Name: Sweet & Spicy Keto Chicken Nuggets
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 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; 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

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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!

Chicken nuggets served with a sweet and spicy sauce with sliced green onions.

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!

Chicken nuggets coated in sauce and garnished with green onion slices.

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.

Close up of a sweet and spicy chicken nugget coated with sesame seeds.

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.

Overhead shot of chicken nuggets on a white surface.

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.

The breaded chicken on a baking sheet ready to be cooked.

Step #4. Make the sweet and spicy sauce

Heat together the ingredients over a medium heat and then drizzle over the nuggets.

Keto Chicken Nuggets with Sweet and Spicy Sauce on a counter top

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

What's the best dipping sauce to use?

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.

Can you make them ahead of time?

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.

What's the best chicken to use for nuggets?

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:

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