Keto Chicken Strips with Pork Rinds

These crispy Keto chicken strips are brined then double “breaded” with a surprise ingredient that adds an insane crunch that you would never expect from a low carb chicken tender.

These tenders are perfect alone with your favorite dipping sauce or on top of a bed of lettuce as a salad. If you keep an open mind while trying these, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Can we talk for a second about how much I love chicken tenders but hate making them?

I know that’s a strange way to start a recipe for crispy keto chicken strips but it’s true.

They’re not especially difficult to make or expensive or anything, I simply could never get them to come out right. Overdone, tough.

#StruggleChicken.

Then I started brining all of my white meat chicken before cooking it and my life was changed forever. I read about this technique in Cook’s Illustrated Meat Book.

Yes, that’s really the name of the cookbook. Definitely worth checking out!

Ok that might be a little dramatic but whatever. When you live a healthy lifestyle you pretty much have to embrace chicken breast. (Unless you’re vegan or vegetarian obviously) and when it’s not good, you won’t eat it. Period.

Low carb chicken tenders with pork rind breading

“But Carmella, how can breaded chicken tenders be low carb?”

Well they can’t really. That’s why I put the “breaded” part in quotes.

There are low carb breads that you could buy then grind to make breading for these tenders but it’s a little more fun to try something new and this method has less processed ingredients.

Want to learn more about Keto? Check out the beginner’s guide!

In order to get that insane crispiness I had to employ the use of an unconventional ingredient that will probably sound weird but hear me out.

*In my Iron Chef Chairman voice* The secret ingredient is: pork rinds.

Wait, come back! I promise I’m not crazy!

Seriously, one 4 oz bag of pork rinds serves as enough crunch for over a pound of chicken breast tenders. And, uh, have you ever had homemade ranch? Cuz, it’s ahmazing.

These to together, my friends, are what we refer to as a game changer.

Between the brining of the chicken tenders and the pork rinds, you really don’t need much seasoning but you can season the tenders before the breading step, if you desire. Using flavored pork rinds is also an option!

Not a chicken strip type of person? Try these crispy, baked Keto Garlic Parmesan Wings!

You can also skip the brining step if you want buuuuut I think you’ll feel where I’m coming from after you try it. The egg wash helps the pork rind breading adhere to the chicken tenders while also adding to the crispiness.

Not low carb? That’s fine, no one’s perfect (just kidding). Just replace the pork rinds with Panko bread crumbs. These are seriously bomb ya’ll.

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