Keto Chicken Tenders

These keto chicken tenders are coated in low-carb breading and oven-baked until crisp and juicy. Made with 6 ingredients and 2 grams net carbs. 

If you’re instantly transported back to childhood whenever you eat chicken tenders, you’ll love my keto-approved recipe.

It’s no surprise that store-bought chicken tenders are NOT keto-friendly or, really, friendly to anyone. My keto chicken strips, on the other hand, are made with a well-seasoned low-carb breading and oven-baked until they’re crisp on the outside and juicy in the center. 

Why I love this recipe

• 6 ingredients. All you need are kitchen staples and some seasonings. 
• Baked, not fried. No excess oil or calories are needed.
• Alternative cooking options. I prefer the oven-baked method since that’s how I grew up eating them, but I also tested the air fryer and pan-fried methods. 
• Kid-approved. Make this for your little ones and pair it with keto french fries for the ultimate fakeaway dish!

I you love keto chicken recipes like we do, try my keto chicken nuggets, grilled chicken tenders, and keto chicken wings next.

Key Ingredients

• Skinless chicken tenderloins. I can usually find tenderloins in the meat aisle or through my butcher, but if I can’t, I’ll just slice chicken breasts into tenders instead. 
• Almond flour. Blanched almond flour or superfine almond flour is preferred, but almond meal also works. 
• Keto bread crumbs. A low-carb alternative to traditional bread crumbs, these keto ones use ground pork rinds and make a flavorful swap. If you don’t have any on hand, you can double the amount of almond flour.
• Italian seasoning. I used a mixture of basil, oregano, sage, and rosemary. 
• Salt and black pepper. To taste.
• Eggs. For dredging the chicken so the breading adheres to the meat. 

How to make keto chicken tenders

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Make the breading. In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg.

Step 2- Dredge. Dip a chicken tender into the egg mixture, then dip it in the dry ingredients and transfer to the baking sheet. Repeat the process until all the chicken has been coated.

Step 3- Bake. Bake the tenders for 20 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165F. Remove them from the oven and serve immediately.

Arman’s recipe tips 

• Use a meat thermometer. My #1 most used kitchen tool is my meat thermometer, especially when cooking chicken. Make sure the chicken is at least 165F before removing it from the heat. 
• If you use all almond flour, add 1/2 a teaspoon of salt to compensate for the lack of salt from the keto breadcrumbs.
• Shake off the excess flour when dipping the chicken tenders to help ensure they don’t clump when baked.  
• Flip the tenders halfway through so they cook evenly and get crispy on all sides.

Frequently asked questions

More low carb chicken recipes

• Keto chicken parmesan
• Keto fried chicken
• Keto crack chicken
• Keto chicken salad