Keto Buffalo Ranch Chicken Tenders (Printable View)

Crispy almond-crusted chicken with spicy buffalo sauce and creamy ranch dip, paired with fresh celery for crunch.

# Ingredient List:

→ Chicken Tenders

01 - 1 pound chicken tenders
02 - 1 large egg
03 - 2 tablespoons heavy cream
04 - 1 cup almond flour
05 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
07 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
11 - 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil for frying

→ Buffalo Sauce

12 - 1/3 cup hot sauce such as Frank's RedHot
13 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
14 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

→ Ranch Dip

15 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
16 - 1/4 cup sour cream
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
18 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
19 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
20 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
21 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
22 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
23 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Sides

24 - 4 large celery stalks, cut into sticks

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a shallow bowl, whisk together the egg and heavy cream until fully combined.
03 - In another bowl, combine almond flour, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
04 - Dip each chicken tender into the egg mixture, then coat thoroughly in the almond flour mixture. Place coated tenders on a plate.
05 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry chicken tenders in batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
06 - Bake tenders for an additional 10 to 12 minutes, or until cooked through.
07 - While tenders bake, whisk together hot sauce, melted butter, and garlic powder in a bowl.
08 - In a separate bowl, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, chives, parsley, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon juice until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Chill until ready to serve.
09 - Once chicken tenders are cooked, toss them in the buffalo sauce until evenly coated.
10 - Arrange buffalo ranch chicken tenders on a serving plate with celery sticks and homemade ranch dip on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The coating stays crispy even after tossing with sauce, which is genuinely harder to pull off than it sounds.
  • Homemade ranch tastes so much fresher than anything bottled, and it takes maybe three minutes to throw together.
  • It's genuinely filling enough to be a main dish, but impressive enough to serve when people come over and you want them thinking you spent hours cooking.
02 -
  • If you skip the oven step and just pan-fry, the inside won't be cooked through and the coating can burn before the chicken is done—the two-step process actually matters here.
  • Don't make the ranch dip more than a few hours ahead because the fresh herbs will start to darken and lose their brightness; it's genuinely better made close to serving time.
03 -
  • Pat your chicken tenders dry with paper towels before coating—any surface moisture will prevent the egg mixture from adhering properly and you'll end up with bare spots.
  • Make the ranch dip the day before if you can, because the flavors actually meld and deepen overnight, making it taste even better than fresh.
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