Keto Chicken Tenders (Air Fryer + Oven) are super easy to make and have great flavor! Make these tasty tenders in your air fryer or oven. Only 7 ingredients and less than 25 minutes from start to finish!
Voila - a quick and easy chicken fingers your whole family will LOVE! This recipe is Gluten-free, sugar-free, low carb, and keto.
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🎥 Recipe Video
❤️ Keto Chicken Tenders
"I absolutely LOVE these keto chicken tenders! They come out tender every time and have great flavor. Grab your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy! " -Kori
25 Minutes or Less and Only 7 Ingredients
Making chicken fingers will take less than 25 from start to finish and uses less than 7 ingredients. Start by preheating your oven or air fryer. Make the coating, then whisk the egg. Dip the chicken into the egg and then the coating: Bake or air fry from there.
Easy and Delicious
Only a few steps and a few ingredients and you're on your way to some seriously delicious keto chicken tenders.
Air Fryer or Oven
You got options! You can either bake the chicken tenders or fry them in your air fryer. Both ways turn out great!
An air fryer is one of my favorite kitchen appliances. I also use my pressure cooker a lot, so instead of taking up space with both appliances, I purchased a Ninja Foodi 9-in-1 because it's the most diverse appliance and can pressure cook, air fry, and many other things! It's one of the most versatile items I own! I highly suggest you buy one you won't regret it.
Gluten-Free, Low Carb, Keto
Only 2.1 grams of net carbs! With such low carbs, 4.1 grams of fat, and 4.4 grams of protein, these keto chicken tenders should fit your daily fat, carb, and protein requirements nicely. Add healthy fat with your choice of dipping sauce or dressing.
Using almond flour eliminates the carbs and makes this recipe gluten-free. Adding parmesan cheese adds more flavor and additional fat, helping to keep the inside of the chicken nice and tender.
You can find the full nutritional analysis at the bottom of the recipe card, but here are the most important numbers if you are following a low carb and ketogenic diet:
4.1 g fat | 2.1 g net carbs | 4.4 g protein
How To Serve
Here are a few ideas of what to serve with chicken tenders!
Side Dishes
- Easy Cauliflower Cheese (Keto Cauliflower Cheese)
- Crockpot Green Beans and Ham (Low Carb Keto)
- Air Fryer Green Beans
- Overnight Layered Salad
- Fresh green salad with a favorite dressing (thousand island or blue cheese)
- Steamed or roasted broccoli or cauliflower - or any favorite steamed vegetable.
Dipping Sauces
- Copycat Big Mac Sauce - my personal favorite 🙂
- Sweet BBQ Sauce Recipe- this one takes a little time to make in advance. So delicious and worth the effort.
- Ranch dressing
- Honey mustard dressing (make sure to find a keto-friendly sauce)
- Blue cheese dressing
- Buffalo sauce.
Ingredients and Tools
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast tenders (approximately 8 tenders)
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese (finely grated)
- 2 tsp roasted garlic and herb seasoning (we used McCormick) or 1 tbsp Seeking Good Eats Dry Rub For Chicken (make a whole recipe then store the rest for later use)
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- Nonstick olive oil spray
Tools
- Air fryer or baking sheet
- Measuring spoons
- 1 small shallow bowl
- gallon-sized plastic bag
Variations
Here are some different ways you can make substitutions or customize your chicken tender recipe:
- Substitute a different seasoning mix. If it is a seasoning with salt like cajun seasoning, taco seasoning, etc., you do not need to add extra salt. If the seasoning is unsalted (like Italian seasoning, herbs de Provence), add 1/2 tsp salt.
- Make these buffalo chicken tenders and toss with buffalo sauce or even a bbq sauce.
- Try using different finely grated cheeses. The key is that they have to be very finely ground.
Instructions
Here's how to make these tender tasty keto chicken tenders. You'll be surprised how easy it is! 🙂
Make The Coating
In a plastic bag add almond flour, parmesan cheese, pepper, salt, and seasoning of choice. Shake bag to mix.
Whisk The Egg
In a small shallow bowl whisk egg.
Coat The Chicken Pieces
Dip chicken pieces one at a time into the beaten egg. Place chicken in the bag (one at a time) and shake to coat evenly with breading.
Bake in Air Fryer or Oven
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Preheat air fryer for 5 minutes to 400 degrees. Place chicken tenders in the fryer basket and coat the pieces with olive oil spray—Cook for 6 minutes. Turn the tenders over and respray them with olive oil spray—Bake 5 to 6 more minutes, or until done.
Make sure that you do not need crowd pieces. There should be a little room between the pieces for the best airflow. Depending upon your air fryer's size, you may need to cook the chicken tenders in batches.
Oven Baked Chicken Tenders
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place chicken on a baking sheet and spray the tenders with olive oil spray—Bake for 9 minutes. Turn tenders over and spray them with olive oil spray—Bake 8 to 9 more minutes - or until done.
Serve with Dipping Sauce
Serve while warm with your favorite dipping sauce! Enjoy!
Cooking Tips
- For best coating, dip the chicken one at a time in the egg mixture then immediately dip into the coating. This will assure more breading sticks to the chicken.
- If you don't have a plastic bag to dip the chicken in you can use a shallow plate.
- Avoid overcrowding tenders in the air fryer basket or on your baking sheet. Leave room for air to circulate. Depending upon the size of your basket you may need to work in batches.
- Spraying the outside of the tenders before turning helps to crisp them up even more and gives them a beautiful color.
- Smaller chicken tenders will cook quicker than larger pieces. When using an air fryer the smaller pieces can get overcooked easily so make sure to check them and remove them early if needed.
- As a general rule of thumb, chicken is done when it is no longer pink inside. If you are unsure or want to be really accurate, use an instant-read thermometer to check. The USDA recommends cooking chicken at 165-degrees F. I remove the chicken at 160, then cover will foil and allow them to rest for about 5 minutes. They will continue to heat and will come to 165 while resting.
Common Questions
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
Yes! Definitely. The best way to do this is to cook them in advance then store them in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days.
Are chicken tenders keto?
Yes, you can have chicken tenders on a keto diet if they are not high in carbs. They should not be coated in all-purpose flour, or any wheat-based or grain-based flour is not keto-approved.
These chicken tenders are coated in almond flour, and parmesan cheese and have only 2.1 grams of net carbs!
Can you reheat chicken tenders in an air fryer?
Yes! Absolutely! Using your air fryer to reheat chicken tenders works perfect! Here's how:
Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees, place chicken in the basket and check after 5 minutes. Keep warming until they reach your desired temperature.
How long do to bake chicken tenders in the oven?
You only have to bake these tenders for about 7 to 9 minutes on each side (or until done) in an oven that has been preheated to 400 degrees.
Can I freeze chicken tenders?
Yes, you can freeze chicken tenders. Freeze the cooked and cooled chicken tenders in a freezer-proof airtight container for up to 3 to 4 months.
📋 Recipe
Keto Chicken Tenders | Airfryer + Oven
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast tenders approximately 8 tenders
- ⅓ cup almond flour
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese finely grated
- 2 teaspoons dry rub for chicken (or a garlic and herb seasoning mix)
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- nonstick olive oil spray (use 100% olive oil)
Instructions
- In a plastic bag add almond flour, parmesan cheese, pepper, salt, and seasoning of choice. Shake bag to mix.
- In a small shallow bowl whisk egg.
- Dip chicken pieces one at a time into the beaten egg. Place chicken in the bag (one at a time) and shake to coat evenly with breading.
- Air Fryer Instructions
- Preheat air fryer for 5 minutes to 400 degrees. Place chicken tenders in the fryer basket, coating the pieces with olive oil spray. Cook for 6 minutes. Turn the tenders over and spray them with olive oil spray. Bake 5 to 6 more minutes, or until done.
- Make sure that you do not crowd pieces. There should be room between pieces to allow air to flow. Depending upon the size of your air fryer you may need to cook the chicken tenders in batches.
- Oven Baking Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place chicken on a baking sheet and spray the tenders with olive oil spray. Bake for 9 minutes. Turn tenders over and spray them with olive oil spray. Bake 8 to 9 more minutes, or until done.
- Serve while warm with your favorite dipping sauce! Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes can be found in our post. Check it out!
- For best coating, dip the chicken one at a time in the egg mixture then immediately dip into the coating. This will assure more breading sticks to the chicken.
- If you don't have a plastic bag to dip the chicken in you can use a shallow plate.
- Avoid overcrowding tenders in the air fryer basket or on your baking sheet. Leave room for air to circulate. (Depending upon the size of your basket you may need to work in batches.)
- Spraying the outside of the tenders before turning helps to crisp them up even more and gives them a beautiful color.
- Smaller chicken tenders will cook quicker than larger pieces. When using an air fryer the smaller pieces can get overcooked easily so make sure to check them and remove them early if needed.
- As a general rule of thumb, chicken is done when it is no longer pink inside. If you are unsure or want to be really accurate, use an instant-read thermometer to check. The USDA recommends cooking chicken at 165-degrees F. I remove the chicken at 160, then cover will foil and allow them to rest for about 5 minutes. They will continue to heat and will come to 165 while resting.
Nutrition
© 2023 Seeking Good Eats™
Related Recipes
All of the healthy chicken recipes below are low carb, gluten-free, sugar-free, and ketogenic. Enjoy! 🙂
- Bruschetta Chicken
- Dry Rub Grilled Chicken
- Crockpot Balsamic Chicken
- Creamy Chicken and Asparagus Bake
- Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken
- Buffalo Chicken Burgers
- Crockpot Chicken Fajita Soup
- Green Enchiladas Chicken Soup
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast Recipe
Low carb keto chicken tenders (air fryer + oven) are super easy and extra delicious! 25 minutes or less and only 7 ingredients. Making air fryer chicken tenders is easy and results in very tender chicken. Try this air fryer chicken recipe for a perfect weeknight family dinner. Chicken fingers are a healthy family-favorite! #ketochickentenders #lowcarb #airfryerchickentenders #seekinggoodeats #chickentenders #chickenfingers #lowcarb #healthyrecipes #familydinner
Karen says
Loved these tenders! Thank you! I made a couple of batches already (in the oven) and they turned out great! I followed your note about not overcrowding the chicken pieces because if the pan is too crowded with ingredients it will basically steam the chicken as opposed to roasting and crisping 🙂
Kori says
Perfect, thank you! I'm so happy they turned out and you loved the recipe! 🙂 You are exactly right - for the best results (browning and crisping) do not overcrowd the chicken pieces. This applies to both the air fryer and oven. Have a great day!
Brenda says
These turned out great! It was my first time using Almond flour. They were crisp on the outside and juicy in the middle! Thank you
Kori says
Yay! I'm so glad you loved them! 🙂 Thank you for trying out the recipe!