This keto chicken nuggets recipe is NOT sponsored and was written based on our honest experience as a mom and dad who strive to spend less money and share tips on making healthy delicious meals that everyone actually enjoys!
I never planned on becoming the mom who experiments with healthier versions of kids’ food but here we are!
Because when you’re trying to eat clean foods and feed kids, compromises must be made, haha.
These keto chicken nuggets started as a “let’s see if this works” recipe and somehow turned into a regular lunch around here – my husband and the girls love them and leftovers are hard to come by.
They’re delicious, filling, and don’t taste like a sad substitute – plus you only need six ingredients and about 15 minutes of prep time.
If you’re craving chicken nuggets without the carbs, this recipe was made with you in mind!
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Healthy Keto Chicken Nuggets for Real Life
I’ve tried a few low-carb nugget recipes over the years, and most were either too dry or had too many ingredients.
I love this one because:
- You can get them as crispy as you like – my kids prefer them golden and soft while my husband enjoys them fried in olive oil
- My kids actually look forward to these
- The ingredients are things I already keep around anyway
- They’re great for meal prep and reheat well – but there’s usually none left, haha!
These are not fast-food style chicken nuggets.
They’re solid, whole ingredient, homemade chicken nuggets that happen to be keto and work for a carnivore diet too!
What You’ll Need (Nothing Fancy)
Here’s what I usually grab:
- Canned chicken
I love cooking fresh chicken but keeping canned chicken on hand gives me piece of mind and I’ve found that it actually works better for this recipe.
After experiencing a refrigerator failure when we were renovating our home (and a whole lot of food loss!), I’ve learned to keep canned meats in the cupboard in case of emergencies.
Like most things, we usually get our canned chicken at Costco. - Eggs
- Gouda Cheese
- Salt
- Pepper
- Italian Seasoning
That’s it – no long ingredient list and no specialty items you’ll use once and forget about.
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How to Make Keto Chicken Nuggets
First, the chicken
Open your cans of chicken and drain the liquid.
Pour the chicken into a large prep bowl and use a paper towel to dry off any excess liquid.
This is a really important step if you plan on frying them as any excess liquid will cause your chicken nuggets to fall apart.
Once the chicken is fairly dry, its time to add your eggs, cheese, salt, pepper, and Italian Seasoning.
Combine into a solid mixture.
Shape Them
For crispier chicken, you could shape these like fries.
My kids are fussy about texture so I tend to keep them wide and a little longer than your standard chicken nuggets though.
Cook
As I said before, my husband enjoys these fried so I usually start warming my olive oil while I’m mixing the chicken and other ingredients together if I’m making them this way for him.
Golden brown is the winner!
Since the girls prefer them baked, I warm up the oven to 400 at the same time as I mix the ingredients too – we always bake them when my husband’s at work.
You could also air fry them too – you’ll want to do 400 with a cook time of around 10 to 12 minutes depending on the size you made them and your desired level of crispiness.
Let’s Talk Dipping Sauce
Nuggets without dip are just chicken, haha.
Around here we really enjoy the following sauces with these keto chicken nuggets:
- Honey Mustard
- Tomato and Basil Sauce
- Ranch
- Buffalo Sauce
- Plum Sauce – this is my youngest’s favorite!
Will Kids Eat These?
Short answer: yes!
Longer answer: serve them like normal nuggets.
Same plate, same sauces, no big announcements.
We’re blessed that our kids actually get excited when we tell them something is healthy, haha.
You can say we talk about ingredients a lot here!
Freezer Tips From Someone Who Uses Them
These nuggets are a great option for future meals.
Just let the nuggets cool, freeze them flat on a tray, and then toss them into a freezer bag.
They reheat well and won’t turn soggy.
How We Serve Them
Some days it’s nuggets and veggies or nuggets and apple slices.
Some days it’s nuggets and homemade focaccia bread or spaghetti.
Some days I’ll slice these chicken nuggets lengthwise for my husband and I, throw it over a salad, and pour a honey mustard vinaigrette over it.
They’re flexible and that’s exactly why we love them – especially on busy days!
6 Ingredient Keto Chicken Nuggets
Servings: Serves 2 Adults (Or 2 Kids and 1 Adult!)
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes at 400
Ingredients: You’ll need the following ingredients to make these yummy keto chicken nuggets!
- 2 x 354g Canned Chicken
- 2 Eggs
- 1.5 Cups of Gouda Cheese
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
- 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
Combine all ingredients and mix well!
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
Once they’re golden brown and as crispy as you’d like, plate them and enjoy!
Cooking for Kids Tip: I’d recommend cutting them in half and letting them cool for about 10 minute before the kids bite into them.
My littlest is always very eager to have a bite when she sees these come out of the oven!
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Final Thoughts on These Keto Chicken Nuggets
I really enjoy recipes like this because they’re quick, easy, full of nutritious whole ingredients, and everyone actually eats them!
Gone are the days of cooking three different meals for my family, haha.
I really hope you enjoy these nuggets as much as we do and can’t wait to hear about how you incorporate them into your meal plan too.
They’ve been a staple in my meal prep ever since I got back into my fitness routine!
Be sure to save and pin this one for later.
Happy cooking, friend!
– Nikki