Keto Buffalo Chicken Tenders

Low-carb flourless chicken tenders made without almond flour or coconut flour

Many chicken tenders that are low-carb and keto-friendly like these ones include some sort of flour, like almond flour or coconut flour, and/or protein powder.

These tenders are, instead, breaded solely with crushed pork rinds, spices, and an egg and mayonnaise mixture to act as the “glue” to bind the breading to the chicken.

Keto buffalo chicken tenders FAQs

Before you begin making this recipe, I’d suggest reading over the answers to these commonly asked questions and review the step-by-step instruction photos.

Are there any ingredient substitution options?

• Chicken Tenders: Boneless or skinless chicken breasts or thighs will work great here. Sub them in at a 1:1 ratio for chicken tenders. Slice the chicken breasts or chicken thighs lengthwise into strips to make them into tenders.
• Pork Rinds: Ground sunflower seed meal should work in place of crushed pork rinds for the breading. The resulting breading may be slightly less crispy than the original recipe intended, but the tenders will still taste great! If you don’t have a nut allergy or intolerance, almond flour should also be a viable substitute for crushed pork rinds.
• Mayonnaise: Sour cream can be substituted in here at a 1:1 ratio.
• Unsalted Butter: Ghee would be a great choice here. If you only have salted butter on-hand, that should be fine, but I would recommend decreasing the amount of salt in the breading from 1/2 tsp to 1/4 tsp.
• Blue Cheese Crumbles: Crumbled feta or goat cheese can be subbed in for blue cheese crumbles.

How many net carbs per serving?

Per serving, these chicken tenders contain 0.6 grams of net carbs. The recipe, as written, yields 8 servings. Each chicken tender with blue cheese crumbles and sprinkle of chives is equivalent to 1 serving and each tender weighs approximately 3 oz after being breaded and cooked.

The full nutrition information for this recipe, including the calorie content, total carbs, protein, and fat per serving, can be found in the nutrition label located below the recipe instructions.

If you don’t plan to add the optional garnishes, the nutrition information per serving would be as follows:

• 395 calories,
• 28.1g fat,
• 0.6g total carbs (0.4g net carbs), and
• 39.1g protein

Can these be pre-made and then frozen to cook later?

Yes! I love meal prepping these to cook and eat later. To do this, follow these instructions:

1. After breading the tenders, transfer them to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet or wire rack and freeze them until solid, about 4 hours.
2. After fully frozen, transfer frozen tenders to a storage bag and transfer storage bag and freeze for up to 4 months.
3. When you’re ready to cook them, bake right from frozen at 425 degrees until cooked to internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 15-20 minutes.

How should these tenders be stored after being cooked?

Refrigerator Storage: Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Freezer Storage: Store in the freezer in a storage bag for up to 4 months. Reheat from frozen in oven at 425 degrees until warmed throughout and breading is crispy, about 5-10 minutes.

What diets is the recipe compliant with?

• Keto and Low-Carb: Per serving, the chicken tenders contain just0.6 grams of net carbs per serving, making them a great option for those who follow a low-carb or ketogenic diet.
• Nut-Free: This is a nut-free recipe and does not include almond flour, a common ingredient in low-carb breading.
• Coconut-Free: This recipe doesn’t use coconut ingredients.
• Primal: These buffalo chicken tenders follow primal diet restrictions and guidelines.
• Gluten-Free and Grain-Free: This is a grain-free recipe that doesn’t contain any wheat, barley, rye, or other gluten-containing ingredients.
• Sweetener-Free and Sugar-Free: This recipe does not contain any added sweetener or sugar.

This is how to make these easy keto buffalo chicken tenders

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place baking rack atop a foil-lined baking sheet. Generously coat baking rack in nonstick cooking spray.

Using paper towels, pat chicken tenders dry. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, combine crushed pork rinds, thyme, paprika, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Whisk together until fully incorporated. Transfer half of dry ingredients to a shallow dish, keeping remaining half of spices in mixing bowl.

In a separate small mixing bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp (15mL) hot sauce, mayonnaise, and eggs.

One at a time, dip chicken tender into the egg mixture, then dredge chicken into dry ingredient mixture, flipping chicken tender over multiple times to fully bread chicken in dry ingredient mixture.

Transfer breaded chicken to a prepared baking rack. After the first half of dry ingredients have been used, transfer remaining half to another shallow dish (this is done to avoid dry ingredients clumping together after coming into contact with egg mixture). Continue breading remaining chicken tenders.

Bake chicken tenders until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, about 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of chicken tender.

To a large pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add remaining ½ cup + 3 tbsp (165mL) hot sauce and stir into melted butter until well-incorporated. Add baked chicken tenders and toss until coated in sauce. Serve chicken tenders topped with blue cheese crumbles and chives.

Looking for more keto chicken recipes?

If you enjoyed this recipe, you will love these:

• One-Pan Keto Creamy Tuscan Chicken
• Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad
• Cheesy Keto Chicken Fritters
• Chicken Bacon Ranch Poppers
• Instant Pot Chicken Wings