Air Fryer Keto Chicken Nuggets: The Easiest Version
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Introduction
This post is Sponsored by Perdue Farms. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make this site possible!
When we first shared this recipe, my parents had just given Dylan and me an air fryer for Christmas. We were late to the air-fryer party — but the first thing we knew we wanted out of it was chicken nuggets, and the first batch was good enough that we kept working on it until the recipe was this one.
Because my problem with a drive-thru nugget was never the chicken. It is the breading — a flour coating is where the carbs are, and that is the whole reason a fast-food nugget is off the table.
Crushed pork rinds and parmesan is the swap we make here. What you are left with is chunks of real chicken with a crisp coating, cooked in an air fryer rather than a pot of oil.
The Breading Is Not Almond Flour
Worth knowing, because a lot of keto breading uses almond flour and this one does not. Pork rinds and parmesan do the whole job.
That means the recipe itself brings no nuts to the table. It does not mean the finished nuggets are nut free — pork rinds and parmesan are packaged products, and only their labels can tell you what else was in the room. Read both if you are cooking for someone with a nut allergy.
The Chicken
We used Perdue Farms diced chicken breast, which Perdue describes as raised without antibiotics, cage free and fed an all-vegetarian diet. It arrives already trimmed and cubed, which removes the least enjoyable part of making nuggets — dicing raw chicken and then cleaning the board.
Perdue sent us their medium organic bundle to try, and they ship direct to consumers now, across chicken, beef, pork and lamb. Current pricing and any promo codes are on their site — browse the store through our link, or see everything they ship direct.
The One Thing to Get Right
Do not crowd the basket. Layer the coated chicken evenly, and work in batches if your air fryer is small — packed too tightly, the nuggets steam instead of crisping, which defeats the point of the coating.
Shake or flip them halfway so both sides get color, and take them to 165°F internal on a thermometer rather than by eye.
Click HERE To Pin Keto Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
All Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 oz pork rinds
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2x large egg
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper, black
Nutrition Facts
4 servings per recipe| Per Serving 310 | Per Recipe 1220 | |||
| 4.05 servings of boneless skinless chicken breast (1 lb) @ 128 each | 129.6 | 518.39 | ||
| 4.05 servings of pork rinds (2 oz) @ 80 each | 81 | 323.99 | ||
| 12 servings of parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup) @ 20 each | 60 | 240 | ||
| 2 servings of large egg (2 x) @ 60 each | 30 | 120 | ||
| 1 serving of paprika (1 tsp) @ 6 each | 1.5 | 6 | ||
| 1 serving of garlic powder (1 tsp) @ 9 each | 2.25 | 9 | ||
| ½ serving of onion powder (½ tsp) @ 8 each | 1 | 4 | ||
| ¼ serving of pepper, black (¼ tsp) @ 6 each | 0.38 | 1.5 | ||
| 15g | 20% | 62g | 79% | |
| 4.05 servings of boneless skinless chicken breast (1 lb) @ 2.8 g each | 2.83 g | 11.34 g | ||
| 4.05 servings of pork rinds (2 oz) @ 6 g each | 6.07 g | 24.3 g | ||
| 12 servings of parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup) @ 1.5 g each | 4.5 g | 18 g | ||
| 2 servings of large egg (2 x) @ 4 g each | 2 g | 8 g | ||
| 1 serving of paprika (1 tsp) @ 0.3 g each | 0.08 g | 0.3 g | ||
| 7g | 33% | 26g | 132% | |
| 4.05 servings of boneless skinless chicken breast (1 lb) @ 0.8 g each | 0.81 g | 3.24 g | ||
| 4.05 servings of pork rinds (2 oz) @ 2 g each | 2.02 g | 8.1 g | ||
| 12 servings of parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup) @ 1 g each | 3 g | 12 g | ||
| 2 servings of large egg (2 x) @ 1.5 g each | 0.75 g | 3 g | ||
| Trans Fat | 0g | 0% | 0g | 0% |
| 213mg | 71% | 853mg | 284% | |
| 4.05 servings of boneless skinless chicken breast (1 lb) @ 82 mg each | 83.02 mg | 332.09 mg | ||
| 4.05 servings of pork rinds (2 oz) @ 10 mg each | 10.12 mg | 40.5 mg | ||
| 12 servings of parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup) @ 5 mg each | 15 mg | 60 mg | ||
| 2 servings of large egg (2 x) @ 210 mg each | 105 mg | 420 mg | ||
| 770mg | 34% | 3090mg | 134% | |
| 4.05 servings of boneless skinless chicken breast (1 lb) @ 50 mg each | 50.62 mg | 202.5 mg | ||
| 4.05 servings of pork rinds (2 oz) @ 150 mg each | 151.87 mg | 607.49 mg | ||
| 12 servings of parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup) @ 80 mg each | 240 mg | 960 mg | ||
| 2 servings of large egg (2 x) @ 70 mg each | 35 mg | 140 mg | ||
| 1 serving of paprika (1 tsp) @ 2 mg each | 0.5 mg | 2 mg | ||
| 1 serving of garlic powder (1 tsp) @ 1 mg each | 0.25 mg | 1 mg | ||
| ½ serving of onion powder (½ tsp) @ 1 mg each | 0.13 mg | 0.5 mg | ||
| 2 servings of salt (½ tsp) @ 590 mg each | 295 mg | 1180 mg | ||
| 2g | 1% | 7g | 2% | |
| 2 servings of large egg (2 x) @ 0.99 g each | 0.5 g | 1.98 g | ||
| 1 serving of paprika (1 tsp) @ 1.2 g each | 0.3 g | 1.2 g | ||
| 1 serving of garlic powder (1 tsp) @ 2 g each | 0.5 g | 2 g | ||
| ½ serving of onion powder (½ tsp) @ 1.9 g each | 0.24 g | 0.95 g | ||
| ¼ serving of pepper, black (¼ tsp) @ 1.5 g each | 0.09 g | 0.38 g | ||
| 0g | 1% | 1g | 5% | |
| 1 serving of paprika (1 tsp) @ 0.8 g each | 0.2 g | 0.8 g | ||
| 1 serving of garlic powder (1 tsp) @ 0.3 g each | 0.08 g | 0.3 g | ||
| ½ serving of onion powder (½ tsp) @ 0.1 g each | 0.01 g | 0.05 g | ||
| ¼ serving of pepper, black (¼ tsp) @ 0.6 g each | 0.04 g | 0.15 g | ||
| 0g | 0g | |||
| 1 serving of paprika (1 tsp) @ 0.2 g each | 0.05 g | 0.2 g | ||
| 1 serving of garlic powder (1 tsp) @ 0.1 g each | 0.03 g | 0.1 g | ||
| ½ serving of onion powder (½ tsp) @ 0.2 g each | 0.03 g | 0.1 g | ||
| Sugar Alcohols | 0g | 0% | 0g | 0% |
| Allulose | 0g | 0% | 0g | 0% |
| 1g | 5g | |||
| 2 servings of large egg (2 x) @ 0.99 g each | 0.5 g | 1.98 g | ||
| 1 serving of paprika (1 tsp) @ 0.4 g each | 0.1 g | 0.4 g | ||
| 1 serving of garlic powder (1 tsp) @ 1.7 g each | 0.43 g | 1.7 g | ||
| ½ serving of onion powder (½ tsp) @ 1.8 g each | 0.22 g | 0.9 g | ||
| ¼ serving of pepper, black (¼ tsp) @ 0.9 g each | 0.06 g | 0.23 g | ||
| 42g | 83% | 167g | 333% | |
| 4.05 servings of boneless skinless chicken breast (1 lb) @ 24 g each | 24.3 g | 97.2 g | ||
| 4.05 servings of pork rinds (2 oz) @ 8 g each | 8.1 g | 32.4 g | ||
| 12 servings of parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup) @ 2 g each | 6 g | 24 g | ||
| 2 servings of large egg (2 x) @ 6 g each | 3 g | 12 g | ||
| 1 serving of paprika (1 tsp) @ 0.3 g each | 0.08 g | 0.3 g | ||
| 1 serving of garlic powder (1 tsp) @ 0.5 g each | 0.13 g | 0.5 g | ||
| ½ serving of onion powder (½ tsp) @ 0.2 g each | 0.03 g | 0.1 g | ||
| ¼ serving of pepper, black (¼ tsp) @ 0.2 g each | 0.01 g | 0.05 g | ||
About these numbers: We are home cooks, not certified nutritionists. Nutrition is shared as a courtesy and calculated with free online nutrition calculators — we compare a few to get as close as we can — so please treat it as a helpful estimate rather than a guarantee. The brands you buy, any swaps you make, and how generously you portion the recipe will all move these numbers.
Directions
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Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees.
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Crush or process pork rinds; place in medium sized bowl and add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and grated parmesan.
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Stir together all dry ingredients until evenly incorporated.
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In a bowl, scramble eggs to create an egg wash.
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Place diced chicken in egg wash, then coat with breading.
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Evenly layer chicken in oiled air fryer; be careful not to over crowd your air fryer or your chicken will not get as crispy.
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Cook for 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your diced chicken; shake or flip chicken halfway through so that both sides get crispy. Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), measured with an instant-read thermometer.
Notes
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and use them within three to four days (USDA FSIS guidance for cooked chicken).
What to Dip Them In
Any sugar-free sauce you like. This keto blue cheese dip is a good one to start with.
If you want more to do with a pack of chicken, there are Keto Buffalo Chicken Tenders and Keto Stuffed Bell Peppers too, and on the sweeter side a Keto Skillet Berry Crumble. There is also a Keto Mac n Cheese if you want a side.
Leftovers
Cooked chicken, so treat it like cooked chicken: into the refrigerator in an airtight container, and used within three to four days, which is the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service figure rather than one of ours.
How well the coating survives a reheat is a different question, and not one we have tested. Pork rinds and parmesan crisp beautifully the first time; we are not going to promise you day three.
Have you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog? Please rate it below and let us know what you think in the comments! We love hearing from you!
You can also share it on Instagram and use the hashtag #buttertogetherkitchen and we will feature you on our page.
Enjoy!
Updated — September 10, 2026: We restored how this recipe came about, removed a step-by-step section that repeated the recipe card, moved the dipping ideas below it, and added what we can say about leftovers.
Correction — August 23, 2026: We corrected the ingredient list, which named pepperoni in place of black pepper, restored the sponsorship disclosure, corrected the cook time, and added a 165°F doneness temperature for the chicken.
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