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    Home » Mains

    Author: Emily Krill | Published: May 6, 2019 | Modified: Oct 16, 2021

    Keto Chicken Strips

    Jump to Recipe

    This Keto Chicken Strip recipe is a childhood favorite made low carb.  It’s a crunchy munchy zero carb snack.

    a plate of Keto Chicken Strips

    Hello kids.

    Today I’m going to show you how to make Chicken Strips, the star attraction of many a chain restaurant children’s menu.

    Keto Chicken Strips on a baking sheet
    I can’t think about family restaurants without remembering one of the heartbreaks of my teenage life.

    Picture it, it was the 90’s and all I wanted to do was get a job at TGI Fridays so I could wear kicky suspenders and buttons, so so many fun buttons.  As you probably know from watching Office Space, those buttons were known as “flair” in restaurant lingo.  But after that movie came out, the backlash was so great that TGI Fridays actually stopped asking their wait staff to wear it anymore. And that was it for me.

    If there was no flair, there was no point.

    But enough about me, let’s talk about Keto Chicken Strips.

    These little beauties are a low carb take on classic chicken strips, AKA chicken tenders, AKA chicken fingers.  This recipe will change the way you think about these handhelds.  And once we are done with our Keto makeover, we’ll have a batch of crunchy fried chicken strips with zero carbs.  

    So let's get started.

    a hand dips a low carb chicken nugget

    You should start thinking about making these low carb chicken fingers the day before.

    That’s because they are going to marinate in buttermilk and a little bit of hot sauce for 12 hours before we cook them up and eat them.  This step is optional, but I heartily recommend doing it.  The buttermilk is slightly acidic, so it gently tenderizes the chicken without making it tough and chewy. And the hot sauce is just there to give them a little kick. 

    Using a buttermilk marinade also helps the chicken go nice and flaky when you dredge it in the dry mix.
    a top down view of a plate of Keto Chicken Strips
    Now about that dry mix…

    Classic bread crumb or panko breading is not keto friendly, so we will need to get creative.   You've got several breading options when you are eating low carb. You can use almond flour, coconut flour, oat fiber, flaxseeds, parmesan cheese, or pork rinds. Or some mixture thereof.    

    So for these Keto Chicken Strips we’ll be using oat fiber, parmesan cheese and pork rinds.

    Breading Assembly Line for Keto Chicken Strips

    Pork rinds, you say?

    I did.  I did say pork rinds.  But stay with me!  These salty zero carb snacks make the perfect crispy breading for low carb fried foods.  You can alternately use a 50/50 blend of almond flour and parmesan cheese though if you can’t get past the idea of using ground-up pork rinds.

    But I say, keep the chicharrones in the mix.
    a bag of pork rinds used to bread Keto Chicken Strips

    To bread these Keto Chicken Strips, you’ll need to set up an assembly line.

    First, set out three shallow bowls.  One bowl has oat fiber, one bowl has a mixture of eggs and heavy whipping cream, and one has a mixture of crushed pork rinds and grated parmesan cheese.  First, you dredge the chicken strips in oat fiber, then you dip them in the egg mixture.  Finally, you coat them with the crushed pork rinds and parmesan cheese mixture.

    This method is the best way to stick the breading to the chicken.
    Drip and Dredge your Keto Chicken Strips

    Then you just need to decide how to cook the Keto Chicken Strips.

    You can either fry the breaded chicken fingers in oil, bake them in the oven or cook them in an air fryer Deep frying things in oil is a hot mess, so I never recommend doing that.  Baking them is a cleaner option that works really well.  But if you have an air fryer, then by all means use it to make these low carb chicken strips.  

    It’s the least messy and most tasty way to fry chicken.  

    an air fryer basket
    Low carb Condiments anyone?

    You can’t go wrong with good old Sugar-Free Ketchup.  You can either buy it in stores or online or make your own.  You can do it like the Europeans, and eat these chicken strips with mustard or mayo, which are both naturally low in carbohydrates.  You can go McDonald’s Happy Meal style and dip them in BBQ Sauce. Or you can mix up a yummy yum yum sauce. 

    But whatever you do, I know you’ll do it...with flair.  
    Big-Chef-Orange-Square

    Ok, chow for now!

    Big-Chef-Orange-Square
    (But let's keep in touch.)

    Print

    Keto Chicken Strips

    Gluten Free Chicken Tenders
    Print Recipe

    ★★★★★

    5 from 5 reviews

    This Keto Chicken Strip recipe is a childhood favorite made low carb.  It’s a crunchy munchy zero carb snack.

    • Author: Emily Krill
    • Prep Time: 10
    • Cook Time: 20
    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: 4 servings 1x
    • Category: Entree
    • Method: Air Fried
    • Cuisine: American
    • Diet: Gluten Free

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 1 pound chicken tenderloins
    • 1 cup buttermilk
    • a couple dashes of hot sauce
    • 1 (3.5 oz) bag pork rinds
    • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
    • 2 eggs, beaten
    • 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
    • ¼ cup oat fiber
    • cooking oil in a mister

    Instructions

    Step 1.  Mix buttermilk with hot sauce in a large plastic bag or resealable container.  Add chicken to the liquid and marinate in the refrigerator for twelve hours.  This step is optional, but does help make the chicken more juicy and tender.

    Step 2.  Decide whether to air fry or bake the chicken tenders.  If you are going to bake them, then pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F and spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.  If air frying, then spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.

    Step 3.  Grind pork rinds in the blender for 10 seconds until they are the consistency of panko breading.  

    Step 4.  Set up a breading station using 3 shallow bowls.  Fill one bowl with oat fiber.  Fill one bowl with a mixture of eggs and cream.  And fill one bowl with a mixture of pork rinds and parmesan cheese.

    Step 5.  Take a piece of chicken and dredge it in the oat fiber.  Then dip it into the egg mixture, making sure to cover all sides.  And then dredge the tender into the pork rind mixture.  Add the chicken tender to the basket of an air fryer.  Repeat with remaining chicken tenders until you have filled the basket with a single layer of tenders.  Or, if baking, until you've filled the cookie sheet with chicken tenders.

    Step 6.  Spray the top of the chicken tenders with cooking spray.  Always use an oil mister instead of an aerosol can of cooking spray which can ruin non-stick surfaces.  

    Step 7.  Air fry at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

    Step 8.  Or bake for 25 minutes, flipping the tenders halfway through.  

    Step 9.  Cut one of the chicken tenders in half to make sure it is completely white and cooked through.

    Notes

    STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS ARE BELOW THE RECIPE

    Nutrition

    • Calories: 431
    • Fat: 21
    • Carbohydrates: 7
    • Fiber: 7
    • Protein: 55

    Keywords: Keto Chicken Strips, Low Carb. Chicken Strips, Pork Rind Chicken Tenders

    If you liked this low carb air fryer recipe, then you might like my recipes for Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower, Keto Fish Sticks, Keto Fried Pickles or Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes. You can also check out my round-up of 50 Keto Air Fryer Recipes.

    marinate

    You start by marinating 1 pound chicken tenderloins in 1 cup of buttermilk along with a few dashes of hot sauce. Marinate it overnight, if possible. (If not, no biggie.)

    grind

    When you are ready to cook the chicken tenders, start by grinding a 3.5 oz bag of pork rinds in a blender for 10 seconds until it becomes the consistency of panko bread crumbs.

    breading assembly line

    Set up a breading station using 3 shallow bowls.  Fill one bowl with ¼ cup oat fiber.  Fill one bowl with a mixture of 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon cream.  And fill one bowl with a mixture of the ground pork rinds and ½ cup parmesan cheese.

    dredge

    Take a piece of chicken and dredge it in the oat fiber.

    dip and dredge

    Then dip it into the egg mixture, making sure to cover all sides.  And then dredge the chicken tender into the pork rind mixture.

    spray

    If you are going to air fry the chicken, then add the pieces to the basket of an air fryer and spray them with cooking spray. If baking, then add the chicken tenders to a cookie sheet and spray them with cooking spray.

    air fry

    Air fry at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.

    bake

    Or bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees F, flipping the chicken tenders halfway through.

    Best Paleo Chicken Tenders Pinterest Pin
    « Keto Toasted Almond Cake
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lynne says

      February 04, 2022 at 9:23 am

      Is it possible to substitute the butter milk with unsweetened cashew milk or something else. My son and granddaughter are both Lactose intolerant and hubby is T2 so still want to make it as low carb as possible. Thank you

      Reply
      • Emily Krill says

        February 04, 2022 at 9:42 am

        You can skip the buttermilk marinade. It tenderizes the meat but is not essential to the recipe's success.

        Reply
    2. Ann says

      May 11, 2019 at 8:10 pm

      What happens if you don't use the oat fiber?

      Reply
      • EmilyKrill says

        May 11, 2019 at 8:14 pm

        You can skip the oat fiber if you don’t have it. It makes for a thicker, sturdier breading, but you can just do the egg dip and then pork rind and Parmesan coating.

        Reply
    3. Natalie says

      May 10, 2019 at 1:07 pm

      These tenders look perfect. I love how crispy they turned out. This is one of those easy dinners all family love. I must make this recipe.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    4. Luci's Morsels says

      May 10, 2019 at 12:33 pm

      These look perfectly crispy and tasty! I have to look up oat fiber though, I've never cooked with it!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • EmilyKrill says

        May 10, 2019 at 12:41 pm

        Yea, it's a cool ingredient. I use it to replace white flour in recipes like this one.

        Reply
    5. Lisa | Garlic & Zest says

      May 10, 2019 at 12:29 pm

      I love the ingredients you used for your dredge. Very innovative and definitely keto friendly! Gotta make this one.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • EmilyKrill says

        May 10, 2019 at 12:31 pm

        Thanks!

        Reply
    6. Beth says

      May 10, 2019 at 11:27 am

      I have got to get an air fryer but thank you for the baking option to have this crispy, tasty dish!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • EmilyKrill says

        May 10, 2019 at 11:35 am

        Sure thing. You should definitely give an air fryer a try. It cooks things so quickly!

        Reply
    7. Katherine says

      May 10, 2019 at 11:26 am

      Woah, pork rinds is a great idea! I'd definitely do the air fryer method. Love my air fryer!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • EmilyKrill says

        May 10, 2019 at 11:34 am

        Oh my goodness, me too. I try out everything in my air fryer. (Not always with great success.)

        Reply

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    I'm Emily, the diabetic behind Resolution Eats. Many years ago, I made a New Year's resolution to switch to a low carb diet. It improved both my health and my outlook on life. Since then, I've come up with hundreds of Keto recipes for everything from soup to nuts. And this blog is a way for me to share the low carb love. Cheers!

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    DISCLAIMER: I'm a home cook, not a nutritionist, so please take my advice with a grain of salt.  I calculate the nutritional information using the Lose It app, which sometimes contains errors.  You should also know that there are affiliate links on my website, so if you follow them, I'll receive a small commission. 

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