Baked Fried Chicken
I love this because baked keto chicken nuggets because the almond flour coating mimics a chicken nugget without the mess of deep frying. We love fried chicken occasionally, but it uses so much oil and covers my stovetop in grease, so we do this more often. These baked gluten-free chicken nuggets are seasoned so grown ups enjoy them as well.
This simple crunchy chicken can easily be made ahead of time, which means less hands on time for you during the dinner rush!
Use leftovers in lunches, or chop and add to a nice green salad for a protein-filled crunch.
DAIRY-FREE KETO BAKED ‘FRIED’ CHICKEN NUGGETS
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or tenders, nutrition calculated with thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces or thin strips
- 2 eggs
- 1.5 cups almond flour If allergic, other nut flours can be used too.
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika optional
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil to grease pan optional, use parchment if omitting
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375* F
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Grease two 9x13 pans, or one cookie sheet with shallow sides OR line with parchment paper.
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Gently mix eggs in a shallow bowl with a fork or whisk.
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Combine almond flour, parsley, salt, paprika, and pepper in another shallow bowl. Alternative: Mix above dry ingredients in a gallon ziplock for ‘shake and bake’ method.
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Dip chicken pieces in beaten eggs, in batches, and then remove and place in the almond flour mixture. When transferring from the egg to the almond flour mixture, hold the chicken above the egg bowl for a moment to allow excess to drip off.
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Press egg-drenched chicken into almond flour mixture. Shake and bake method: Shake about 1 cup of egg-covered chicken in a gallon zip top bag (do not press out air) until evenly coated.
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Place coated chicken on the prepared pans or cookie sheet close together but not overlapping. They can be touching in some places. Repeat the egg and almond flour steps with the remaining chicken.
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Bake for 20-35 minutes. Lighter meat and smaller pieces will cook faster, darker meat and larger pieces will take longer to cook. Chicken is done when it feels firm and not squishy when pressed, or when cut into if it is not pink any more and juices run clear.
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Serve while hot! Leftovers are delicious too, reheated (pan frying in a little ghee is delicious) or cold.
Recipe Notes
Net carbs: 5 per serving
To prepare ahead of time: Cover baking tray and keep in the refrigerator after placing prepared chicken nuggets onto the baking tray, but before baking, for up to 24 hours. When it's time to bake, pull the chicken out and rest on the counter to warm up slightly as the oven preheats. Then bake as directed.
Dips!
For many kids, the most important part of a meal is the process of dipping ;) To keep the dips low carb as well, yellow mustard is the perfect condiment for this chicken nugget recipe. Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing is a winner too, for both the kids and those who are young at heart.
Serving Suggestions:
This baked chicken nugget recipe goes deliciously with these other recipes.
- Cauliflower Mash with Chives
- Roasted Red Pepper and Butternut Squash Soup
- Protein-Filled Salad
- Broccoli Salad
Keto Family Class
This recipe is one of the hundreds of recipes that are part of my Keto Family Class: The class includes ketogenic friendly gluten-free recipes that the whole family will enjoy.
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Do these get crunchy? I’ve tried using almond meal in place of bread crumbs before and haven’t been impressed with the results. I have a hard time getting the almond meal to stick to the chicken or fish.
If you can do wheat, I agree that breadcrumbs work better :) You can also put some seasoned almond flour in a ziplock, add 1/3 of the chicken, and seal with some air in it and shake until it’s coated, that’s an easier way to get coating, but it uses a ziplock so some people prefer bowls.
Cara, this recipe looks delicious! My kids will love it for sure. As the only grain-free gal in a house of still-to-be-converted guys (LOL), I am always looking for recipes that everyone will love and don’t require me making something different for myself. I love your site and appreciate all you do to help us. I’ll be sharing this recipe via social media this week for sure!! Blessings and appreciation, Kelly :)
Could these be frozen? If so, at what stage would work best? I’m thinking quick lunch option, especially when the sitter is here!
These look yummy!
Can they be made in bulk and frozen? If so, would you partially cook them before freezing them?
Is it possible to prepare these with just egg yolks. We are allergic to egg whites.
Yes, you’d probably want to double the amount of yolks but they’ll work for sure :)