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Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowThese easy keto chicken nuggets are a delicious and simple take on a childhood classic, complete with easy seasoning and breading! I’ll show you how to make low carb almond flour chicken nuggets with just 5 ingredients — great for kids and grownups. Serve ’em with keto French fries for a classic meal (and don’t expect leftovers!). If you want a crispy chicken on the bone, try my keto fried chicken, next!
I created these low carb chicken nuggets after vacationing while I was pregnant. Nuggets were one of the only chicken recipes I could tolerate with morning sickness, despite being highly processed, high in carbs, and hard to find on many restaurant menus. (And I had so much “fun” trying to explain why I need to order off the kids’ menu at many of them.) After returning home, I was so happy to come back to a cleaner version that still tasted delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Keto Chicken Nuggets Recipe
- Whole, juicy hunks of chicken
- Lightly crisp, golden breading
- Just 5 basic ingredients
- Done in under 30 minutes
- 3g net carbs per serving
- The best family-friendly appetizer, snack, or main dish!
For a simple breading, I used Wholesome Yum Almond Flour to make chicken nuggets keto. With a finer grind than most almond flours, it coats the chicken more easily and creates the perfect golden exterior with minimal carbs!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for keto chicken nuggets, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast – The standard choice in keto recipes for chicken nuggets. You might also be able to use chicken thighs, but cook times may vary.
- Mayonnaise – We’re using this as a binder instead of egg to help the breading stay on the chicken. Use any keto store-bought mayo you prefer, or make your own avocado oil mayo recipe. You can also just use whisked egg instead, but the mayo makes these extra flavorful.
- White Vinegar – Adds more authentic flavor to these mcnuggets without breading. Apple cider vinegar would be another close substitute, but you could also sub pickle juice.
- Wholesome Yum Almond Flour – If you never made keto chicken nuggets with almond flour before, you have to try them with this flour! With a fine grind, it sticks better to the chicken than other popular keto nugget coatings, like parmesan cheese or crushed pork rinds.
- Salt & Pepper – For simple seasoning.
- Olive Oil – For shallow frying. You can also use avocado oil, or any neutral oil you prefer.
VARIATION: Want more flavor?
These nuggets only have salt and pepper to keep prep super simple, but you can also add seasonings to the meat or mix them into the almond flour. Try onion powder, garlic powder, or paprika!
How To Make Keto Chicken Nuggets
This section shows how to make low carb chicken nuggets, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Brine. In a large bowl of water, add a few tablespoons of salt. Place chicken in water and brine for up to 1 hour. Drain and pat try.
TIP: Why brine the chicken?
Brining creates a more tender and juicy nugget (I do the same for baked chicken breast). You can skip this step if you’re short on time.
- Cut. Slice the chicken into nugget-sized pieces.
TIP: You can mince the chicken if you like.
I prefer the chicken meat as is, but some chicken nugget recipes mince it. If you want to do this, place the chicken in a food processor with a bit of water to mince. Shape into nuggets, then freeze for about 20-30 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.
- Set up. Stir mayonnaise and vinegar together in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together almond flour and seasonings.
- Coat. Dip each chicken piece in a thin layer of the mayonnaise mixture.
- Add breading. Press firmly into the almond flour mixture to coat on both sides.
TIP: Use one hand for the mayo mixture and the other for the breading.
Avoid putting the wet hand into the dry mixture too much, which will prevent the breading from clumping.
- Cook. You can cook the chicken on the stovetop or in the oven. To fry, heat oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Add keto chicken nuggets in a single layer and fry in batches until golden on both sides. To bake, arrange nuggets in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake until golden, flipping halfway through.
VARIATION: Cook keto chicken nuggets in the air fryer!
For best results, arrange in a single layer in the air fryer basket and spray with cooking spray. Cook for 8 minutes at 400 degrees F, flipping halfway through.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- Reheat: Warm up keto nuggets in the oven at 350 degrees F. The air fryer is another great option to crisp them up.
- Freeze: Add breaded nuggets (cooked works best) to a lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe container for long-term storage. No need to thaw before baking, but you may need to add a few minutes to the cook time.
What To Serve With Keto Chicken Nuggets
There are so many ways to dish up these keto chicken nuggets, for kids and grown-ups alike!
- Sauces – Sugar-free ketchup (shown in the photos!) is a classic choice, but sugar-free honey mustard, ranch dressing, or sugar-free bbq sauce also taste great.
- Homestyle Veggies – Try these nuggets with cauliflower mac and cheese or keto coleslaw.
- Potato Swaps – Serve this dish with cauliflower potato salad, jicama fries, or sauteed radishes. If you have family members who aren’t low carb, make easy roasted potatoes for them and a low carb side dish for you.
- Keto Breads – Try nuggets with almond flour biscuits, keto garlic bread, or a batch of keto cornbread.
More Family-Friendly Keto Chicken Recipes
These chicken dinners are always a winner in my household — and still low in carbs!
Recommended Tools
- Bowls – You need multiple bowls for this recipe. This set works great!
- Skillet – Nonstick, dishwasher safe, and easy to clean!
- Baking Sheets – If you choose to bake keto chicken nuggets instead of fry, these are my favorite pans to use!
Keto Chicken Nuggets (5 Ingredients)
By
This crispy, juicy keto chicken nuggets recipe is easy to prepare with just 5 ingredients. You can make them fried or baked!
Instructions
[ See step photos ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
Prep
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Fill a large bowl with water and a few tablespoons of sea salt. Place chicken in the salt water and let it brine for at least 10 minutes, up to an hour. Drain and pat dry. Cut the chicken into nugget sized pieces.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and vinegar.
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In another bowl, mix the almond flour with a little sea salt and black pepper. (I used 1/2 tsp (2 g) sea salt and 1/4 (1 g) tsp black pepper, but you can adjust as desired.) Feel free to throw any other spices you like in there.
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Coat each piece of chicken in a thin layer of the mayonnaise mixture, then press into the almond flour mixture.
Frying instructions
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Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. (Use a generous amount of oil – at least 2 tablespoons (30 mL) per batch.) Cook the chicken nuggets in a single layer in batches, about 2-3 minutes per batch, on both sides, until golden.
Baking instructions
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Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (232 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange chicken nuggets in a single layer. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until the bottom is golden. Carefully flip, then bake for another 6-8 minutes, until cooked through.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 6 low carb chicken nuggets
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my 30 Dinners In 30 Minutes!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Keto Chicken Nuggets
89 Comments
Amy
1I did not make it through all of these reviews but, i am wondering if anyone has used an air fryer for these nuggets? If so what temp and how long for cooking? i would love to try them but, don’t really want to fry them in oil.
Thanks!!
Danielle
0I just made them in the air fryer and we did not like them. They did not get cripsy like using pork panko.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Amy, I haven’t tried these in the air fryer, but they should work. I would start with the same guidelines laid out in the oven option and then adjust as needed from there.
Browneyedfili
1The taste of these are amazing, but I did have issues like others with the breading falling completely off when I tried to fry them in a skillet. I’m not surprised as almond flour is pretty delicate when trying to use it as a sub for AP flour. However, I made the rest in my air fryer instead and that fixed everything! Much less mess and they stayed more intact. I will definitley be making this my go-to recipe as far as the breading though. The only thing I added was garlic powder. Thank you!
Charlene Liptak
0Sometimes when coating won’t stick if you coat in flour first, then in mayo mixture, and back in flour coating mixture, the coating will stay on better.
Darvit
0Thanks for the tip! We’ll try it next time 🙂 The breading only seemed to slip off bits of the one side but not having to rescue it from the cookie sheet would make it even better.
Anthony
0I made these twice. The first time I totally butchered them but they came out juicy and very good for the whole family. I used breast meat. The 2nd time I think I must have skipped a step because they were dry. Even using thighs.
Wholesome Yum D
0Appreciate you sharing that, Anthony! Sounds like you’re close to nailing it, even the first try turned out juicy! I hope the next batch hits the sweet spot again. Let me know if you’d like help troubleshooting!
Christina
0I need to work on making the “crust” crispier but they were very flavorful and I will make these again.
Wholesome Yum D
0So glad you enjoyed the flavor, Christina! Thanks for giving it a try!
Corra Marie Ward
0I noticed comments of batter coming off. The only cure for that problem for ALL fried keto items is to coat them first in Oat Flour, it makes a huge different in the end results of the batter. The chicken should also be dry before using oat flour. That is what I did for this recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you for sharing, Corra! For anyone else wondering, oat flour is not typically keto friendly, but some people might be ok with it in small amounts.
Lisa
0Unfortunately this recipe didn’t workout for me at all. The nuggets never browned at all and the batter came right off when I flipped them
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Lisa, Sorry this recipe didn’t turn out as expected. You can broil them after baking if you want them darker, but you get the crispiest results if you pan fry them.
Darvit
0OMG Maya! My son & I made this recipe tonight and it turned out SO GOOD!!! Ours tasted just like regular S.A.D. breaded, oven fried chicken… but we all ate & enjoyed every bite, knowing it’s a far healthier meal for us to eat. Just finished dinner & had to pop in to thank you for this recipe! We’ll definitely make it again!
Jessica
0I loved the recipe, it was tasty. I struggled to keep the flour coating on. I then reverted to baking the nuggets and used oil. It worked a little better. I’m not sure if I did something wrong or if there is a trick to keeping the bread coating on.
Tonya
0Does the Vinegar give off any potent taste when using with the mayo. I do not like either of these items but I love chicken and I like using almond flour.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Tonya, You can also use whisked egg instead of mayo and vinegar.
Kyla
0Just like everyone else, I had trouble with the breading. I wonder if it sticks better if you put it in the oven. I’ll try that next time.
Cheryl Caggiano
0Cant wait to try it, sounds easy and so good!
jess
0I love that these are made with almond flour, thank you for helping those who are trying to stay away from gluten!
Julia
0Loved these chicken nuggets! They didn’t taste too much different from the chicken nuggets I usually make. They were a HIT with the kiddos!
CP
0The whole family loved these, they were perfect for all my eaters!
Lo.a
0Loved this recipe. I halved it without problems. I used salt, pepper, Old Bay, and smoked paprika. Even my husband liked it. I will be making this again and again. I give it 5 stars. First time ever for such a high rating.
Anita
0What is the dipping sauce made of? I cannot eat tomatoes so cannot have ketchup on a diet free of night shades.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Anita, You could try my low carb dipping sauce if you don’t want to use ketchup.
Myra Barg
0Can I use walnut oil in frying nuggets also can I use this oil in bread making? Thanksq+,
Wholesome Yum M
1Hi Myra, No, walnut oil is best for cold use applications, such as salad dressings. Its low heat threshold makes it unsuitable for frying or breadmaking. I recommend using oils that are stable at higher temperatures like coconut oil or avocado oil. I hope this helps!
Patricia Whitworth
0The chicken fingers look good but where is the dip recipe?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Patricia, The dip is my Sugar-Free Ketchup. Enjoy!
ildiko
0I really liked these. A bit difficult to work with the almond flour, but they came out good. Thank you.
Miren Lacson
0Can I use yogurt instead of mayo?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Miren, Sorry that won’t work in this recipe. The eggs and oil in the mayo help to hold the coating on the nuggets.