These super tasty keto chicken nuggets are seasoned with garlic and cayenne, coated in almond flour, then baked until wonderfully crispy.
They are really good all on their own, even better when dipped in a spicy chipotle dipping sauce.
I make these tasty chicken nuggets often. They're really good, and my entire family enjoys them. Admittedly, plain chicken breast isn't very exciting, even when properly cooked. But when you cut it into chunks, season them, coat them and then bake them in the oven, the result is wonderful!
This is true whether the coating is almond flour, as in this recipe; parmesan cheese, in these parmesan chicken tenders; or pork rinds, in pork rind crusted chicken tenders.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make these keto chicken nuggets. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
For the chipotle dipping sauce: Mayonnaise, sour cream, and chipotle pepper sauce.
Cooking spray: Avocado oil has a neutral flavor and it's quite suitable for high-heat cooking.
Chicken breasts: I use boneless skinless chicken breasts in this recipe.
Egg: I use large eggs in most of my recipes, this one included.
Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you might want to reduce the amount you use, or the nuggets could end up too salty.
Spices: I use garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Make sure they are fresh - a stale spice can easily ruin a dish.
Almond flour: An excellent flour substitute. I use blanched flour in this recipe. A coarse almond meal might work too, but I haven't tried it.
Instructions
Making these keto chicken nuggets is super easy, as you can see in the video below. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. The basic steps:
Your first step is to cut raw chicken breasts into bite-size pieces.
Next, you dip the pieces in a seasoned egg and dredge them in almond flour.
The last step is to bake the nuggets for about 15 minutes in a 450°F oven. That's it! Dinner is served.
Expert tip
Baking these nuggets in a hot oven achieves two goals: it makes the coating crispy, and it helps seal in the juices and keeps the meat nice and juicy.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Instead of the egg mixture, you can mix ¼ cup mayonnaise (I prefer avocado oil mayo) with the same spices, then coat the chicken pieces with that before dredging in the almond flour.
Yes! As mentioned above, almond flour is not the only option when it comes to low-carb coatings for chicken nuggets. Other options include dry-grated parmesan cheese and crushed pork rinds.
Of course not! We're a family of two adults and two teenagers. We have grown-up tastes. So I add cayenne pepper to the nuggets and serve them with a chipotle dipping sauce in lieu of ketchup.
But you can certainly serve them with any dip you like, such as mustard or sugar-free ketchup. And if you serve them to young children, you might want to omit the cayenne.
Variations and substitutions
I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you'd like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:
- You can use different spices. Good options include onion powder, smoked paprika, and cumin.
- As mentioned above, you can coat the chicken pieces with mayo or even Dijon mustard instead of dipping them in an egg mixture.
- Try coating the nuggets with finely crushed pork rinds - it's delicious!
Serving suggestions
You can serve these tasty nuggets as a snack or an appetizer, 4 pieces per person. Or serve them as a main course, 6-8 pieces per person, with your favorite side dish.
I like to serve them with baked zucchini fries. I simply bake the zucchini in the same 450°F oven for 10 minutes per side.
Storing leftovers
You can keep the leftover in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave on 50% power or in a 300°F oven.
The almond flour coating is a bit fragile, so be careful when handling the nuggets. I never tried freezing them, so I'm not sure about that.
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Recipe card
Crispy Keto Chicken Nuggets
INGREDIENTS
Chipotle dipping sauce:
- ¼ cup avocado oil mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 teaspoon chipotle pepper sauce (or more, depending on taste)
Chicken nuggets:
- Avocado oil spray
- 2 medium chicken breasts, 8 oz each
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (omit if serving these to young children!)
- 1 cup blanched finely ground almond flour
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with high-heat-resistant parchment paper* and spray it with avocado oil spray.
- Prepare the chipotle dipping sauce by mixing its ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Cut the chicken breasts into nugget-sized pieces, as shown in the video below.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.
- Place the almond flour in another small bowl.
- Dip each piece of chicken in the egg mixture, then dredge in the almond flour, pressing to coat. To avoid sticky mess, use one hand to dip in the egg, and the second hand to dredge in the almond flour.
- Arrange the chicken nuggets in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Spray them with avocado oil. Bake until the bottom is golden, about 8 minutes.
- Carefully flip, spray with more oil, and bake until golden and cooked through (their internal temperature should reach 165ºF), about 8 more minutes.
- To promote browning, if your baking dish is broiler-safe, you can finish by broiling the chicken nuggets, in the middle of the oven, for 2-3 minutes.
- Serve immediately, with the chipotle dipping sauce.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
NOTES
ADD YOUR OWN NOTES
NUTRITION PER SERVING
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 