Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders
Elevate your next weeknight dinner with these Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders. The whole family will rave about the delicious crunch and tender chicken in every bite! Perfect for a quick dinner, and an excellent finger food option. Pair with your favorite side dishes for an easy keto-friendly meal.
I love making this pecan-crusted chicken. Since you only need five simple ingredients, it’s a breeze to prep and simple to cook. The fun part about making this dinner recipe is that everyone ends up eating it however they want – with all their own favorite dips.
While I make these pecan chicken tenders a lot for dinner, this crispy chicken recipe is great for lunch or a snack, too. You can’t go wrong with the flavor and texture of these breaded tenders – they’re really the best!
Speaking of delicious chicken recipes, be sure to try this Keto Mustard Chicken and these Coconut Chicken Tenders for two other must-make recipes.
Ingredients
- Coconut flour – Coconut flour helps hold on the egg so the nuts sticks.
- All-purpose seasoning – Adds flavor and pairs well with the crunchy pecan crust.
- Eggs – The egg mixture is what keeps the crispy coating on the juicy chicken.
- Roasted salted pecans – A must for the nutty crust! These are the main ingredient to make the breaded chicken.
- Chicken tenders – Used to make the chicken strips.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Add parchment paper to a baking sheet.
Step One: In a shallow bowl, mix the seasoning and coconut flour. Beat the eggs in a different bowl, and put the chopped pecans into a third bowl.
Step Two: Coat the chicken tender with the flour and seasoning mixture, then the egg, and finally the pecans. Put the coated tenders onto the baking sheet.
Step Three: Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the coating is golden brown.
Step Four: Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Top Tip💡
Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the chicken. Check the temperature until it reaches 165 degrees, indicating that the chicken is fully cooked and safe to eat.
Substitutions
- Boneless skinless chicken breast – You can use chicken breasts for this recipe by cutting them into slices. This is an easy way to make chicken fingers that are more budget-friendly than using tenders.
Variations
- Seasonings – Have fun with seasonings on these chicken tenderloins. You can use garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, or any other seasonings that you want.
- Bread crumbs – If you want to use panko breadcrumbs for the outer coating, you can! Just know that it will change the nutritional value, and also take away the nutty flavor that the crushed pecans give.
- Almonds – You can also switch up the crunchy pecan coating and use almonds or even walnuts.
See this Keto Breaded Chicken Breast for another easy variation to this recipe.
Equipment
Making these crunchy chicken tenders is a breeze. All you need is three different bowls, a baking sheet, parchment paper, and possibly a food processor if you need to chop up the pecans into pieces.
Storage
Once you make this delicious chicken recipe, you might just have leftover chicken for later! For the best results, let the crunchy tenders cool down a bit, and then place them in an airtight container. Keep them stored in the fridge. To reheat, you can use the oven, microwave, or air fryer.
You can also freeze these chicken tenders for later. Place the cooled tenders in a freezer-safe bag and store them in the freezer.
Common Questions
If you want a keto-friendly option, green beans and a side salad are always my go-to. If you want a heartier option, sweet potatoes are a great choice.
Yes, you can. Instead of coating strips of chicken, you’ll be following the process for chicken pieces. Also, since they’re smaller pieces, the cooking time is likely going to vary. Pay close attention to the chicken as it’s baking, and then be sure to use your meat thermometer to verify the internal temperature.
I enjoy using keto-friendly ketchup and BBQ sauce, but you could also dip into honey mustard sauce or hot sauce. Even a drizzle of maple syrup would be a fun, sweet, and savory spin!
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Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp all-purpose seasoning
- 2 eggs
- 4 oz roasted salted pecans finely chopped
- 8 oz chicken tenders
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a shallow bowl, mix the coconut flour and seasoning. Beat the eggs in a second bowl. Put the chopped pecans in a third bowl.
- Coat a chicken tender with the coconut flour, then the egg, and finally coat with the pecans.
- Put the prepared chicken tenders on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. This may be as short as 15 minutes for smaller tenders.
- Serve with keto friendly ketchup or barbeque sauce to dip.
Nutrition
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Delicious! Family loved it. Will make again.
l love the light crispy texture and pecans and chicken are perfect together
An unexpected combination, but it works! Offers that nice crunch so many low carb recipes are missing.