If you crave crispy, crunchy fried food and think it’s behind you on the keto diet, guess again! The following recipe gives you the green light for enjoying finger-lickin’ sauce-dippin’ chicken tenders. Bonus: you can use the coconut-flake “breading” for fish, too, and the Asian chili sauce is a great dip to have on hand.
Keto Koconut Chicken Tenders
These tenders are cooked in oil, but you can bake them if you distribute the breaded chicken on a parchment paper-lined baking dish and bake in a 400°F oven for 15 minutes, flip the chicken, and bake for 10 minutes more or until chicken is cooked through. For extra flavor zing, serve them with Sweet Asian Chili Sauce (recipe follows) and make sure to add their macros.
SERVES 5
1 Serving 3 Tenders: 317 Calorie, 6g Carbs, 18g Fat, 30g Protein
Ghee or coconut oil, for frying
2 Tbsps baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
1/3 cup almond flour
1½ lbs (about 15) chicken tenderloins
In a medium pot, warm enough ghee to coat the bottom by 1/4 inch over medium heat until hot (about 365°F, if you have a thermometer, or hot enough to make a coconut flake sizzle, if tossed in, but not quickly burn).
In a bowl, mix together the baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
In another bowl, add the lightly beaten eggs.
In a third bowl combine the coconut flakes and almond flour.
Roll each chicken piece in the baking powder mixture to coat. Then dip each into the eggs to coat. Finally, dip them in the coconut mixture and set aside on a plate. Repeat the process for each tender if you want a thick coating.
Line a plate with paper towel.
Cooking in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding, gently add the chicken, one piece at a time, to the hot ghee and cook for 4 minutes. Flip and allow the other side to cook until cooked through and golden, about 4 minutes. Gently remove the chicken to the prepared plate. Cook chicken in batches if all does not fit into pan.
Sweet Asian Chili Sauce
MAKES 1½ CUPS This sweet, tangy sauce is a perfect partner for Keto Koconut Chicken Tenders, but also adds flavor kick to lettuce wrap or Asian bowls.
1 (1-Tbsp) Serving: 5 Calories, 0g Carbs, 0 Fat, 0 Protein
½ cup rice vinegar
½ cup granular erythritol
2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp soy sauce (or tamari or liquid aminos)
3 Tbsps Sambal Oelek chili paste (or 1Tbsp chili oil)
½ tsp xanthan gum
In a nonstick pan, combine 1 cup water and the rice vinegar, erythritol, garlic powder, soy sauce, and chili paste. Cook over medium heat while stirring to dissolve the erythritol. Increase the heat to medium-high to bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the xanthan gum until combined.
Recipe courtesy of Keto4Karboholics
WEEK TWO | QUICK LINKS
The Keto Flu: Facts and Remedies
Butters and Oils: What You Need to Know
Why Are My Ketone Levels Lower in the Morning?
