You could get chicken nuggets and a fried apple pie…or you could make these fantastic chicken tenders and tangy slaw. It can be a kid-friendly recipe—or it can be a super simple way to make yourself dinner for a couple of nights.
I love making a big batch and keep them in the freezer to pull out for those days when I just don’t feel like cooking. My family cannot get enough of them and the fact that they are keto friendly makes me one happy camper so I don’t have to worry about cheating on my diet and my kids don’t beg to go to the local fast food joint for their fried chicken fix.
You can make these tenders spicy or not. I love to squirt some lemon juice on them when they are warm right from the over- it gives it an extra kick! Lemon is one of my secret ingredients I use on meats quite often. I used to use it bread back in the day but thankfully I have found new reasons for my favorite citrus to be around besides my drinking water.
The fennel salad goes amazingly well with these keto parmesan chicken tenders- just like two peas in a pod. Its adds a refreshing element to the overall meal and compliments the meat. I hope you enjoy!
PARMESAN CHICKEN TENDERS AND FENNEL SLAW
Ingredients
Fennel Slaw
- 1 head green cabbage
- 1 bulb fennel
- 4 spring onions sliced
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup ketchup preferably sugar-free
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon white onion minced fine (or substitute with 1onion powder)
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Chicken Tenders
- 2 pounds chicken breasts skinless and boneless
- 2 cups Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tablespoons bacon fat or substitute with ghee, lard, or frying oil
Instructions
- Start by making the slaw so it has time to sit and for the flavors to come together (I'll sometimes make the slaw ahead to let the flavors come together a little better). Start by using your food processor's slicing blade to thinly slice your cabbage and fennel before placing those slices in a large mixing bowl. Add your sliced spring onions, mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil, and parsley, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste, mixing well.
- Next, make your dressing by combing all your dressing ingredients in another bowl.
- While those set, make your chicken tenders by slicing your chicken breasts into strips roughly ½ inch thick each. In a separate bowl, roll your chicken tenders in the grated Parmesan cheese to coat well.
- In a pan greased with bacon fat (or your desired substitute) over medium-high heat, fry your chicken tenders until golden brown on both sides. You will likely need to fry them in batches, so as to not overfill your frying pan; you can keep chicken tenders that have already been fried warm by keeping them on a plate on the stove or keeping them in the oven.
- Use a rubber spatula to flip your tenders halfway through, keeping as much of the Parmesan on the tenders as possible.
- Serve with slaw and the dressing on the side.
Notes
- Food processor
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium-sized bowl (for dressing)
- Medium-sized bowl (for Parmesan breading the chicken)
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Large frying pan
- Rubber spatula
- Serving plates