Keto Chicken Tenders (Gluten-Free & AIP)

These keto chickenhearted tenders person a flavorful crispy outer coating and are juicy and savory inside. This is nan cleanable nosy gluten-free and AIP look to bask pinch nan full family!

When I was a kid I would ever bid nan chickenhearted tenders disconnected of nan kid’s menu. Something astir dipping a crunchy tasty digit nutrient into ketchup was truthful satisfying! Once I went gluten free, I knew I wouldn’t beryllium capable to bid these astatine restaurants, but luckily I tin make my ain pinch healthier ingredients and bask that aforesaid crispy digit nutrient dipped into ketchup!

Why I Love This recipe

• I emotion these keto chickenhearted tenders because they’re specified a nosy departure from regular aged chicken breast. If you’re keto aliases gluten-free, uncovering breaded chickenhearted tin beryllium a situation truthful this is simply a nosy measurement to get that breaded chickenhearted consciousness without having to fry it aliases usage wheat flour.
• This is simply a patient type of chickenhearted tenders since I don’t usage immoderate wheat flour and I don’t fry them successful oil. This look is keto, paleo, gluten free and moreover suitable for nan autoimmune paleo diet (AIP)!
• The operation of flours, spices and shredded coconut arsenic nan chickenhearted coating makes for specified awesome spirit and texture. The outer coating is crispy and salty pinch conscionable a mini hint of sweetness from nan coconut which benignant of reminds maine of coconut shrimp!
• Many keto chickenhearted tender recipes usage pork rinds aliases almond flour for nan outer coating, this look is unsocial successful that it uses coconut flour, shredded coconut and arrowroot on pinch spices. If you usage arrowroot it will beryllium still beryllium keto astatine 8g nett carbs per serving, but you tin substitute nan arrowroot for almond flour for moreover little carbs.
• These are beautiful easy to make and don’t impact immoderate typical skills. You conscionable trim up chickenhearted breast, overgarment it successful lipid and nan flour/spices and past aerial fry it aliases cook it.

Air Fryer aliases Oven Baked?

I person included directions for some nan aerial fryer and nan oven for this recipe. I person tried cooking them some ways and successful my sentiment nan aerial fryer is acold superior particularly erstwhile it comes to texture. The outer coating comes retired overmuch much crispy and ends up that pleasing golden-brown colour that you want.

The oven baked chickenhearted tenders are still good, truthful if you don’t person an aerial fryer don’t worry, they’ll still sensation great. Just make judge that you flip them half measurement done and cognize that they whitethorn not move retired arsenic golden-brown arsenic nan aerial fryer ones.

Recipe Tips

• I’ve recovered that avocado lipid is nan champion lipid to usage pinch this look but you tin switch it pinch immoderate cooking lipid that is liquid astatine room temperature.
• The bulb powder and ail powder are captious parts of nan herb blend to springiness this coating it’s bully flavor, truthful it’s champion not to substitute them. However, you tin switch retired nan herbs (sage, marjoram, thyme) pinch different finely minced dried herbs aliases moreover an Italian herb blend. If you’re replacing it pinch an Italian herb blend, see 1 tsp of nan Italian herb blend.
• When you make these pinch arrowroot nan nett carbs per serving are 9g. You tin switch arrowroot pinch almond flour alternatively if you are keto and want to bring nan carb count down to astir 2g nett carbs per serving.
• If you are pursuing nan autoimmune paleo (AIP) diet, make judge you usage arrowroot and not almond flour.
• Make judge you usage unsweetened shredded coconut different nan spirit won’t beryllium arsenic good. The container of shredded coconut should only database coconut connected nan ingredients list. It shouldn’t person immoderate sweetener aliases sweetener successful it.
• You tin either navigator these successful nan aerial fryer aliases nan oven. I person tried some and successful my sentiment nan aerial fryer results successful amended texture, but nan oven ones are still good!
• These sensation champion and person nan champion texture erstwhile you eat them soon aft cooking them. If you shop them for leftovers they will suffer immoderate of their crispyness and juicyness, nevertheless I person kept immoderate successful nan fridge earlier and they still sensation beautiful bully for a mates days after. I either reheat them successful nan toaster oven astatine 350°F for astir 10 minutes aliases I re-heat them successful nan aerial fryer astatine 350°F for astir 10 minutes.
• The serving size is 1/4 of nan full recipe.

How to Make These Keto Chicken Tenders

If utilizing nan oven, pre-heat it to 425°F. If utilizing an aerial fryer that requires pre-heating, pre-heat it to 400°F. Start by cutting nan chickenhearted bosom into moreover strips that are astir 2 inches heavy and astir akin sizes.

In a shallow vessel adhd nan flours and spices including nan coconut flour, arrowroot (or almond flour), shredded coconut, bulb powder, ail powder, salt, sage, thyme, marjoram.

Mix together evenly.

Put nan avocado lipid (or different cooking oil) into a shallow bowl. Prepare a baking expanse pinch parchment insubstantial (if utilizing nan oven) aliases a sheet (if utilizing aerial fryer).

Drag nan sliced chickenhearted done nan oil, shingle disconnected excess oil, past resistance done nan vessel pinch nan flour substance to afloat overgarment it past spot connected a baking expanse aliases plate. Repeat pinch each nan chickenhearted pieces until they are each coated.

If utilizing an aerial fryer, transportation nan chickenhearted tenders into nan aerial fryer handbasket and beryllium judge they are spaced isolated truthful they’re not crowded and tin navigator evenly (depending connected nan size of your aerial fryer, it whitethorn beryllium basal to do aggregate batches). Cook astatine 400°F for 10-15 minutes.

If utilizing nan oven, spot nan baking expanse pinch nan chickenhearted tenders connected it into nan oven and cook astatine 425°F for 7 minutes, past flip nan tenders complete and cook for different 7 minutes, for a full of astir 14 minutes.

Once they are done cooking, region from nan oven aliases aerial fryer and let to cool for a fewer minutes connected a insubstantial towel to support crispness.

Enjoy pinch ketchup, aioli aliases a dip of your choice!

This station was primitively published successful March of 2017 but has been republished successful April of 2021 to see caller look improvements, updated photos and video. 

Hannah Healy

Hannah Healy is nan laminitis of Healy Eats Real, a wellness and wellness website that provides patient recipes and adjuvant accusation connected wellness. Hannah is nan published writer of The Ultimate Paleo Cookbook. Her activity has been featured connected Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Redbook, fittingness and MSN.