Name: Keto Buffalo Chicken Tenders
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 ¼ lb (~8 pieces) boneless, skinless chicken tenders; 2 ½ cups (~150g) finely crushed pork rinds; 1 ½ tsp ground thyme; 1 ½ tsp paprika; ½ tsp garlic powder; ½ tsp salt; ¼ tsp onion powder; ¼ tsp black pepper; ⅛ tsp ground cayenne pepper; ¾ cup (180mL) hot sauce, divided; ¼ cup (60g) mayonnaise; 2 eggs; 2 tbsp (1 oz) unsalted butter; 1 ½ oz blue cheese crumbles; 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives

Description

These keto buffalo chicken tenders are protein-packed, low in carbs, nut-free, coconut-free, freezer-friendly, and full of flavor! They can be prepared, baked, and served in just 40 minutes and make a perfect main dish for busy weeknights.

Ingredients

1 ¼ lb (~8 pieces) boneless, skinless chicken tenders
2 ½ cups (~150g) finely crushed pork rinds
1 ½ tsp ground thyme
1 ½ tsp paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp black pepper
⅛ tsp ground cayenne pepper
¾ cup (180mL) hot sauce, divided
¼ cup (60g) mayonnaise
2 eggs
2 tbsp (1 oz) unsalted butter

Optional Garnishes:

1 ½ oz blue cheese crumbles
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives

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Instructions

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.

Recipe Notes:

Chicken Tenders Substitution: 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 Substitution: 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 Substitution: Sour cream can be substituted at a 1:1 ratio.

Unsalted Butter Substitution: 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 Substitution: Crumbled feta or goat cheese can be subbed in for blue cheese crumbles.

Meal Prepping Chicken Tenders Before Baking: This is a great meal prep recipe. Refer to the written instructions within the blog post for how to do this.

Net Carbs: 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.

Nutrition Information For Chicken Tenders If Optional Garnishes Aren’t Included: 395 calories, 28.1g fat, 0.6g total carbs (0.4g net carbs), and 39.1g protein.

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.

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Description

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Recipe Notes: