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These Keto Chicken Tenders have a crispy golden coating with juicy chicken inside. They’re fried until crunchy and make an easy lunch, dinner, or appetizer.
Serve them with Keto BBQ Sauce, Chick-fil-A Sauce, or Spicy Mayo. You can also use them to make a low-carb chicken sandwich when you want something a little more filling.
Ingredients Needed
- Chicken breast tenders: These are already cut into strips, which saves a step. You can also slice boneless, skinless chicken breasts into similar-sized pieces.
- Heavy cream: Mix this with the egg to help the breading stick. Buttermilk also works.
- Egg: Helps the breading hold onto the chicken as it fries.
- Keto wheat flour: This gives the chicken a coating that is closer to traditional flour than the grain-free options I’ve used.
- Seasonings: Seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, smoked paprika, and optional cayenne season the breading.
- Oil for frying: Use an oil that works well for frying, such as avocado, peanut, coconut, or vegetable oil.
How to Make Keto Chicken Tenders
Make the breading
Mix the keto wheat flour with the seasonings. Add a small spoonful of the cream and egg mixture, then stir it in to make small clumps. These pieces fry up extra crunchy.
Bread the chicken
Dip each tender into the wet mixture, let the excess drip off, then press it into the breading until coated on all sides. Coat each piece once since adding a second layer can make the tenders too salty.
Fry until golden and crispy
Heat the oil to 350°F, then fry the chicken in batches. Flip the tenders once the first side is golden and the coating looks crisp. Continue cooking until both sides are browned and the chicken reaches 165°F inside.
Tips for Crispy Keto Chicken Tenders
- Bread them when you’re ready to fry: I don’t recommend coating the chicken hours ahead. Letting this breading sit on the chicken too long can change the texture.
- Keep the oil hot between batches: Give the oil a little time to return to 350°F before adding more chicken. This helps each batch fry evenly.
- Don’t crowd the pan: Fry in batches so the oil temperature doesn’t drop too much.
- Save extra breading before you start: If you want to use the breading for another recipe, set some aside before any of it touches the raw chicken.
Make a Keto Chicken Tender Sandwich
These chicken tenders are also an easy low-carb option when you’re craving a fried chicken sandwich. Add a few tenders to a toasted low-carb bun with Spicy Mayo and kosher dill pickles.
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Do You Have to Deep Fry Keto Chicken Tenders?
No. You can shallow fry them instead.
Add enough oil to the pan to cover about one side of each chicken tender. Fry the first side until golden and crispy, then flip the chicken to cook the other side.
I use a similar method for my Crispy Buffalo Fried Shrimp.
Can You Use a Different Keto Breading?
Yes. The keto wheat flour in this recipe gives the chicken a coating that is more similar to regular flour. If you need a grain-free option, you can use the breading from my Low-Carb Bang Bang Shrimp. The texture will be different, but it gives you another option for making crispy breaded chicken tenders.
Sauces for Keto Chicken Tenders
These tenders work with creamy, sweet, smoky, or spicy dipping sauces. Try them with:
What to Serve with Keto Chicken Tenders
For an easy vegetable side, serve the tenders with Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli or Air Fryer Roasted Cauliflower.
If you want something a little more filling, Cauliflower Mac and Cheese gives you a creamy, cheesy side while keeping the meal low carb.
Storage & Reheating
- Store: Keep leftover chicken tenders in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Reheat: Warm them in the air fryer or oven to help the breading get crispy again. The microwave will work, but the coating will be softer.
If you try this recipe, please stop back and leave it a star rating and/or a review in the comments. Stay connected & share photos of your creations with me & others on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Keto Chicken Tenders
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Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken Breast Tenders, or chicken breasts sliced into strips
- 1 Eggs
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream, or buttermilk
- Oil, for frying, see the blog post for recommendations
Keto Breading
- ½ cup Keto Wheat Flour
- 1 tbsp Seasoned Salt, I used Lawry's
- 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tbsp Onion Powder
- ½ tbsp Dried Parsley
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper, optional
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oil in a frying pan or cast iron pot to medium heat.
- Whisk the egg and cream in a large bowl to combine them.
- Add the chicken tenders to the milk and egg mixture. Use tongs to coat the chicken breasts in the liquid
- Add the keto breading ingredients to a small bowl and whisk them to combine.
- Use your tablespoon (the one used to make the breading) to add 1 tablespoon of the milk and egg mixture to the breading (this helps create some of the crispy crunchy bits on the tenders).
- Coat the chicken tenders one at a time in the breading
- Fry the tenders in oil that is 350 degrees for 3-4 minutes per side. You want them to be golden brown.
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Recipe Notes
- Oil temperature: Heat the oil to 350°F before frying and let it return to temperature between batches.
- Coat once: Double coating can make the tenders too salty.
- Bread just before frying: Coating the chicken too far ahead can change the texture.
- Don’t crowd the pan: Fry in batches to keep the oil hot.
- Check for doneness: Cook until the chicken reaches 165°F inside.
- Grain-free option: Use the breading from my Low-Carb Bang Bang Shrimp instead.
Nutrition Details
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used.
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