Keto Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

How to Cook Air Fryer Chicken Tenders with Keto Pork Rinds Coating

You can make these deliciously simple keto air fryer chicken tenders with just 5 main ingredients! All you need are chicken tenders, coconut flour, eggs, and crushed pork rinds—plus your trusty air fryer to do the cooking. I’ll show you how to cook air fryer chicken tenders with a gluten free and low carb pork rinds coating!

Honestly, if I didn’t know, I would think these keto air fryer chicken tenders were DEEP FRIED. They are that irresistibly crispy! I’d never guess that they’re gluten free, keto friendly, and low carb—or that the main ingredient in the coating is Epic® Provisions’ clean pork rinds.

Best of all, they stay perfectly juicy and moist on the inside. Serve with mashed potatoes and your favorite roasted veggies for an unbelievably quick weeknight dinner that’s ready in under an hour!  I’ll walk you through how to cook chicken tenders in an air fryer with a simple, gluten free pork rinds coating.

Keto Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Ingredients

6 chicken tenderloin pieces (~12oz)
¼ cup coconut flour
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 bag EPIC® Pork Rinds of choice, crushed (I used Pink Himalayan Salt flavor)
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp garlic powder

Make Pork Rinds Coating

So, this first step is optional, but highly recommended. Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C) so you can toast your pork rinds before grinding them up. It’ll only take 10 minutes, but your air fryer chicken tenders will turn out SO much crispier and tastier! If you want that true fried chicken texture and taste, this small step will make a big difference.

My favorite brand is EPIC® Pork Rinds because they’re the cleanest, tastiest, a crispiest. I like their plain Himalayan Sea Salt flavor, but they also have Salt & Pepper as well as a Chili Lime flavor that you can try! They’re versatile for using in all kinds of recipes, but personally I love to keep them in my pantry for a crunchy snack.

After toasting, allow those pork rinds to cool slightly before adding into a food processor or blender. Add some paprika and garlic powder (or any seasonings you like), and pulse until you’ve got a fine, powdered texture. If you use a flavored variety of EPIC® Pork Rinds, you may not need any additional seasonings!

Finally, add your ground pork rinds into a shallow dish that you can use to dredge your chicken tenders before cooking.

Dredge & Coat Keto Chicken Tenders

To prepare your air fryer chicken tenders for dredging, you’ll just need a few additional ingredients. In a separate shallow dish, combine coconut flour, salt and pepper. And in a third dish, whisk two eggs. Finally, your keto chicken tenders are ready to dredge and coat.

Start by dipping each chicken tender in the seasoned coconut flour mixture, followed by the whisked eggs—shaking to remove any excess—and finish with the ground pork rinds. Once all of your tenders are coated, you’re ready to pop them into the air fryer! Ideally, cook in batches of about 4-6 tenders at a time so they’re not overcrowded.

How to Air Fry Chicken Tenders

As for how to cook chicken tenders in the air fryer, it couldn’t be simpler! Start by preheating your machine to 400°F (200°C) for around 5 minutes. Once preheated, you can open the air fryer basket and add in 4-6 tenders, and I recommend spraying them with a bit of cooking spray.

Set the air fryer to cook for 15-20 minutes and let it go! For best results, flip the tenders about halfway through the cook time. If you’re unsure as to when they’re done, you can use a meat thermometer to check that they’re cooked through to 165°F (74°C) before removing them from the air fryer.

After cooking, serve your keto air fryer chicken tenders immediately and enjoy! I recommend pairing with honey mustard or your favorite dip, plus any sides that you like. Roasted veggies, mashed potatoes—your options are endless!

Quick & Easy Weeknight Dinners – 5 Main Ingredients