Sometimes people eating keto for fat loss struggle to eat enough protein without eating too much fat or too many calories. Sometimes people struggle to eat enough protein because they think they aren’t hungry enough. Lean chicken like breasts and tenderloins are helpful for both of these situations. Twelve ounces of boneless skinless chicken breasts provides just over 100 grams of protein, just under 600 calories, around 15 grams of fat and no carbs. For an average woman under the age of 50 this would be enough protein for the entire day, and it isn’t that much food, so they have room to add some fat and flavor with cooking method, spices, or sides.*see note at the bottom of the post
The problem? White meat chicken can be dry and boring. Fortunately, these tenders are neither! They stay moist thanks to their brine and the covered resting time. The brine and the spice rub both add plenty of flavor. Feel free to alter the spices to suit your tastes and/or food sensitivities.
Jump to RecipeThese chicken tenders are great for weeknight meals because they cook quickly. They are also kid-approved, especially when served with ranch dressing, bbq sauce, or ketchup. Just don’t forget to brine the chicken ahead of time! Brining takes at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
Another great use for these is to serve them with chopped romaine lettuce, shredded parmesan cheese, and Caesar dressing for a quick and easy Caesar salad.
Jump to RecipeCalculating macros is difficult with a brine, because it’s difficult to know how much of the brine is actually absorbed. I did my best to make sure that only the portion of the brine ingredients that would be absorbed by the chicken was included in the macro calculations, especially for sodium. I figured it out based on this method.
Jump to RecipeChicken tenderloins have a white tendon running through them. While eating this natural collagen source is perfectly fine, for many people the hard texture of the tendon can be off-putting. Luckily, there is a quick and easy way to remove these tendons. Check out this video from Jessie at MoolaSavingMom to see how to do it!
Nearly Naked Chicken Tenders
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 cups water
- 3 tbsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp whole peppercorns
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- ½ tbsp tamari
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 pounds chicken tenders
- 2 oz parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp dried parsley flakes
- ¼ tsp paprika
- 3 tbsp avocado oil
- avocado oil spray
Instructions
- Optional: Remove the tendons from the tenderloins. To do this, place the end of the tendon between the tines of a fork that is resting against the tenderloin. Grab the end of the tendon with a paper towel (because it is slippery) and pull it through the fork. This will remove the tendon without removing much of the chicken. (see video above recipe)
- Whisk together water, 3 Tbsp fine sea salt, peppercorns, garlic, tamari, and bay leaf in a large mixing bowl. Add the chicken tenders, cover, and refrigerate for at least two hours or up to 12 hours.
- Combine parmesan, garlic powder, pepper, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, onion powder, cumin, parsley flakes, and paprika in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
- Remove the chicken tenders from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Strain the brine through a strainer, discard the solids, and wipe the large mixing bowl dry with a paper towel. Return the chicken to the bowl.
- Add the 3 tbsp avocado oil to the chicken and stir to coat the chicken evenly.
- Add the spice mixture to the chicken and stir to coat evenly.
- Spray a large cast iron skillet lightly with avocado oil spray and heat over medium to medium-high heat until you see the first tiny wisp of smoke.
- Add half of the chicken tenders to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, only flipping once with a small metal spatula. As the chicken cooks, you will see the edges of the chicken turning white. It is ready to flip when all of the tenders have white extending up over the edges and slightly onto the top of the tenders all the way around. Adjust the heat as necessary to make sure the tenders get brown, but don't burn. When they are finished, transfer them to a large plate and cover them with another large plate. Let rest for at least five minutes before checking the fattest tender to make sure it is cooked through.
- Repeat the previous step with the remaining tenders, adding them to the same plate as the first batch and letting them rest for five minutes before cutting into them.
Nutrition
Dairy Free Nearly Naked Chicken Tenders
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 cups water
- 3 tbsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp whole peppercorns
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- ½ tbsp tamari
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 pounds chicken tenders
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tbsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp dried parsley flakes
- ¼ tsp paprika
- 3 tbsp avocado oil
- avocado oil spray
Instructions
- Optional: Remove the tendons from the tenderloins. To do this, place the end of the tendon between the tines of a fork that is resting against the tenderloin. Grab the end of the tendon with a paper towel (because it is slippery) and pull it through the fork. This will remove the tendon without removing much of the chicken. (see video above recipe)
- Whisk together water, 3 Tbsp fine sea salt, peppercorns, garlic, tamari, and bay leaf in a large mixing bowl. Add the chicken tenders, cover, and refrigerate for at least two hours or up to 12 hours.
- Combine nutritional yeast, garlic powder, pepper, 1/2 tbsp fine sea salt, onion powder, cumin, parsley flakes, and paprika in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
- Remove the chicken tenders from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Strain the brine through a strainer, discard the solids, and wipe the large mixing bowl dry with a paper towel. Return the chicken to the bowl.
- Add the 3 tbsp avocado oil to the chicken and stir to coat the chicken evenly.
- Add the spice mixture to the chicken and stir to coat evenly.
- Spray a large cast iron skillet lightly with avocado oil spray and heat over medium to medium-high heat until you see the first tiny wisp of smoke.
- Add half of the chicken tenders to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, only flipping once with a small metal spatula. As the chicken cooks, you will see the edges of the chicken turning white. It is ready to flip when all of the tenders have white extending up over the edges and slightly onto the top of the tenders all the way around. Adjust the heat as necessary to make sure the tenders get brown, but don't burn. When they are finished, transfer them to a large plate and cover them with another large plate. Let rest for at least five minutes before checking the fattest tender to make sure it is cooked through.
- Repeat the previous step with the remaining tenders, adding them to the same plate as the first batch and letting them rest for five minutes before cutting into them.
Nutrition
* note that I am not advocating eating only boneless skinless chicken breast every day. This would be boring, would not provide enough fat for healthy hormones and nutrient absorption, and would not provide the healthiest variety of nutrients that could be obtained with a variety of meats. This is just an example for those who say they can’t possibly eat 100 grams of protein in a day. The same results can be achieved with lean cuts of beef, pork, or fish or with any combination of these.