Craving fast food while following a ketogenic diet? These keto chicken nuggets are the perfect solution! This easy recipe delivers succulent, tender meat with a tasty, crispy coating, all while keeping the net carbs to just 2.6g per serving. Say goodbye to carb-heavy fast food and hello to a satisfying, family-friendly meal that's ready in just over 30 minutes.
Why Choose Keto Chicken Nuggets?
Regular chicken nuggets are often loaded with carbohydrates from wheat flour and unhealthy seed oils, making them a no-go on a keto diet. For example, a 6-piece meal of McDonald's chicken nuggets contains 15 grams of carbs with only 15 grams of protein. In contrast, a serving of these homemade keto chicken nuggets (6 nuggets) has only 2 net carbs, 3 total carbs, and a whopping 40 grams of protein!
Chicken nuggets aren’t just for kids, these are also for adults who are into keto diet! This recipe is perfect for those who love easy keto recipes with few ingredients that the whole family will enjoy.
The Secret to Crispy Keto Nuggets
The secret lies in the almond flour "keto breadcrumbs." This mixture, also used to make keto zucchini fries and even cauliflower popcorn, is packed with flavor and rivals traditional breadcrumb or panko coatings.
Ingredients You'll Need
Here's a breakdown of the key ingredients:
Read also: Low-carb chicken nuggets recipe.
- Chicken breast: The most tender part of the chicken, perfect for nuggets. Be sure to remove the skin. Ground chicken can be used as well.
- Almond flour: Use either regular ground almonds or super fine almond flour.
- Ground flaxseed: Regular or golden flaxseed works. Store it in an airtight container in the freezer to prevent oxidation and bitterness.
- Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese adds a savory flavor.
- Olive oil: For drizzling or spraying, to help the nuggets crisp up.
- Egg: To help the breading adhere to the chicken.
- Seasoning: Garlic powder, salt, pepper and optional Italian herbs.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Making keto chicken nuggets is surprisingly simple:
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- Cut the chicken: Cut the chicken into 3-centimeter cubes. Sticking to this size ensures even cooking.
- Prepare the coating: In one shallow bowl, whisk the eggs with a fork. In a second bowl, mix the almond flour, ground flax, garlic powder, Parmesan, seasoning, and optional Italian herbs.
- Coat the chicken: Dip each chicken piece in egg, shake off the excess, then dip into the 'breadcrumb' mixture until it is coated everywhere.
- Place on baking tray: Place the nuggets on a baking tray and repeat until all the chicken is used up. Coating 3-4 nuggets at a time prevents excessive clumping. Wash your hands in-between if they get covered in batter.
- Drizzle with oil: Drizzle with olive oil or generously spray.
- Bake: Bake for 15 minutes, flip over and bake another 10 minutes or until nicely browned. Time varies with the size of your nuggets.
Alternative Cooking Methods
- Pan-Frying: Heat 1 cm of light olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil in a deep frying pan. Fry the nuggets for 3-4 minutes on each side, until the meat inside is no longer pink and the juices run clear. Place on kitchen paper before serving to drain off any excess oil.
- Air Fryer: Pre-heat the air fryer to 200 Celsius / 400 Fahrenheit. Air fry the nuggets for 12-15 minutes, leaving space between the pieces so the air can circulate. You'll likely need to cook in batches.
Tips for the Best Keto Chicken Nuggets
- Brine the chicken: For extra tender meat, brine the chicken pieces in a bowl with 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of salt for 10 minutes to 1 hour. Then pat dry and proceed with the recipe.
- Coat in batches: Coating 3 - 4 nuggets at a time prevents excessive clumping.
- Cool before serving: Let the keto nuggets cool slightly before serving.
- Baking Temperature: Baking the nuggets at a high temperature, around 425°F/220°C when oven baking or 400℉/200℃ for air frying, ensures that they cook quickly and develop that coveted crispiness without the need for deep frying.
Variations and Substitutions
- Nut-free: Replace the almond flour with coconut flour or with crushed pork rinds.
- Dairy-free: Simply replace the parmesan with more almond flour or nutritional yeast.
- Using Canned Chicken: Use canned chicken, drain the liquid. Place chicken in a fine mesh strainer and push out the liquid with your hands to remove as much excess moisture as possible.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Sugar-free ketchup, sugar Free BBQ Sauce, keto mayonnaise, Keto Ranch dressing, Keto Honey Mustard Sauce or Creamy Buffalo Wing Sauce are all great options. My family likes to eat chicken nuggets as a main course with a green crisp salad. Sometimes I also serve a side of air fryer radishes, keto onion rings or air fryer turnip fries.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze cooked or uncooked nuggets for up to 3 months. Place them on a tray lined with parchment paper, freeze, then transfer to a freezer bag.
- To reheat: Reheat fridge-cold nuggets in the oven to re-crisp the batter. Reheat previously frozen nuggets straight from the freezer. If they have been previously baked, this will take about 20 minutes. Uncooked frozen nuggets will take a little longer.
Keto-Friendly Fast Food Options at McDonald's
If you find yourself at McDonald's, here are some keto-friendly options to consider:
- Breakfast:
- Egg McMuffin (no English muffin): 170 calories, 12g fat, 3g carbs, 12g protein, 1g sugar, 0g fiber
- Bacon, Egg And Cheese Mcgriddles (no McGriddles griddle cakes): 200 calories, 15g fat, 4g carbs, 12g protein, 1g sugar, 0g fiber
- Sausage Burrito (no flour tortilla): 160 calories, 13g fat, 3g carbs, 9g protein, 1g sugar, 1g fiber
- The Big Breakfast (no hash brown, biscuit and hotcakes): 350 calories, 28g fat, 3g carbs, 20g protein, 0g sugar, 0g fiber
- Mains:
- McDouble (no bun and ketchup): 240 calories, 18g fat, 3g carbs, 17g protein, 0g sugar, 0g fiber. Ask for extra lettuce to make a low-carb lettuce wrap.
- Other burger options (no bun or ketchup): Big Mac (skip the Big Mac sauce), Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe (skip the tomatoes), Quarter Pounder with Cheese and Bacon, Cheeseburger, Double Cheeseburger, Hamburger
- Sides:
- Apple slices: 15 calories, 0g fat, 4g carbs, 0g protein, 3g sugar, 0g fiber
- Sauces (Keto-Friendly):
- Spicy Buffalo Sauce: 30 calories, 3g fat, 1g carbs, 0g protein, 0g sugar, 0g fiber
- Creamy Ranch Sauce: 110 calories, 12g fat, 1g carbs, 0g protein, 1g sugar, 0g fiber
- Mayonnaise: 100 calories, 11g fat, 1g carbs, <1g protein, 0g sugar, 0g fiber
- Mild and Hot Picante Sauces: 0 calories, 0g fat, 1g carbs, 0g protein, 0g sugar, 0g fiber
- Mustard: 0 calories, 0g fat, 0g carbs, 0g protein, 0g sugar, 0g fiber
- Drinks: Opt for water, unsweetened tea, or diet soda. Avoid milkshakes, lattes, macchiatos, and iced coffees, as they are typically high in carbs and sugar.
Read also: Creamy Keto Ranch Chicken Recipe
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