Made with real parmesan cheese and almond flour, these keto air fryer chicken tenders are the best! Perfectly crisp in less than 30-minutes, and seasoned with garlic salt, pepper, and paprika, our keto chicken tenders air fryer recipe is the ultimate in easy lunch or dinner options!
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Keto Recipe
Let’s face it, the kid in all of us still loves a chicken tender. Maybe it’s because they remind us of childhood and a simpler time. Maybe it’s because they are super tasty. Either way, with this keto air fryer chicken tender recipe our family can enjoy crisp and delicious chicken tenders. And, because these air fryer chicken tenders are healthy, I don’t have to worry about our family eating too many processed ingredients.
Picky-eater approved, this air fryer chicken tenders keto recipe is one to remember. Whether you are serving them as-is with your favorite dipping sauce, turning them into a wrap, or topping your favorite low-carb pizza with them, this recipe will be one your family asks for again and again.
Why You’ll Love This!
- Our keto air fryer chicken tenders are breaded with a mix of almond flour and parmesan cheese meaning they are crispy and crunchy without the carbs or gluten!
- These low-carb chicken tenders are perfect for anyone looking to comply with low-carb, keto, gluten-free, and other healthy eating lifestyles.
- Keto air fryer chicken tenders pack a powerhouse of flavor and all the crunch you expect from traditionally breaded tenders without the carbs.
- With a cook time of just 8 minutes, they’re ready faster than the frozen variety and they taste SOOO much better!
- No air fryer? No problem! We have baking directions included below.
We love cooking healthy and low-carb chicken tenders in our home! Be sure to try our air fryer chicken tenders without breading, pan-fried chicken tenders, and baked chicken tenders recipes.
On Keto? Grab our FREE keto foods list here OR Snag our Keto Binder HERE
Ingredient Notes
Parmesan cheese, almond flour, garlic salt, pepper, and paprika are about to combine to create the best keto air fryer chicken tenders!
- chicken tenders
- egg
- almond flour
- grated Parmesan cheese
- garlic salt
- ground black pepper
- paprika
- olive oil
- optional – dipping sauces such as ranch dressing, BBQ, mustard, or ketchup
Variations
- Seasoning – we love the classic flavor that garlic salt, pepper, and paprika offer, but feel free to opt for chicken rub, Italian seasoning, other herbs, or spices including cayenne to create a variety of chicken tender flavors.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese – Shredded can be used in place of grated parmesan but it will not stick as well.
Equipment
An Air Fryer– We have an Omni Plus oven style air fryer and a small 3.2L Farberware basket style air fryer.
Step by Step Instructions
Egg, breading, and air fry. Making homemade keto air fryer chicken tenders is that easy!
Prep
Create a small dredging station using 2 small bowls.
In the first, add the egg and beat it.
In the second, add the almond flour, grated parmesan, garlic salt, ground black pepper, and paprika. Stir to combine.
Dip a chicken tender first in the egg, making sure to dip it on each side and let the excess egg drip back into the bowl.
Next, dip the chicken tender in the almond flour parmesan mix, making sure to coat it well on both sides.
Continue dipping the rest of the chicken tenders in the egg wash and coating mix.
Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloin Temperature
Preheat the air fryer to 400F for 5 minutes. If your model does not have a preheat option, simply allow your unit to run for at least 5 minutes to come up to temperature.
Add the coated chicken tenders.
Spritz the tenders with olive oil prior to cooking (this helps them crisp up!)
Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloin Cooking Time
Place the prepared chicken tenders in the preheated air fryer and allow them to cook for 4 minutes.
Flip the tenders over and spritz the other side with oil. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes or until they have reached an internal temperature of 160F.
In total, your air fryer chicken tenders will cook for a total of 8-9 minutes.
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Eat them as is or dip them in your favorite sauce!
Recipe Tips
- Be sure to properly preheat your air fryer so your keto air fryer chicken tenders cook in 8-9 minutes and crisp up!
- Spritzing your tenders with oil helps them to become crispy in your air fryer.
- For best results, do not overcrowd your air fryer. Leaving space between your chicken tenders allows the warm air to properly circulate and evenly cook.
- The best way to check for doneness is with a meat thermometer that will give you an internal reading.
Common Questions
Serve your keto air fryer chicken tenders with this healthy coleslaw and air fryer broccoli to create a complete meal that is quick, easy, and super healthy!
Yes! You can use coconut flour in place of the almond flour to make our keto air fryer chicken tenders.
If you have left-over chicken tenders you can store them in the fridge for 4-5 days in a covered container, but they will lose their crispness.
To bake the chicken tenders, follow the assembly steps, and instead of air frying, bake them in a 400F oven for 10 minutes, flipping after 5 minutes, until the internal temperature tested with a digital thermometer reaches 160F.
More Keto Chicken Tender Recipes
- Air fryer chicken tenders no breading
- Pan fried chicken tenders
- Baked chicken tenders no breading
- Instant Pot chicken tenders from frozen
Come connect with us on Instagram! Be sure to tag us (wholelotta.yum) when you make a recipe. You can also find us on Facebook, and Pinterest.
Keto Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Easy keto air fryer chicken tenders with almond flour and parmesan crust that cooks in less than 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1+ lb chicken tenders (7-8 tenders in a package)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400F for 5 minutes.
- You'll need 2 small, low dishes to bread the chicken. In the first add the egg and beat it in the dish. In the 2nd dish, add the almond flour, grated parmesan, garlic salt, ground black pepper, and paprika and mix them together.
- Dip a chicken tender first in the egg, making sure to dip it on each side and let the excess egg drip back into the bowl.
- Next, dip the chicken tender in the almond flour parmesan mix, making sure to coat it well on both sides. Continue dipping the rest of the chicken tenders in the egg wash and coating mix.
- Add the chicken to the air fryer and spritz the top side of the chicken with olive oil.
- Air fry the chicken for a total of 8-9 minutes, after 4 minutes, flip the chicken over spritz the other side of the chicken with olive oil. Cook the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 160F.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Eat them as is or dip them in your favorite sauce!
Notes
Optional dipping sauces include low carb BBQ sauce like Primal Kitchen, low carb Ranch, mustard, sugar-free ketchup, or our Big Mac sauce we use for our Big Mac salad.
Vary the recipe by using a chicken rub seasoning, Italian seasoning, or whatever your favorite seasoning is!
Shredded parmesan can be used in place of the grated, but the grated will stick better.
If you don’t have an oil spritzer, carefully brush oil on the chicken tenders
If you're a garlic lover, sprinkle a little more garlic salt over the top after cooking.
To bake the chicken tenders, follow the assembly steps, and instead of air frying, bake them in a 400F oven for 10 minutes, flipping after 5 minutes until the internal temperature tested with a digital thermometer reaches 160F.
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