Keto Sweet and Spicy Chicken Nuggets are the perfect family-friendly lunch, dinner, appetizer, or party snack! These low-carb chicken nuggets are great plain or tossed in our sweet and spicy sauce. Easy to make and ready to serve in 30 minutes. They are keto, low-carb, grain-free, dairy free, and gluten-free!
Keto sweet and spicy chicken nuggets are the ultimate crowd pleaser! Everyone of all ages loves chicken nuggets!
They are handheld, perfect for dipping, and so darn tasty! Oh and did we mention they takes less than 30 minutes to make?!
Topped with a delicious Asian inspired sweet and spicy sauce, the chicken is perfectly tender and finger lickin' good!
For more keto appetizers, be sure to check out our Keto Cheese Sticks and Keto Garlic Knots with Rosemary!
Why you will love these sweet and spicy chicken nuggets!
- Easy: It's so simple to prep these chicken bites, it takes about 10 minutes to prep them.
- Oven baked: Oven baked for ease, these chicken nuggets come out perfectly crispy thanks to those pork rinds.
- Perfect for a crowd: These are ideal to serve up when you are hosting and they are a greta option for game day. The recipe is easily doubled if you are feeding a tribe!
Making Chicken Nuggets Keto
It all comes down to the "breading" that the chicken is coated with.
Traditional chicken nuggets have a wheat flour-based breading, which contains a significant amount of carbs.
To get that same crispy breading without all of the carbs, we are using a magical combination of pork rinds, Parmesan cheese, and almond flour.
Ingredients
- Chicken: Use skinless boneless chicken breast for this recipe.
- Egg whites: To help the coating stick to the chicken.
- Pork rinds: To get that wonderful crispy coating.
- Parmesan cheese: To add flavor and texture to the coating.
- Almond flour: A great low carb and gluten-free alternative to all-purpose flour.
For the sweet and spicy sauce
This sauce is optional, but it's a wonderful addition!
- Coconut aminos: A low carb alternative to soy sauce for that salty flavor.
- Sukrin gold: A low carb brown sugar alternative.
- White wine vinegar: For acid to cut through the sweetness to add tang.
- Thai chili garlic sauce: For flavor and some heat.
- Sesame oil: To help the ingredients combine together.
- Ketchup: Use a no sugar added ketchup to help thicken the sauce.
How to make sweet and spicy chicken nuggets
We are baking these in the oven, which makes them super easy!!
All you need to do is chop of your chicken, make the keto "breading" mix, coat the chicken and transfer to the oven.
That's it! Let's go over each step in detail and with pictures.
Step #1. Cut the Chicken into Pieces
We use boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this recipe, but you can use chicken thighs or a combination of both.
Use a sharp knife to cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces.
Try to get them as uniformly-sized as possible so they will cook evenly.
Step #2. Make the Keto Coating
Crush your pork rinds by hand, by food processor, or by purchasing Bacon Sheir Pork Panko- it's already crushed into a fine pork rind grind!
In a shallow bowl, add the pork rinds, Parmesan cheese, and almond flour.
Mix the ingredients together until well combined.
Opt for plain pork rinds and read the nutrition facts and ingredients list before you buy them. Once in a while a variety of pork rinds could have added sugar.
Step #3. Dredge and Bake
In another medium bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs whites. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and fully coat them with the egg whites.
Next, dredge them into the pork rind mixture and make sure they are "breaded" on each side.
Transfer them to to baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 16-20 minutes.
Step #4. Make the sweet and spicy sauce
Heat together the ingredients over a medium heat and then drizzle over the nuggets.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Cut the chicken into similar sized pieces so that they cook through evenly.
- Place the coated chicken in an even layer on the baking sheet with the pieces not touching so that they get crispy all over.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are tons of variations on how to serve these keto chicken nuggets.
For your picky eaters you can serve them plain or with no sugar-added ketchup or BBQ sauce. They are great tossed in buffalo sauce.
Or you can give them an Asian flare with our homemade Sweet and Spicy Sauce in this recipe. The sauce tastes incredible and takes just a few minutes to make.
These sweet and spicy chicken nuggets are best served straight out of the oven. If you want to, you can dredge the chicken pieces a few hours ahead of time and keep them covered in the fridge until you are ready to bake them.
I like to use skinless chicken breasts for nuggets, and if you have chicken tenders, they will work really well too. It's best to avoid chicken thighs for this recipe.
More Keto Chicken Recipes
Looking for more keto recipe inspiration? Check out these favorites:
- Easy Keto Chicken Nuggets
- Keto Fried Chicken
- Keto Butter Chicken Meatballs
- Keto Chicken Fingers With Bang Bang Sauce
- Keto Guido’s Chicken Wings With Orange-Ginger Sauce
- Keto Chicken Wings With Old Bay
We Can't Wait To See You Try It!
We love seeing our recipes come to life!! We can’t wait to see how you make these and loving seeing each person's unique spin on it! Tag us on Instagram @cleanketolifestyle or use the hashtag #CKLrecipe!
Sweet & Spicy Keto Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
For the Nuggets
- 1 lb. skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 egg whites
- 1 cup pork rinds crushed
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup almond flour
For the Sweet and Spicy Sauce (optional)
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons Sukrin Gold
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Thai chili garlic sauce
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons no sugar-added ketchup
Instructions
For the Nuggets
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, lightly beat your egg whites with a fork.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the pork rinds, cheese, and almond flour.
- Add the chicken pieces to the bowl with the egg whites and fully coat.
- Next transfer the chicken to the pork rind mixture and dredge to fully coat.
- Place the nuggets onto the lined baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 16-20 minutes.
- While the nuggets are baking, prepare the sauce (if you are using).
For the Sweet and Spicy Sauce (optional)
- Heat all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. The sauce should thicken and become sticky.
- Drizzle the sauce on top of the baked nuggets or toss them in a bowl to coat.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
Notes
- Cut the chicken into similar sized pieces so that they cook through evenly.
- Place the coated chicken in an even layer on the baking sheet with the pieces not touching so that they get crispy all over.
Nutrition
