seasoning!
I have found that the pork rinds need to be crushed pretty fine or they won’t get as crispy. I crunch mine up in a food processor. You may have to do 2 batches depending on the size of your food processor.
I pan fried these pork rind chicken nuggets in avocado oil to up the fat content, but you could definitely bake them in the oven. You could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast.
Check out my other chicken recipes such as my keto taco salad, Chicken Rollatini, and no mess crispy chicken thighs!
SEE THE KETO CHICKEN NUGGETS VIDEO IN THE RECIPE CARD BELOW
Pork Rind Keto Chicken Nuggets
INGREDIENTS
- 3, 6 ounce Chicken Breasts , cut into 1 inch chunks
- 2 eggs
- 1 Cup Crushed pork rinds
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- Avocado oil for frying (Click here for my favorite brand on Amazon)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pour crushed pork rinds in a shallow bowl and add the seasonings. Mix well. In a separate shallow bowl, add the beaten eggs. Add the chicken to the egg mixture and stir to coat.
- In batches dip the chicken into the the pork rinds. Toss to coat
- Heat about an inch of avocado oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the chicken in batches until golden brown. A couple of minutes per side should be sufficient.
- Drain on paper towels.
- Serve immediately
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
JENNIFER'S TIPS
- You can also bake these in the oven at 375F for 15 minutes
- These are perfect served with a side of crispy broccoli. Cook the broccoli seasoned with salt in a 425F oven until crispy.
Linda Chartrand says
Can you make these in the air fryer?
jenniferbanz says
Yep!
Judith A Lehman says
Best breading ever. Made breaded pork tenderloin. An Indiana fast food favorite. Tweaked with parmesan in crumbs. Was just like the good old days. Thank you.
Debra L Steele says
I plan on trying the nuggets after my next shopping trip. I will be subbing the eggs with buttermilk. I have a nasty egg allergy.
Karly says
These look amazing! My husband thanks you!!
Destiny says
I made them in the air fryer on 350° for 12 minutes flipping halfway through. They were amazing. No need to freeze!
jenniferbanz says
Good to know, thank you!
Tracey L Johnson says
I’m glad to know about the air fryer! I just finished dinner, where my husband and I went crazy over the fried nuggets. They are so tender and juicy and crunchy. Thank you, Jennifer.
Lisa Cox says
I air fried these and they were delicious. Next time I will use the buffalo flavored pork rinds.
Beth says
Have you ever used the air fryer to cook them and I’m looking to free e some, would I freeze before or after cooking? Thanks
jenniferbanz says
I bet they would be great in the air fryer! I am not sure about the freezing so I think I need to experiment and add that to the recipe.
Destiny says
I made them in the air fryer on 350° for 12 minutes flipping halfway through. They were amazing. No need to freeze!
Brenda says
The nuggets are amazing! Is there any way I could get the nutrition facts? That would be wonderful if you could do that for me. Thank you.
Gina Sheridan says
How long and what temperature would you use to bake them
jenniferbanz says
We did 375F for 15 minutes
Vanessa says
Oh my gosh! I’ve been craving fried chicken like a madwoman since I started keto but your recipe righted me! I was astonished at how well the batter stuck together and stayed nice and crispy, like an airy panko. I seasoned the chicken like you mentioned and used plenty of thyme and rosemary and… thank you so much!! New go to!
Hayley says
I made these last week for my little guy that has Type 1 Diabetes. Originally I was going to do tenders but I saw your recipe and thought nuggets would be a good idea. He loved them and so did I! I couldn’t stop eating them! Thankfully I made a big enough batch for leftovers and froze those for easy and fast dinners in the future. I was surprised the pork rind flavor disappeared when baking. Will definitely make these again!
jenniferbanz says
So glad you liked them!
Pam says
I would love to freeze these. Do you do it before or after baking? Do they heat up crispy after freezing?
jenniferbanz says
You could freeze them before or after cooking. I think freezing before cooking, then letting them thaw and continue cooking as the directions state, would yield crispy results.