Low-Carb Chicken Nuggets

Chicken Nuggets can be made with pork rind flour
instead of a carby breading.

The trick to making low carb work is to discover creative ways of making the transition easier to deal with. One way that works well is to look at your favorite foods and think about how you can work them into your low-carb diet so you can stay on plan. 

Chicken nuggets and chicken strips, for example, can be made by using ground up pork rinds for the breading, instead of flour, and then baked in the oven. 

These crispy nuggets are really addicting.

Switching to a low-carb diet can be a bit traumatic. Especially, when many of the comfort foods you're used to eating are now off-limits. While you can still visit your local burger joint and toss away the bun, or eat the toppings off that fragrant, cheesy pizza, other foods like chicken nuggets are more problematic.

It's almost impossible to get the breading off a chicken nugget.

I know. I tried.

And in the process, I totally demolished the chicken. It wasn't edible after I got done with it.

Luckily, you don't have to sacrifice those nuggets if they are one of the foods you really want to keep in your new low-carb life. 

Going low carb isn't about ditching all of the foods that bring you comfort. You just have to learn how to make them yourself using an appropriate low-carb flour alternative.

In this post, we'll show you how:

Secret to Great Tasting Low-Carb Chicken Nuggets

Traditionally, chicken nuggets are made with dried bread crumbs. 

Chunks of raw chicken breast are dipped into a beaten egg, then rolled into the crumbs and fried in oil. Before going low carb, I used to use the same batter that I used for Chinese food, just because I liked it better than messing around with crumbs.

Batter kept the oil in the deep fryer cleaner, and I didn't have to worry about the breadcrumbs not sticking to the chicken.

After going low carb, I thought I'd have to give up all those chicken nuggets and strips I loved so much, but surprisingly, I ran into a few people who were using crushed pork rind crumbs to batter their nuggets and strips with instead.

Pre-Made Pork Rind Crumbs

(Available at Amazon)

They claimed that after you bake the chicken, there was no more pork rind flavor. The tasty morsels simply taste like breaded chicken chunks. 

I don't mind the flavor of pork rinds. They are just pork skins that have been fried, and since they are carb free, I thought I'd give this a try.

For an extra pungent flavor boost, I also decided to mix the crumbs with a little dried Parmesan cheese (available at Amazon if your local store doesn't carry it) and a few seasonings. Dried Parmesan is the kind that comes in a can or plastic jar like the photo below.

They turned out great!

So good in fact, that I'm going to be using this coating mix for all sorts of things. Just think about how versatile it could be:

• oven-fried chicken
• chicken strips
• breaded pork chops
• cheese sticks
• onion rings
• vegetable fritters

And whatever else I get a yearning for. I've heard that some people are actually deep-frying pickle slices these days!

The chicken had a very mild but noticeable cheese flavor. For a heavier flavor, just use more cheese and less pork rinds. If you're on a zero-carb diet, of if you don't like the taste of dried Parmesan cheese, you can skip the cheese completely and use all pork rind flour.

How to Make Your Own Pork Rind Flour

Pork Rinds

(Available at Amazon)

If you have a blender or food processor, making your own pork rind flour from whole pork rinds is quick and easy. Just toss a handful of pork rinds into the blender, cover, and whirl at high-speed until the rinds have reduced to crumbs. 

Sometimes, I do this in pulses if the rinds are a bit on the older side. Some brands of pork rinds are stiffer than others. 

Pour the fine crumbs into a storage container with a tight-fitting lid, and repeat with more rinds. I normally make an entire 6-ounce bag of pork rind crumbs at one time, for convenience.

Low-Carb Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients:

• 2 small, boneless chicken breasts
• cajun seasonings
• lemon pepper
• 1/2 cup finely crushed pork rinds
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream or mayonnaise

Cut the chicken breasts into nugget-sized chunks. Alternatively, you could cut them into strips or just use pre-cut chicken tenders. Sprinkle well with the cajun seasonings and lemon pepper. Allow the chicken to sit for a couple of hours for the flavors to penetrate the chicken.

In a pie plate, combine the pork rinds, Parmesan cheese, onion powder, Italian seasonings, and lemon pepper. Stir well. In another pie plate beat the egg with heavy cream. Dip chicken pieces into the egg mixture, then roll in the crumbs.

Arrange the chicken in a Pam-sprayed baking dish, or place them on a cookie sheet that you've lined with non-stick foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.

This makes 2 servings.

*If pork rinds and dried Parmesan cheese are not available in your area, check out our blog post on other low-carb alternative flours that might work for you.