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    Home » Chicken Recipes

    Keto Chicken Nuggets with Canned Chicken

    Published: Mar 13, 2023 Last updated: Mar 13, 2023 by Shelby Law Ruttan · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Easy to make, these keto chicken nuggets are easily made in the air fryer, pan fried, or oven baked. This chicken nugget recipe is made with canned chicken and has just 1 carb per mcnugget!
    Featured image for keto chicken nuggets.
    Pin image for keto chicken nuggets.
    Hidden pin image for keto low carb chicken nuggets.
    Pin image for keto chicken nuggets.

    This Keto Chicken Nuggets recipe is made with simple ingredients found right in your pantry and is the best way to enjoy a quick and easy lunch that fits a low carb or keto diet. These homemade nuggets are made with canned chicken and are made in just a few basic steps and can be cooked in the air fryer, oven, or skillet.

    A stack of keto chicken nuggets on a cream colored serving plate.
    Jump to:
    • ❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🍽 Equipment
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 💭 Top Tips
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🙋 FAQ's
    • 🍽 Serve with...
    • Storage
    • Related Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    ❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe

    Easy Keto Recipes: fans of keto chicken recipes will love these homemade chicken nuggets made with canned chicken

    Simple ingredients: made with basic keto ingredients you will likely have in your pantry.

    Family approved: your entire family will love these and they are better than any fast food chicken mcnuggets.

    A pair of hands holding a shaped, uncooked nugget that has been dipped in crushed pork rinds.

    🥘 Ingredients

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Please scroll to the bottom of this post for the printable recipe card with full instructions.

    Canned chicken: drained well and shredded with a fork.

    Part-skim mozzarella cheese: pre-shredded cheese is ok to use in this recipe.

    Almond flour: is added to the chicken and egg mixture to aid in binding the ingredients.

    Large eggs

    Onion powder

    Garlic powder

    Crushed pork rinds, these are option but add an outer crumb to the chicken nugget giving it crunch and texture.

    Cooking spray

    Shaped mcnugget on a baking sheet.
    To make a big batch of keto chicken nuggets, I recommend using oven method.

    🍽 Equipment

    Baking sheet

    Small cookie scoop or tablespoon

    Large bowl

    Small shallow bowl

    🔪 Instructions

    1. In a large bowl, combine the canned chicken, almond flour, mozzarella cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper (if using) until well incorporated.
    2. Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop out a portion of the chicken and egg mixture and form into the shape of a nugget.
    3. Place the ground pork rinds in a small bowl. Dip each chicken nugget into the crushed pork rinds, coating all sides.

    Oven method:

    1. Place the nugget on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Spritz a light coating of cooking spray on top of the nuggets.
    2. Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown, flipping the chicken nuggets over half way thru cooking time.

    Air Fryer method:

    1. Place the keto nuggets in the air fryer basket and place in the air fryer. Air fry at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time, until golden.

    Pan Fry method:

    1. Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil over medium heat until hot. Place chicken nuggets in hot oil and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown and hot. Transfer cooked nuggets to a paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess grease.
    Keto Chicken Nuggets coated with pork rinds on an air fryer tray.
    Making chicken nuggets in the air fryer is fast and easy and provided the best flavor between the 3 cooking methods.

    💭 Top Tips

    • Be sure to drain the canned chicken well.
    • Before mixing any of the ingredients into the chicken, break the chicken pieces up with a fork or use a food processor to mix everything together.
    • If not using pre crushed pork rinds, use a blender or food processor to crush the pork rinds.
    • If using the oven method, do not use parchment paper to line the baking sheet. The nuggets do not crisp up as well if you do.

    📖 Variations

    • Use plain or different flavored pork rinds as the coating (be sure there is no sugars involved in the making of these).
    • If pan frying, olive oil can be substituted for avocado oil.
    • Add 1-2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese and a dash or two of cayenne pepper for added flavor.
    • Substitute 1 tablespoon coconut flour for the almond flour.
    • Almond flour can be used to coat the chicken nuggets instead of pork rinds.
    One keto chicken nugget broken in half and stacked with more whole nuggets stacked in the background.
    The inside texture of these keto mcnuggets are so close to the real thing!

    🙋 FAQ's

    How many carbs are in this keto chicken nuggets recipe?

    For 6 keto chicken nuggets you will consume 6 grams of net carbs compared to McDonalds 6 pack which is 14 carbs.

    Can I use raw chicken meat to make this recipe?

    I do not recommend using raw meat for this particular keto chicken nugget recipe however you can use cooked shredded chicken in place of the canned chicken.

    🍽 Serve with...

    Serve these delicious keto chicken nuggets with your favorite dipping sauce. I love to serve these with homemade ranch dressing or chipotle salad dressing.

    Storage

    Refrigerate: store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days

    Freeze: store in a freezer safe airtight container up to 3 months.

    Reheat: warm frozen nuggets in the air fryer or oven at 350 degrees for 7 minutes (air fryer) or 15 minutes (oven) until warmed through or warm in the microwave for 30-40 seconds.

    Related Recipes

    Boneless Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer

    Keto Chicken Baseballs Recipe

    Sun Dried Tomato Chicken | Skillet Recipe

    Chicken Enchilada Casserole - low carb recipe


    Don't forget to check out my Amazon storefront for some of my favorite products!

    When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!

    If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating

    📖 Recipe

    Featured image for keto chicken nuggets.

    Keto Chicken Nuggets

    Shelby Law Ruttan
    Easy to make, these keto chicken nuggets are easily made in the air fryer, pan fried, or oven baked. This chicken nugget recipe is made with canned chicken and has just 1 carb per mcnugget!
    4.48 from 136 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Go to Collections
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Keto Main Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 3
    Calories 425 kcal

    Equipment

    • Air Fryer
    • mixing bowls
    • Small scoop
    • Baking Sheet (if oven baking)
    • Large skillet (if pan frying)

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Ingredients
      

    • 12.5 ounce canned chicken drained
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
    • ½ cup almond flour
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¾ cup crushed pork rinds
    • cooking spray

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 400°. In a large mixing bowl, combine the canned chicken, almond flour, mozzarella cheese, egg, onion powder, and garlic powder until well incorporated.
    • Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop out a portion and shape into the shape of a nugget.
    • Dip each chicken nugget into the crushed pork rinds, coating all sides.

    Oven method:

    • Place the nugget on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Spritz a light coating of cooking spray on top of the nuggets.Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown, flipping the chicken nuggets over half way thru cooking time.

    Air Fryer method:

    • Place the keto nuggets in the air fryer basket and place in the air fryer. Air fry at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time, until golden.

    Pan Fry method:

    • Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil over medium heat until hot. Place chicken nuggets in hot oil and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown and hot. Transfer cooked nuggets to a paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess grease.

    Video

    Notes

    Oven method:
    1. Place the nugget on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Spritz a light coating of cooking spray on top of the nuggets.
    2. Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown, flipping the chicken nuggets over half way thru cooking time.
    Air Fryer method:
    1. Place the keto nuggets in the air fryer basket and place in the air fryer. Air fry at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time, until golden.
    Pan Fry method:
    1. Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil over medium heat until hot. Place chicken nuggets in hot oil and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown and hot. Transfer cooked nuggets to a paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess grease.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 6nuggetsCalories: 425kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 39gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 781mgPotassium: 201mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 455IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 326mgIron: 2mgNet Carbohydrates: 6g
    Keyword Keto Chicken Nuggets
    Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

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    About Shelby Law Ruttan

    Shelby is the author/owner of Grumpy's Honeybunch. Established in 2007, she shares and preserves family recipes as well as recipes for cooking light and keto. She has authored the One-Pot Paleo Cookbook and The Pescatarian Keto Cookbook. She is an experienced, self-taught home cook who loves to share recipes with others. She also authors the websites Honeybunch Hunts and The Best Vegetarian Recipes. You can see her work on websites such as Veal Made Easy, Parade, Community Table, SoFab Food, Yummly, and FoodGawker.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jennifer

      March 10, 2023 at 1:26 pm

      5 stars
      This is such a great idea for folks like me who are watching their carbs!

      Reply
    2. Angela

      March 10, 2023 at 8:45 am

      5 stars
      These were fantastic! My entire family loved them, looking forward to making them again. I appreciate this easy & delicious recipe.

      Reply
    3. Serena Tawil

      December 26, 2022 at 4:12 pm

      5 stars
      I can think of many different sauces to use with these but probably my favorite one would be my husband’s homemade hummus!

      Reply
    4. Theresa Krier

      December 26, 2022 at 11:35 am

      My grandkids will love these, I would be serving with ranch, sweet and sour plus honey and mustard sauce and of course fries. Thank you ! kpkrier@kci.net

      Reply
      • Keith

        January 08, 2023 at 2:04 pm

        5 stars
        I make these for my family almost once per week now. We add extra cheese to really get them cheesy. Great recipe and thank you for sharing.

        Keith

        Reply
    5. Judy Armstrong

      December 26, 2022 at 9:54 am

      I got an air fryer for Christmas so I am looking for recipes to try; This looks pretty easy so will give it a try! French frys sound like a good addition in the air fryer as well. I'm a big fan of teriyaki sauce so will most likely do that as a dipping sauce for the chicken!

      Reply
      • Barb Hahn

        December 30, 2022 at 7:38 pm

        A coconut sweet and sour dipping sauce jumps out at me! That tangy taste with chicken would just pop those nuggets right into heaven! A side of skinny garlic bread and a small side dinner salad and we're good! Enjoy!

        Reply
    6. Irene Casimiro

      December 23, 2022 at 10:08 pm

      This is very good and french fries go good with it. May as well as you are already using the air fryer. And some nice Texas toast.

      Reply
    7. Barbara Owen

      July 08, 2022 at 3:46 pm

      I often rotisserie an entire chicken. Would these nuggets be OK if the chicken was shredded? I only use pastured, soy free chicken because of food allergies.

      Reply
      • Shelby Law Ruttan

        July 08, 2022 at 8:39 pm

        Hi Barbara, I would chop the chicken up into small pieces rather than shred it and using a rotisserie chicken is a great idea!
        Shelby

        Reply
      • Kim

        November 13, 2022 at 12:14 pm

        5 stars
        I have made this delicious!!!!

        Reply
      • JK

        December 24, 2022 at 7:20 am

        5 stars
        A great dipping sauce for this would be tzatziki sauce or a blend of hot sauce and mustard.

        Reply
      • Patty J Shay

        December 26, 2022 at 9:28 am

        I would make this with some fresh cut veggies and sour cream, dill dip, and some olive oil, roasted potato chunks!

        Reply
    8. Pamela Vignapiano

      June 04, 2022 at 10:47 pm

      5 stars
      Would you happen to have more keto recipes? This was simple and delicious.

      Reply
      • Shelby Law Ruttan

        June 05, 2022 at 7:25 am

        Hi Pamela, yes! I have a whole section devoted to keto. If you navigate to the recipes page you will find it as a category. I am also publishing new keto recipes right now, so my newest posts are mostly keto also. And, I do have a new cookbook for sale on amazon, it is called the Clean Ketogenic Cookbook for Beginners. I will have it linked up with my other two cookbooks on my site today. Thank you for trying the recipe! Shelby

        Reply
      • cheryl

        September 06, 2022 at 7:23 pm

        I used chicken drumstick meat I cook as stock. I processed I'm the food processor. Subbed half the cheese with cheddar. They were fabulous.

        Reply
    9. Amanda

      March 20, 2022 at 8:55 am

      5 stars
      These are amazing! I have made these about 5 times now. It is such a simple recipe. I used my food processor to shred the canned chicken more. These chicken nuggets are good to pair with anything.

      Reply
      • Shelby Law Ruttan

        March 21, 2022 at 3:42 am

        Hi Amanda, so glad you love the recipe and the food processor is a great idea and would work for batch processing also! Thank you so much. Shelby

        Reply
        • Amanda

          April 02, 2022 at 12:49 pm

          5 stars
          I have literally now made this same recipe 10 times. Its so easy to make and use with so many other different recipes. I have used this with keto Chicken parm lasagna and also along side cauliflower tots.

    10. Jason

      March 01, 2022 at 10:39 pm

      5 stars
      Been craving chicken nuggets. I accidently added only 1/2 cup of cheese (I only had Colby) but they still held together and tasted great.

      Reply
      • Katie

        January 20, 2023 at 6:56 pm

        I know it would affect the nutritional content but could I sub regular flour for the almond flour or is there another ingredient I could substitute? I don’t have almond flour

        Reply
        • Shelby Law Ruttan

          January 21, 2023 at 2:02 pm

          I wouldn't substitute regular flour, almond flour is basically ground nuts. If you have any almonds, pecans, or walnuts that you could grind that would work better. You could try leaving it out altogether or even substitute finely crushed pork rinds.

    11. Andrea

      February 03, 2022 at 2:35 am

      Any alteration in time or temp when using the air fryer? Really looking forward to trying this, might be part of my Super Bowl spread.

      Reply
      • Shelby Law Ruttan

        February 03, 2022 at 5:09 am

        Hi Andrea, Basically cook these in the air fryer the same as oven instructions, Air fry at 400 for 7 minutes, flip, and air fry 7-8 minutes more, until crispy. I hope you enjoy these, my family loves them! Shelby

        Reply
        • Lisa G

          March 16, 2022 at 9:10 pm

          5 stars
          These were great! I don't like pork rinds at all, but you really don't taste it or smell it once the nuggets are cooked. The pork rinds give them a great crispy texture!
          I added a dash of cayenne pepper. I think a tbsp or two of grated parmesan would be a terrific addition, too. Thank you for the recipe!

        • Shelby Law Ruttan

          March 17, 2022 at 8:11 am

          Hi Lisa, so glad you loved the recipe! Thank you for trying it and I love the addition of cayenne! I agree with the parmesan cheese also. 🙂

    12. Amanda

      January 30, 2022 at 12:30 pm

      5 stars
      These were amazing! They curved my craving for fast food chicken nuggets. SO good. I paired them with green beans and it was fabulous.

      Reply
      • Shelby Law Ruttan

        January 30, 2022 at 3:40 pm

        Hi Amanda, So glad you loved the recipe! We make these often as well as the buffalo chicken chaffles. So delicious and satisfying! Thank you! Shelby

        Reply
    13. RobinZ

      November 20, 2021 at 8:51 pm

      5 stars
      This is the best recipe yet for nuggets. So simple and good ingredients. It’s a win win!👍🏼

      Reply
      • Shelby Law Ruttan

        November 21, 2021 at 10:24 am

        Hi Robin! Thanks for stopping back to rate the recipe! Happy you enjoyed it. Sheby

        Reply
        • Karla

          November 24, 2021 at 11:33 am

          5 stars
          I was staring into the pantry trying to come up with a lunch idea when I spied a can of chicken. Googled what to do with it and found this recipe which I am incredibly grateful for! These were so easy and super tasty. I didn't have mozzarella so just used an Italian blend but it worked. Hubby declared "wow something smells good" when he entered the house and was overly excited to have chicken nuggets and sugar free dip for lunch. Haha as far as he was concerned these were as good as gourmet. Will definitely make again.

        • Shelby Law Ruttan

          November 29, 2021 at 9:05 am

          Hi Karla, so glad you found the recipe and that you and your hubby enjoyed it! Shelby

    14. Shellie

      October 27, 2021 at 2:32 pm

      These look so good. I want to make them but was wondering how important the mozzarella cheese is in this recipe? After having covid my taste has been altered greatly and I'm not able to eat cheese anymore in anything 😢 what would I be able to use as a substitute for mozzarella if its in there to use to help hold the ingredients together? Thank you .

      Reply
      • Shelby Law Ruttan

        October 28, 2021 at 5:30 pm

        Hi Shellie, I think could make these without the cheese and increase the almond flour to 1 cup. They should still hold together. I have not done this so I am not sure how they would turn out, but the egg is what helps hold the nugget together. Let me know if you try and I'm happy that you were able to recover from covid! Shelby

        Reply
    15. Lauren

      October 09, 2021 at 7:13 pm

      5 stars
      These were delicious and so easy! I was so surprised how much these tasted like traditional nuggets! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂

      Reply
      • Shelby Law Ruttan

        October 11, 2021 at 10:39 am

        Hi Lauren, thank you for stopping by and sharing your experience! Shelby

        Reply
        • SCOTT & VANESSA

          November 17, 2021 at 3:55 pm

          Trying this recipe right now. I am disappointed to realize they never mentioned adding the egg into the chkn & chz mixture. I did see the egg on the ingredient list. Thankfully I did my own twist at the end, by dipping my chkn & chz nuggets in flour 1st, egg 2nd, then a mix of ground up seasoned pork cracklings (waffle chips I had leftover from chick fil a & some bread crumbs, I know not entirely keto friendly, but we're still allowed the few carbs a day okay lol)
          They are halfway done right now, just flipped them they are looking good.

        • Shelby Law Ruttan

          November 17, 2021 at 5:40 pm

          Hello Scott & Vanessa, thanks for stopping by and for trying the recipe. I fixed the instruction to be sure the egg was in there. Thank you for letting me know. Hope they turned out with your variation! Shelby

    16. Liz

      September 19, 2021 at 8:10 pm

      5 stars
      Love how quick this recipe is!

      Reply
      • Shelby Law Ruttan

        September 20, 2021 at 6:50 am

        Hi Liz! Thanks for coming back to rate the recipe, it is very much appreciated! Shelby

        Reply
    17. Kayla DiMaggio

      September 16, 2021 at 12:19 pm

      5 stars
      Love the idea of using canned chicken in these chick nuggets. So cheap and budget friendly!

      Reply
      • Shelby Law Ruttan

        September 16, 2021 at 5:26 pm

        Thanks! We also just started using tuna fish and salmon as a test and my grandson loves them both!

        Reply
    18. Cathleen Childs

      September 15, 2021 at 1:54 pm

      5 stars
      These chicken nuggets are calling my name!! I am definitely going to give this a go this weekend, thank you so much for the recipe 🙂

      Reply
      • Shelby Law Ruttan

        September 15, 2021 at 1:58 pm

        Hi Cathleen! Thank you for stopping by. I hope you love them as much as we do! Sheby

        Reply

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    Welcome! I'm Shelby Law Ruttan, I'm a mom, grandmother, and cookbook author for HoneyB's Kitchen who started blogging family recipes in 2007 for.... 

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