Low-Carb, Pan-Fried, Gluten-Free Breaded Chicken Tenders

That’s not even an exaggeration, folks. These crispy chicken tenders are so tasty, I’ve had non-low-carb coworkers compliment them with envy when heating up my leftovers during lunch at work.

Don’t trust my coworkers’ opinions on exquisite cuisine? Try this on for size: my boyfriend has become my favorite guinea pig for my ketogenic, low-carb recipes. He won’t sugarcoat when he doesn’t like something and will give honest feedback on what I could tweak or change in each experiment to make it better. He was the one to suggest turkey sausage and smaller kale bites in our now-regular-menu Zuppa Toscana.

This one? Passed the taste test on the first try! And made the entire place smell amazing while cooking.

I was craving something different from the typical grilled chicken strips and baked chicken breasts I’d become used to on chicken nights. I sat there and thought about how I used to bread and cook chicken and had a hunch on some other low-carb fried recipes I’d seen online that were great, but not exactly what I was going for.After a bit of tweaking and playing around in the kitchen, I came up with the following low-carb, gluten-free chicken tenders recipe that will remain a keeper in my keto cookbook. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

After a bit of tweaking and playing around in the kitchen, I came up with the following low-carb, gluten-free chicken tenders recipe that will remain a keeper in my keto cookbook. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Keto Chicken Tenders (Low Carb, Gluten-free)

Servings 4

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Equipment

• Sauté pan
• Meat tenderizer
• Silicone Tongs
• Paper towels

Ingredients

Parmesan Mix:

• 3/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 tbsp gluten-free, organic coconut flour**
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt

Low Carb Chicken Tenders:

• 1 cup coconut flour
• Parmesan mix entire batch from above
• 2 eggs beaten with salt and pepper to taste
• 8 chicken tenders raw
• 1/3 cup light flavor olive oil***

Instructions

• Warm up the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.
• Meanwhile, beat the tenders with a meat tenderizer and blot with paper towel.
• For steps 4-10, work in batches.
• Dip each side of the tender in a plate with coconut flour, then tap the tender a few times to shake off excess flour.
• Next, dip the tender into the beaten egg and let the excess drip off.
• Third, dredge the tender in the Parmesan mix, patting down each side twice to make sure the mix sticks well.
• Turn the stove on to medium high and cook the tenders in batches (about 4 tenders at a time).
• Carefully place the tenders in the oil and let them sit (don't move them!) for 4 minutes to form a crust.
• Use tongs to flip the tenders over (the tenders should be golden now on the cooked side), then let them continue to cook for 3 more minutes.
• Use tongs to place the tenders onto a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up extra oil.
• Repeat steps 4-10 with remaining tenders.
• After the tenders have cooled enough to touch, serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Bon appetit!

Notes

Nutrition Facts Per Serving (this may vary based on specific brands): 285 CALS, 21g FAT, 11g CARBS, 7g FIBER, 4g NET CARBS, 14g PROTEIN

Tip: for ultra-fresh and tasty grated Parmesan, buy the Parmesan by the block, then cut into cubes as needed and blitz in a food processor. This is some of the best grated Parmesan I’ve had, and I can guarantee it will always be fresh for my needs!

* — Silicone tongs are super handy when it comes to cooking with hot oil. These are one of my favorite brands and super easy to clean.

** — We recommend Anthony’s brand of coconut flour.

*** — We really like the simplicity of the lighter flavor olive oil. It’s not as harsh or “in your face” of a flavor as EVOO can be. Here’s one of our favorite brands of extra light olive oil.

Author: Bacon and Cream

Calories: 285kcal

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken, chicken tenders, easy keto, fried chicken, gluten free, low carb alfredo sauce

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