If you want to enjoy breaded chicken, but are on a keto diet, this Keto Baked Breaded Chicken Breast recipe will surely satisfy. It uses almond meal, instead of bread crumbs. Plus it’s breaded and baked in less than 30 minutes for an easy keto chicken dinner recipe…all with only 2 net carbs per serving.
Keto breaded chicken breasts
As part of a recent modified keto/low-carb diet, I’ve been focusing on reducing cabs and adding healthy fats and protein. Baked chicken breast is a great option for this, but what about breaded chicken breasts, are those off limits?
Not so with these Keto Baked Breaded Chicken Breasts. They are loaded with flavor and look just as impressive as regular breaded chicken.
Keto alternative to bread crumbs
A simple swap is to use almond meal (or another nut meal) instead of bread crumbs or panko crumbs, both of which should be avoided on a keto diet. Almond meal is available in the baking aisle of most grocery stores and makes breading baked chicken easy.
Easy breaded chicken breast in the oven
Baked breaded chicken is quick and required much less clean-up than fried chicken. It’s also a healthier option with much fewer calories and saturated fat.
How to bread chicken breasts, keto-style
- Combine almond meal, seasoning salt, and ground pepper in a bowl, then spread into a thin layer on a plate. Set aside.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of chicken breasts.
- Melt butter in a small dish in the microwave. Dip chicken breasts into melted butter until both sides are coated.
- Dip both sides of chicken breasts into almond meal mixture to evenly coat, then bake.
Egg vs. butter for dipping
Typically chicken is dipped in beaten eggs or egg whites before breading. A tastier option is using melted butter. It adds extra fat, which is an important part of a keto diet.
The key to breaded chicken is to dip chicken breast in something that will allow the crumbs to stick, which is why butter works so well.
Should I use whole chicken breasts, breast halves, or cutlets?
I prefer chicken breast halves for breaded chicken as they are thinner than whole breasts. This allows for more breading-to-chicken ratio and speeds up the baking time. Cutlets are usually too thin for breading and are easier to overbake.
How to bake breaded chicken breasts
- Let chicken sit at room temp for 15-30 minutes before breading for more even cooking. During this time, preheat oven to 375° F.
- Once the chicken breasts have been breaded, place in a parchment or foil lined baking dish.
- Bake for about 20 minutes until done, depending on the thickness of chicken.
How long to bake chicken breast at 375°
Bake chicken breasts for 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees, depending on the thickness. Cook to a safe internal temp of 165°.
Tips for keto breaded chicken breasts
- Use ground nuts instead of bread crumbs. Nuts such as almonds, pecans or hazelnuts will work.
- Use store-bought almond meal to save time. Alternately, you can chop or process whole nuts in a food processor to make your own.
- Be sure to use almond meal, not almond flour, as the texture is better for crumbs.
- Bring chicken breasts to room temperature before baking for more even cooking.
- Seasoning salts often contain sugar. Use one with no sugar to keep this a keto chicken recipe.
- Baking at 375° will brown the nuts a bit. Typically I bake chicken breast at a lower temp, but recommend higher for this recipe because of the breading.
- Be careful to not overbake and dry out the chicken. Remove from oven as soon as it reaches an internal temp of 160-165°.
- Let the chicken sit at room temp for 5 minutes before serving to continue cooking a bit and keep in moisture.
- Serve baked breaded chicken quickly to keep breading from getting soggy.
Answers to common questions
Keto chicken breast nutrition. Is it healthy? Keto bread crumbs cut out lots of carbs and keep this low-carb baked chicken recipe gluten-free and healthy. Per 6-ounce serving of breaded chicken breast, it has 345 calories, 36 grams of protein, 20 grams of healthy fats, and only 2 net carbs.
I know this recipe is keto, gluten-free and low-carb, but is it Whole30 approved? Dairy is not included in Whole 30, but at easy substitute is to use Ghee instead of butter. Everything else is Whole30 friendly.
Can I substitute the breading with other nuts? Yes, any nut that is firm such as almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans will work. Be sure use nut meal, not nut flour.
Are keto bread crumbs crunchy like regular bread crumbs? They are crunchy in a different way. Nuts have a nice texture, especially for breaded chicken breasts, but will not have the exact same crisp/crunchy texture of bread or panko crumbs. This is because of the lack of flour found that is found in most breadings.
How to store leftovers: Leftover baked chicken will store in a sealed container in the fridge for 1 to 3 days. Freeze for longer storage.
How to reheat breaded chicken breast: Reheat in microwave for about 1 minute and 30 seconds on high. For more crunch and better texter, bake leftovers at 375 for about 10 minutes. Be careful to not overcook.
What to serve it with? Keto breaded chicken breasts would go great with other keto foods such as cauliflower mashed potatoes, string beans, or coleslaw salad. This gluten-free mac and cheese would also be a delicious pairing those not on a strict keto diet.
Or serve with a side of veggies such as broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, keto sausage stuffed mushrooms, or even these refrigerator pickled beets.
More chicken breast recipes you’ll like:
- If you prefer baked chicken breasts without the breading, then follow my baked chicken breast guide. You’ll learn how to bake chicken breasts that are moist and tender.
- If you’re in the mood for gas grilling, you’ll love my how to grill chicken breast guide. It covers everything you need to know for grilled chicken, including how to get perfect sear marks.
Want more keto recipes?
View all keto recipes from Plating Pixels.
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Keto Baked Breaded Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 6 medium chicken breast halves, about 2 pounds total
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup almond meal
- 1 teaspoon all-seasoning salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken breast and let sit at room temp for 15-30 minutes. During this time, preheat oven to 375° F and line a baking dish with foil or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine almond meal, seasoning salt, and ground pepper in a bowl, then spread into a thin layer on a plate. Set aside.
- Heat butter in a small dish in a microwave until melted.
- Dip chicken into melted butter until both sides are coated. Then dip both sides of chicken breasts into almond meal mixture to evenly coat. Place on the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, depending on the thickness. Cook to a safe internal temp of 165°.
- Remove from oven and let sit at room temp 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use nuts instead of bread crumbs. Nuts such as almonds, pecans or hazelnuts will work.
- Use store-bought almond meal to save time. Alternately, you can chop or process whole nuts in a food processor to make your own.
- Be sure to use almond meal, not almond flour, as the texture is better for crumbs.
- I prefer chicken breast halves as they are thinner. This allows for more breading-to-chicken ratio and speeds up the baking time.
- Bring chicken breasts to room temperature before baking for more even cooking.
- Seasoning salts often contain sugar. Use one with no sugar to keep this a keto chicken recipe.
- Baking at 375° will brown the nuts a bit. Typically I bake chicken breast at a lower temp, but recommend higher for this recipe.
- Be careful to not overbake and dry out the chicken. Remove from oven as soon as it reaches an internal temp of 160-165°.
- Let the chicken sit at room temp for 5 minutes before serving to continue cooking a bit and keep in moisture.
- Serve baked breaded chicken quickly to keep breading from getting soggy.
- How to store leftovers: Store in a sealed container in the fridge for 1 to 3 days. Freeze for longer storage.
- How to reheat: Reheat in microwave for about 1 minute and 30 seconds on high. For more crunch and better texter, bake leftovers at 375 for about 10 minutes. Be careful to not overcook.
I absolutely love this recipe for chicken tenders! So good and so easy!!
Hi, do we need to turn the chicken over in the middle while baking?
Hi. That’s a great question. No need to turn the chicken. It’ll still cook evenly through and the top will stay crispy.
Love the texture that the almond meal gives this chicken! Such an easy way to make breaded chicken, keto friendly – yum!
Hi Laura. That’s great and thanks for the feedback! Glad you liked it!
This is fantastic. Meat is perfectly baked, not too dry. I love it. I also love it because its so healthy. This is perfect family dinner.
That’s awesome Natalie and thanks so much for the feedback!
I am going to use this recipe for sure! What an easy and delicious way to cut carbs! And your chicken looks so moist! That’s one thing that gets lost so often with baked chicken, but yours looks amazing!
Thanks so much Katie and hope you like it! These do come out super moist, with a nice texture from the breading.
These sound amazing!!! A must try for sure
Thanks and hope you do!
Even though I’m not on a keto diet I like the sound of using almond/nut meal instead of breadcrumbs! Also the idea of dipping the chicken in melted butter instead of egg appeals to me. Have to try this recipe!
Thanks Jacqueline. Yes this recipe is yummy no matter what diet you’re own. The butter adds a different flavor and makes it richer.