On one Saturday morning Matthew decided to go rogue in the kitchen and not only create a huge mess that I had to clean up, but test out as many variations on fried chicken he could come up with. We ended up documenting our thoughts on each fried and baked version, and the results were unexpected. Check it out below! Since it was our first time using nutritional yeast, the Parmesan Breaded Chicken surprised us the most in terms of flavor and coating. You definitely want to make these at home!
Breaded Chicken tenders Put To The Test!
We covered two chicken tenders in each of the four following (below) breadings and baked one and fried one. This allowed us to put them to the truest of tests and really determine which was the best! Also, below, is the net carb per chicken tender covered in that particular breading. How did they match up?1. Coconut Flour – 2 net carbs2. Almond Flour – 2 net carbs3. Pork Rinds – 0 net carbs4. Nutritional Yeast – 1 net carbIt’s clear, that pork rinds won in the nutrition department, but after some considerable thought and reworking we decided that our Parmesan Breaded Chicken using nutritional yeast was the one we had to share with you the most!
Baked Parmesan Crusted Chicken
What makes these chicken tenders extremely juicy and moist every time you make them is the double cheese breading and baking instead of frying. Nutritional yeast basically acts as a cheese so mixed with parmesan you’re getting some real flavor in each bite! Additionally, baking them with such thick coating of cheese allows them to retain their flavor and keep the moistness on the inside, just as it should be!
Parmesan Breaded Chicken
We’re always trying out different breadings to see what works best on what meat. The other night we did a light coating of coconut flour on some fresh tilapia and it was on point! It didn’t dry out the fish whatsoever and opting to fry it instead of bake gave it a nice crispy outside and soft juicy inside. Although this has now become our favorite breading we have some great recipes that use different variations, so if you love breaded foods as much as we do give our Low Carb Onion Rings or Gluten Free Popcorn Chicken a try! Maybe you should do a fried chicken test at home and see if our Parmesan Breaded Chicken comes out on top!
Recipe can be quickly added to MyFitnessPal – Search “KetoConnect – Parmesan Breaded Chicken”
Parmesan Breaded Chicken
Ingredients:
- 1 lb chicken tenders
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup parmesan (shredded or grated)
- 1 tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 large Egg
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp Pink Himalayan Salt
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions:
- Create breading mixture using parmesan, nutritional yeast and seasonings in a bowl.
- Make egg wash using egg and heavy whipping cream. Combine well.
- Place each tender in egg wash and then directly into breading mixture and coat well. It may be necessary to press the breading into the tense to ensure it all sticks well.
- Repeat this process until all tenders are coated and on a baking rack and baking sheet.
- Top the tender with a little extra coating and place in a 350 degree oven to bake for 30 minutes.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Written by
Megha Barot
Megha has always been a passionate cook, but she took this to a new level after starting her keo journey in 2015. She loves creating new recipes and producing educational content for KetoConnect, which she co-founded in 2016 with Matt. Her passion for healthy eating and personal development continues to thrive. She's the proud mom of two awesome kids.
Killer. Can’t wait to coat my shrimp, fish and whatever else I can find with this breading.
Have you tried unflavoured whey protein isolate as a coating for chicken and fish?
https://www.mypcoskitchen.com/crispy-keto-fried-chicken-2/
Where are the carbs coming from?
barboslowcarbkitchen
Lots of low carb/keto and a few maintenance recipes.
You might find some very interesting and different recipes.
This Kitchen has been online for many years.
Thank you both for all the work you do for all of us out here.
Have been an “Atkins” believer since 1972.
Hi, if i ordered the Red Mill active dry yeast will it make a big difference / knock me out of ketosis? its 1 net per serving but does have yeast and i didn’t know nutritional yeast was different 🙁 helppppppp
Nutritional yeast is very different from active dry yeast! We recommend not using that for this recipe.
Tried these tonight; came out excellent!
Modifications:added cayenne pepper, did coconut flour dredge before the eggwash.
I baked them at 350 for 20 minutes, flipping once halfway. Finished under the grill for 2 minutes.
Served with ranch dressing and side salad.
Hi and thank you for all your awesome recipes. I looked everywhere online for your coconut fried chicken recipe and wasn’t able to find it. They looked amazing in your video and would love to try making them. Thanks in advance.
https://www.ketoconnect.net/parmesan-breaded-chicken/ Is this what you are talking about?
My husband and I are on to new adventures. This is the fourth recipe we have tried of yours (Little babies to living Keto) and each one has been amazing. He’s still struggling a little but we are taking our time so we don’t burn ourselves out. We just had a baby so we’ve not been our healthiest selves. Me living off of oatmeal and him eating on the go. You guys are so inspirational! Thank you.
Hi you two! Do you think or have you used shrimp or soft shell crab for this instead, but fried? Thank you for posting all these awesome recipes! I’m binging on your YT channel at the moment & searching for keto friendly seafood recipes. Thanks!
That sounds delicious! Try it and let us know how it goes!
You guys rock, thanks for the recipes and advice.
Hey guys,
I love your videos. It is very motivating to stay in keto diet.
I have a question, do you know how many (calories & fats) would be added to the fried chicken method?
Hey there Hassan!
We try to estimate our best how many tablespoons of oil is absorbed from the frying. It would depend on how much your’e frying and what kind of oil you used. Best of luck!
Hi, I want to try this recipe, but you don’t give an oven temp? I bought the ingredients before I noticed that, bummer. What temp did you bake them?
It’s listed in the directions. 350 degrees.
Guys you are the best!! I don’t miss any of your videos and, as a bodybuilder myself who has to deal with insulin resistance and many food allergies, your recipes are a godsend 🙂
Only one suggestion I always get a bit frustrated with: please please, list your ingredients by weight instead of volume! Volume can be a bit or a lot inexact as some people make the cup/spoon heaped, others make it flat… and that can make a huge difference in calories and nutrients especially when it comes to fats (which pack a lot of macros in little volume) In the bodybuilding world we always use weight as it’s the most exact.
Also in europe we are more used to weight 🙂 hehe
Please please, pretty please? 😀
THANK YOU for all you do!! Waiting for your book to come out!
Yes!! We are going to start doing weight and volume for all ingredients. Thanks for the feedback!
THANK YOU for this recipe!!! Made it tonight and it was delicious (minus red pepper added a pinch of black pepper) even my “scared to try new food” aspie kid loved it, and thats saying somethin!! Came out great in the oven, even without a baking rack. This will be added to the list of dinner foods to be made on a regular basis 🙂
Ehrmagad guys! I love this video!
Thank you! I was totally debating on how to do my first attempt at fried chicken this week. I was considering doing a pork rind/parmesan/almond flour combo and frying it… but now I may use coconut flour instead… and may bake them.
I feel a little more confident now.
I wonder how a double coat would be – first coat is coconut, second is pork rind – then fry it? Hmmm… I will let you know if I try it.
Thanks for the love, Bethany! We love coconut flour and pork rinds for frying/baking. Definitely let us know how yours turn out!
Hi Megha – I made some last night… I did a naked coating of seasoned coconut flour, then dipped in seasoned egg/hwc wash, then dipped in chile/lime pork rinds mixed with parmesan cheese and some almond flour.
Then I fried them. I think the coconut flour helped keep the moisture in, because they were fairly juicy, despite me overcooking them.
The batter stuck pretty well and they tasted great! Not bad for a first attempt.
Is the nutrition information listed for one tender?
It’s for 4 oz of chicken