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Almond Crusted Chicken Tenders

Almond crusted chicken tenders are ketogenic and wonderful either for dinner or lunch. You can easily meal prep them, pack them up for work, or have them with a low carb salad. They’re low-carb, gluten-free, and dairy-free.

Do you hate that dreaded question, “What’s for dinner?” I do too!

And it’s even harder when you’re following a ketogenic diet, and your partner and/or kids aren’t.

chicken tenders with sweet chilli sauce

More often than not, you end up making two different dinners; one for you and one for them.

And the last thing you want to do when you come home from a long day at work is spend another hour or more, slaving in the kitchen.

 

Chicken Tenders Are the Answer

One food that is loved by both kids and adults are chicken tenders. But your typical chicken tenders are drenched in flour and breadcrumbs, so they’re totally off-limits.

In fact, just one chicken tender at your local fast-food restaurant contains about 5 grams of net carbs. And who eats only one chicken tender?

So, the solution? Make my keto crusted chicken tenders.

They are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. And they are spicy and nicely seasoned with a variety of herbs.

Also, they are healthier for you than your fast-food chicken tenders. That’s because they are baked and not deep-fried.

They also contain only 22 grams of net carbs. So, they have about 80% less net carbs than regular chicken tenders.

They also have a decent amount of fat, as well as much more protein than regular chicken tenders. So, after eating them, you feel full and less likely to reach for high carb desserts after dinner.

And since they are packed with protein, they are great for growing kids. You could even have them as your post-workout snack. Your fellow gym-goers will be so jealous.

Since they are low in calories, you can have a couple too, and not feel guilty.

But, the best part is that it doesn’t take much time to make them. In under 40 minutes, you can have a delicious, healthy keto meal that your whole family will love.

close up keto chickeen tenders

Dipping Sauces for Keto Crusted Chicken Tenders

There are so many dipping sauces that you can use. My personal favorites are sweet chili sauce, mustard, and low carb ketchup.

Make sure that your sweet chili sauce is low carb. Regular sweet chili sauce contains a lot of sugar, which means tons of carbs. Here is the low carb sweet chili sauce that I recommend.

Low Carb Sides to Have with Keto Crusted Chicken Tenders

These keto crusted chicken tenders go well with zucchini fries or cauliflower mash and a nice Garden salad.

Why This Almond Crusted Chicken is Keto?

To keep this almond crusted chicken keto, we use almond flour instead of regular flour or bread crumbs to coat the chicken. This is one of those keto diet hacks you want to use on all dishes!

Regular flour is full of carbs. A 30 gram serving of regular flour contains 22 grams of net carbs. That is more than your net carbs limit for the day!

Almond flour, however, has way fewer net carbs. A 30 gram serving of almond flour contains only 4 grams of net carbs.

In addition, almond flour has way more fat. In fact, almost 20% of it is fat. So, it is perfect for a keto diet.

Almond flour also has more protein than regular flour. Fat and protein are key macronutrients that help keep you full. So, when you eat foods containing almond flour, you are left feeling satiated, not hungry.

In addition to being low carb, almond flour is nutritious. It is an excellent source of vitamin E, which you need for glowing skin.

It is also an excellent source of manganese, which you need for healthy bones. You can stock up on almond flour here.

What Seasonings to Use for These Crispy Keto Chicken Tenders?

To keep the almond crusted chicken keto, you use savory seasonings instead of sweet seasonings. These seasonings are garlic powder, onion powder, coriander leaf, salt, and black pepper.

Feel free to change up the seasonings if you like. Other keto-friendly seasonings you can use are cayenne pepper (if you like it spicy), paprika, oregano, parsley, or even Italian seasoning.

Other nice coatings you can add include sesame seeds, crushed pecans, chia seeds, flax seeds, and pine nuts.

breaded chicken breast strips

 

Can You Use Coconut Flour Instead?

Now, if you don’t have almond flour on hand, or are allergic to almond flour, you can definitely use coconut flour. Just mix half coconut flour and half shredded unsweetened coconut.

Doing this will give your chicken tenders a coconutty, yet equally delicious flavor profile. If you need to stock up on some coconut flour, you can get some here.
Watch: 3 Low Carb Lunch Ideas

Can You Freeze These Chicken Tenders?

Yes, most definitely. Just place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet once coated. Then let them freeze for a couple of hours before putting them into freezer bags.

chicken strip pin

 

Almond Crusted Chicken Tenders are Meal Prep Friendly

One other thing that you’ll love about these chicken tenders is that they are meal prep friendly.

We all have busy lives and don’t always have the time to cook. So, a great way to ensure that you still have delicious, yet keto-friendly meals on hand is to meal prep.

By spending some time over the weekend or whatever day works for you to meal prep, you set yourself up for a more relaxed week.

Now, this recipe yields 10 chicken tenders, but feel free to double it to make 20 chicken tenders, so that you have plenty left over for the week.

You can store them for up to 4 days in the fridge. Glass containers work best to keep food fresh longer. You can find some glass food storage containers here.

 

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keto chicken tenders

Almond Crusted Chicken Tenders

Looking for keto chicken tenders to make for lunch or dinner? These almond crusted chicken tenders are the perfect choice if you're looking to meal prep for the week or just want a crispy chicken recipe while on low carb diet.
4.67 from 6 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 27 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes
Course Keto
Cuisine American
Servings 10 chicken tenders
Calories 142 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large chicken breasts boneless & skinless
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp coriander leaf
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • Olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
  • Mix almond flour, garlic, onion powder, coriander, salt and pepper in one bowl.
  • Whisk eggs in another bowl.
  • Cut chicken breasts into strips. They should be around 0.5-0.75 inch thick.
  • Pound each strip with a meat hammer. You can use plastic wrap to do that to keep it clean. Just cover the chicken breasts before using the hammer.
  • Dip the chicken in egg and then cover with almond flour. Place it on the baking sheet. Spray the chicken tenders with some olive oil.
  • Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Afterwards, flip the chicken and cook for another 12 minutes. It’ll will ensure that both sides of the chicken are crispy.
RECIPE VIDEO

Nutrition

Serving: 1chicken tenderCalories: 142kcalCarbohydrates: 3.8gProtein: 12gFat: 8.9gSaturated Fat: 1.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 149mgFiber: 1.6gSugar: 0.6g
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Recipe Rating