These delicious keto chicken nuggets are seasoned with garlic and cayenne, coated in almond flour, and baked until wonderfully crispy.
They are excellent on their own, even better when dipped in a spicy chipotle sauce.
I make these keto chicken nuggets often. They're fantastic, and my entire family enjoys them. Baked chicken breast isn't very exciting. But when you cut a chicken breast into chunks, season them, coat them, and 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 chicken tenders.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- For the dipping sauce: Mayonnaise, sour cream, and chipotle pepper sauce.
- Cooking spray: Avocado oil has a neutral flavor, making it 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.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.
- Almond flour: I use blanched almond flour; a coarse almond meal will work too.
Variations
- You can use different spices. Good options that I tried and liked include onion powder, smoked paprika, and cumin. You can add ½ teaspoon of each additional spice.
- You can coat the chicken pieces with mayo or Dijon mustard instead of dipping them in an egg mixture.
- Try coating the nuggets with finely crushed pork rinds - it's delicious!
Keto Chicken Nuggets Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
- Mix an egg with spices in a small bowl. (Photo 1).
- Cut raw chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. (Photo 2).
- Dip the chicken pieces in the seasoned egg and dredge them in almond flour. (Photos 3,4).
- Arrange the nuggets on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Spray them with oil and bake them for about 15 minutes in a 450°F oven. (Photo 5).
- Serve with a spicy dip. (Photo 6).
Expert Tip
Don't try to bake these nuggets in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes, as some recipes instruct. Baking them in a hot oven makes the coating crispy, helps seal in the juices, and keeps the meat juicy.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Instead of the egg mixture, mix ¼ cup of mayonnaise with the same spices, then coat the chicken pieces with this mixture before dredging them in almond flour.
Yes. As mentioned above, almond flour is not the only option for low-carb coatings for chicken nuggets. Other options include dry-grated parmesan cheese and crushed pork rinds.
No. Serve them with any dip you like, such as mustard or sugar-free ketchup. I sometimes serve them with sriracha mayo. They are also excellent with no dip at all.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve these tasty nuggets as a snack or 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. They are also good with roasted zucchini and roasted peppers, which can be cooked in the same oven.
Another excellent side dish to serve with these nuggets is a salad. I often serve them with a cucumber tomato salad or arugula salad.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave at 50% power or in a 300°F oven.
The almond flour coating is a bit fragile, so be careful when handling the nuggets. I don't recommend freezing them. The coating will not survive thawing.
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Recipe Card
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 chicken breasts - 8 ounces each
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper - (omit if serving this to young children)
- 1 cup almond flour - blanched, finely ground
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with high-heat-resistant parchment paper (or foil) and spray it with avocado oil spray.
- To prepare the chipotle dipping sauce, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, and hot pepper sauce 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 a 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.
Video
Notes
- You won't use all the almond flour. You'll only use about half. But you need all of it to properly dredge the chicken pieces. The nutrition info reflects that.
- Variation: Instead of the egg mixture, mix ¼ cup of mayonnaise with the same spices, then coat the chicken pieces with that before dredging in the almond flour.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave at 50% power or in a 300°F oven. The almond flour coating is a bit fragile, so be careful when handling the nuggets. I don't recommend freezing these chicken nuggets.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
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. 
Lil
Amazing! Made it twice, first time using almond flour , second time with quinoa flour. Everyone love them! Thanks for the recipe.
Vered DeLeeuw
You're very welcome, Lil!