Keto Chicken Nuggets (Oven or Air Fryer)

You won’t hear any complaints from the kids when you serve these keto chicken nuggets. They taste just as good or better than regular ones. So next time you need a family friendly dish, serve up these tasty bites!

Jump to:

• 🍗 Keto conversion
• 🔪 Preparing meat
• 🍳 Cooking
• 🍽️ Serving suggestions
• 📒 Variations
• 📚 Related recipes
• 📖 Recipe

After creating ketogenic recipes for the last ten years, you’d think I would have already posted a recipe for low carb chicken nuggets. However, the few times I experimented with them, I just didn’t seem to get what I was looking for. But this time, I’ve nailed it.

When I first tried to make homemade chicken nuggets, I processed the meat in a food processor with some seasoning ingredients. I just didn’t like the result. The chicken just didn’t have the right texture.

I also didn’t like the fact that I had to form nugget pieces from the meat mixture. It was time consuming and not something that a busy mom should have to waste her time on. 

The other issue that I ran into was a coating that was too dry when baked. Therefore, I attempted to fry them in oil, but the coating didn’t stick to the meat well. But this time, I’ve found a method to make the perfect keto chicken nuggets with a coconut flour coating!

🍗 Keto conversion

Most recipes use chicken breast. But if you’re on a keto diet, you’ll want to use boneless chicken thighs for a keto chicken nugget recipe. That’s because dark meat contains about three times the fat as white meat.

Next, you’ll need to choose a base for the coating that’s low in carbs. Almond flour, coconut flour, and pork rinds are all popular choices. Personally, I prefer to use coconut flour. But the others work in the recipe too.

Then, you need to add just the right seasoning blend. To keep things simple, I like to use garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. But feel free to add in additional herbs and spices. Smoked paprika is great for adding color and flavor.

🔪 Preparing meat

The preparation steps for these chicken nuggets are so easy that the kids will enjoy making their own: 

1. Cut the meat into bite sized pieces about 1-inch square.

2. Dip each piece into a beaten egg.

3. Coat each piece into the seasoned breading mixture.

That’s all there is to it!

🍳 Cooking

It will take about 15 to 20 minutes to make keto chicken nuggets depending on the method you choose.

Baking and frying

If you bake keto chicken nuggets with a coconut flour breading, they can get a bit dry. To prevent this, you can an oil cooking spray to moisten the coating before baking.

A better option is to do fried chicken nuggets by frying the chicken nuggets a couple minutes per side after they are baked. This will moisten and brown the coating. Alternatively, you can brown them under a broiler for a few minutes after baking.

Using an air fryer

Air fryer chicken nuggets are the easiest to make and it only takes 15 minutes. The coating browns up nicely as well.

For best results, you’ll want to oil the air fryer basket and then spritz oil on top of the coated chicken pieces. However, the coating of air fried keto chicken nuggets is a bit drier than those fried in oil.

🍽️ Serving suggestions

Although keto chicken nuggets are delicious plain, Why not add in some dipping sauce? My favorites are homemade Atkins barbecue sauce and sugar free ketchup.

📒 Variations

If you prefer, you can make this low carb chicken nuggets recipe with almond flour instead. Because it’s not as absorbent as coconut flour, you’ll need to use about twice as much.

The seasonings can be altered as well depending on taste preferences. Feel free to leave out the cumin or smoked paprika. Or add in some herbs like thyme or basil.

You can also up the flavor by adding in a little Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast into the coating mixture. Or try making crispy chicken cakes instead by forming them into patties before cooking.

📚 Related recipes

Kids can be really picky eaters. But you can easily get them eating delicious low carb foods like these keto chicken nuggets. Here’s a few more low-carb recipes that my kids enjoy eating:

• No Pasta Lasagna
• Cauliflower Cheese Bread
• Creamy Keto Chicken Soup
• Pizza bake with a cream cheese pizza crust
• Keto Cheese Sticks

For more ideas to help your kids cut back on carbs, check out low-carb kids.

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📖 Recipe