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    Home » Recipes » Quick Dinners

    Published: Dec 27, 2023 · Modified: Dec 28, 2023 by Jennifer Banz· 31 Comments

    Crispy Keto Chicken Nuggets - Oven Baked or Air Fryer

    Servings: 4 Servings
    |
    Cals: 289
    |
    Fat: 11
    |
    Carbs: 1
    |
    Fiber: 0
    |
    Protein: 53
    |
    Time: 25 minutes mins
    Jump to Recipe Pin for Later

    Chicken nuggets are a household staple when you have kids at home. These keto chicken nuggets are just as delicious, if not better than traditional recipes. Your entire family will love the super crunchy texture and perfectly seasoned coating.

    keto chicken nuggets on a dark gray plate with ketchup

    These keto homemade chicken nuggets are fun to make so get your kids involved! They will be excited to eat them after they had a hand in making them. The recipe uses simple ingredients and requires only a few basic steps.

    Normally I am not a fan of making my own breaded chicken recipes when it comes to traditional methods that use wheat flour and bread crumbs. They never turn out as crispy as I would like unless they are deep fried. These keto chicken nuggets, on the other hand, get super crispy...especially in the air fryer.

    The crispy coating

    The best way to make chicken nuggets keto friendly is to use a keto friendly coating. Pork rinds that have been crushed in the food processor are my keto friendly breading of choice. They make the most delicious keto chicken nuggets and keto chicken tenders!

    You can also buy crushed pork rinds at large grocery stores or on amazon.

    How to make crispy keto chicken nuggets

    chicken cut into pieces

    I like to get everything prepped before I start cooking. That means cutting the chicken breast into bite size pieces. and prepping my breading station.

    breading station with pork rinds

    The crushed pork rinds are combined with the seasonings in a shallow bowl, and then in a separate shallow bowl we have either our egg wash or heavy cream. Heavy cream is a perfect substitute if you have someone in your family that cannot have eggs.

    breading chicken for nuggets

    Dip the chicken pieces in the heavy cream or egg, followed by the crushed pork rinds.

    breaded chicken pieces in the air fryer

    My preferred cooking method is in the air fryer. They get really nice and crispy without overcooking. They can also be baked in the oven on a sheet pan.

    When they are finished, serve them with your favorite dipping sauce. I love sugar free ketchup or bbq sauce.

    keto chicken nuggets on a plate

    Crispy Keto Chicken Nuggets - Oven Baked or Air Fryer

    Chunks of chicken coated in a pork rind dust and then baked or air fried until golden brown! These Keto chicken nuggets are the perfect balance of crunchy, smoky, juicy, and delicious. they are so flavorful and easy to make!
    4.86 from 14 votes
    Course: dinner, lunch
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 Servings
    Calories: 289
    Author: Jennifer Banz

    This post may contain affiliate links

    Ingredients

    • 1 Cup Crushed pork rinds
    • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, use less if your pork rinds are salted
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • black pepper to taste
    • 2 large eggs, beaten (see notes)
    • 1 pound Chicken Breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks

    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 pieces to the egg mixture and stir to coat.
    • In batches dip the chicken breast pieces into the the pork rinds. Toss to coat. Set aside on a plate.

    Air Fryer

    • Place the chicken nuggets in the air fryer basket in a single layer and air fry at 400F for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook in 2 batches.

    Oven Baked

    • Preheat the oven to 425F. Bake the nuggets on a baking sheet (use a wire rack for best results). Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
    • Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

    Notes

    • Egg free: use heavy cream in place of the eggs.
    • Store leftover nuggets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
    Servings: 4 Servings

    Nutrition per serving

    Calories: 289 | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 11g | Fiber: 0g

    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.

    Keyword :gluten free, recipe for keto chicken nuggets

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    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Reviews




    1. Katherine Howerton says

      September 19, 2023 at 6:51 am

      Can this recipe be air fried?

      Reply
      • Jennifer Banz says

        September 19, 2023 at 8:06 am

        Definitely! I would start with 8 minutes at 400F

        Reply
    2. Jenny says

      September 28, 2021 at 4:29 pm

      5 stars
      This. Tastes. Amaaaazing!!! 🙌🏼😋 We loved this recipe so much. However, one thing I didn’t like too much was the texture. (Not your “fault” at all!) Instead of avocado oil, I used unrefined coconut oil. I usually bake with that with no issue, but I’m wondering if the use of it lent itself to a rubbery texture of the chicken. Was it too overdone? Can anyone maybe shed some light on this? My family—my picky kids!!—LOVED the taste of it, but they were turned off by the rubbery texture.

      Reply
    3. Virginia says

      July 28, 2021 at 5:18 pm

      5 stars
      Chicken nuggets, easy tasted really good 😌

      Reply
    4. Susan says

      May 29, 2021 at 4:20 pm

      4 stars
      Tried this tonight, it was fabulous. I’m on Keto and could never get chicken nuggets or fingers to work. I used my air fryer and they were so crispy. Next time I might kick up the heat and spices in the pork rinds. Thanks so much!

      Reply
    5. Jessica Lee Averre says

      May 20, 2021 at 11:53 am

      5 stars
      Can I cook these in a deep fryer?

      Reply
    6. Jamie says

      May 14, 2021 at 1:47 pm

      5 stars
      I do mine really, really similar to this. I use powdered parm + zero carb ranch seasoning+other seasonings for the 'flour' layer, then roll through an egg wash, then through crushed pork rind crumbs and then -back- through the 'flour' (no egg between crumbs and 'flour' though) and it makes it super crispy. We also like to use this for cheese sticks and pork chops.

      Reply
    7. Amy says

      May 02, 2021 at 8:47 pm

      4 stars
      These are a good alternative to regular nuggets. The thing that is SO annoying about recipes like this that the portions are off. I only used 13 oz of chicken and still had to stop and make more of the seasoning. I would definitely make double.
      If you make them in the oven, stop three-ish minutes short of 15 and broil them. They won’t be crispy is you don’t. I will make these again.

      Reply
    8. JEFF SONDROL says

      March 10, 2021 at 1:11 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for this recipe!!!
      I was so excited to try this recipe. I tweaked it a little and it turned out Awesome!!! I only had chicken tenderloins & BBQ flavor pork rinds so omitted the additional spices. I added pinch of Cayenne pepper for heat of course. I also swapped the egg dredge with 1/4 C. Heavy Cream and 1 ts. White Distilled Vinegar. Coated like old school shake & bake plastic bag. Ninja Foodi at 490° air fry mode for 7 minutes turn over to other side for an additional 4 minutes. Phenomenal!!!

      Reply
    9. S says

      February 15, 2021 at 6:45 pm

      How much is 1 serving. The recipe says serves 4

      Reply
      • jenniferbanz says

        February 16, 2021 at 12:39 pm

        1/4th of the recipe. It would depend on how many chicken nuggets you actually make.

        Reply
    10. Linda Chartrand says

      July 10, 2020 at 1:07 pm

      Can you make these in the air fryer?

      Reply
      • jenniferbanz says

        July 20, 2020 at 10:22 am

        Yep!

        Reply
    11. Judith A Lehman says

      February 22, 2020 at 9:56 am

      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.

      Reply
    12. Debra L Steele says

      October 28, 2019 at 9:41 pm

      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.

      Reply
    13. Karly says

      January 27, 2019 at 10:50 am

      These look amazing! My husband thanks you!!

      Reply
    14. Destiny says

      January 24, 2019 at 4:59 pm

      5 stars
      I made them in the air fryer on 350° for 12 minutes flipping halfway through. They were amazing. No need to freeze!

      Reply
      • jenniferbanz says

        January 25, 2019 at 12:21 pm

        Good to know, thank you!

        Reply
        • Tracey L Johnson says

          May 11, 2020 at 7:00 pm

          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.

    15. Lisa Cox says

      January 08, 2019 at 8:44 pm

      5 stars
      I air fried these and they were delicious. Next time I will use the buffalo flavored pork rinds.

      Reply
    16. Beth says

      November 03, 2018 at 2:40 pm

      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

      Reply
      • jenniferbanz says

        November 04, 2018 at 9:06 am

        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.

        Reply
      • Destiny says

        January 24, 2019 at 4:57 pm

        5 stars
        I made them in the air fryer on 350° for 12 minutes flipping halfway through. They were amazing. No need to freeze!

        Reply
    17. Brenda says

      October 31, 2018 at 12:09 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    18. Gina Sheridan says

      September 09, 2018 at 2:57 pm

      How long and what temperature would you use to bake them

      Reply
      • jenniferbanz says

        September 10, 2018 at 3:50 pm

        We did 375F for 15 minutes

        Reply
    19. Vanessa says

      September 06, 2018 at 7:54 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    20. Hayley says

      August 06, 2018 at 4:00 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • jenniferbanz says

        August 07, 2018 at 8:30 am

        So glad you liked them!

        Reply
      • Pam says

        July 19, 2019 at 4:00 pm

        I would love to freeze these. Do you do it before or after baking? Do they heat up crispy after freezing?

        Reply
        • jenniferbanz says

          July 22, 2019 at 6:25 pm

          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.

    Primary Sidebar

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    Hey there, I'm Jennifer Banz! I’m the creator behind Low Carb with Jennifer and author of the cookbook Live Life Keto.  

    I've been cooking and developing low carb and keto recipes for the past 13 years and it is my goal to bring you the best quality recipes and cooking tutorials possible.

    My recipes reflect my philosophy on cooking...everything needs to be easy, fast, exceptionally delicious, and use common ingredients.

    More about me →

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