These crispy Keto Southern Fried Turkey Tenders taste like KFC coated in a special keto friendly batter made without flour!!
KETO SOUTHERN FRIED TURKEY
Looking for some turkey inspiration for your Thanksgiving menu this year? These Keto Southern Fried Turkey Tenders are the ultimate appetizer or main meal dish. All the flavors of your favorite KFC inspired in a keto friendly CRISPY batter.
Served here with roasted sprouts, well it’s the season after all… and a 2-ingredient Dijon Mayo Dip. Feel free to serve with other veggies like roasted broccoli, cauliflower or low-carb fries for an all year round keto dinner the whole family will love.
BEST TIPS FOR KETO FRIED TURKEY TENDERS
Marinade the tenders in the egg spice mix for 30 minutes or overnight. This enhances the flavor and by using the egg also tenderizes the meat.
Coat the tenders in the whey in batches when ready to fry each one. Doing in a large batch all at once, the egg will absorb the whey by the time you get to the last few and you’ll end up with hardly any coating. Small batches is the way forward!
Ideally use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the oil. 320 - 330F when you add the tenders is best. This results in a nice crisp coating and cooked through middle. Too hot and it could burn the coating without cooking the middle, too cool and you may not get the best crispness to the coating.
HOW TO MAKE KETO TURKEY TENDERS with roasted Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- Turkey Tenderloins
- Egg
- Cajun or Creole seasoning
- Whey Protein
- Salt, pepper
- Mayo
- Dijon mustard
- Avocado oil for frying
Directions
Preheat your oven to 390 degrees F.
Slice turkey into 1 - 1.5 inch strips.
Place the sprouts on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for about 25 minutes until crispy.
Mix egg, mayo, Dijon, cajun seasoning, salt and pepper (and optional herbs if desired) in a bowl. Add turkey strips and allow to marinade for at least 30 mins, or overnight covered in the fridge.
Add whey to a clean plate. When ready to fry, cover 2 tenders at a time with whey. Don’t do in big batches as the egg will just absorb all the whey. Do this when ready to fry each batch.
Place the oil in a 3 inch deep pan or deep fryer. Heat oil to 320 - 330 F (checking the temperature with a meat thermometer. See top tips above on why the temperature of the oil is important.)
Add 2 - 3 tenders to the hot oil at a time and cook for about 4 minutes, or until the batter is golden and the turkey cooked through. Slice one open to check. Repeat for all the remaining tenders.
To make the dip, mix Dijon with mayo in a small bowl and serve with Keto Southern Fried Turkey Tenders with roasted sprouts.
Do these Low Carb Turkey Tenders work in an Air Fryer?
I haven’t personally tried it but I don’t think they would be the same. I anticipate that the whey won’t bubble and go nice and crisp as there’s no oil and would probably just go hard. If you want the authentic result, deep frying is best
What oil is best to use?
Avocado oil, beef tallow or coconut oil are best for deep frying. Avocado oil is my oil of choice as it’s odorless and tasteless and has a high smoke point. Coconut oil can be pricey in large amounts like this.
KETO SIDES
We've served these keto fried turkey tenders with a side of roasted brussels sprouts. Feel free to swap these out with either broccoli, cauliflower or another low-carb vegetables of choice that you prefer.
Here are some other easy tasty keto side dishes that would be delicious with these fried turkey tenders!
- Low Carb Zucchini Fritters
- Keto Broccoli Cauliflower
- Keto Oven Fried Green Beans
- Loaded Mashed Cauliflower
- Ranch Cauliflower
KETO SOUTHERN FRIED TURKEY TENDERS
Keto Southern Fried Turkey Tenders with Roasted Sprouts
Ingredients
- 1 pound turkey tenderloins
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon mayonaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning (or creole seasoning)
- ½ teaspoon salt (if not in cajun seasoning)
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (if not in cajun seasoning)
- Optional: ½ teaspoon oregano and ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons whey protein
- 2 ½ cups avocado oil (for deep frying)
Sprouts
Dijon Mayo Dip
- 3 tablespoons mayonaisse
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 390 degrees F.
- Slice turkey into 1 - 1.5 inch strips.
- Place the sprouts on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for about 25 minutes until crispy.
- Mix egg, mayo, Dijon, cajun seasoning, salt and pepper (and optional herbs if desired) in a bowl. Add turkey strips and allow to marinade for at least 30 mins, or overnight covered in the fridge.
- Add whey to a clean plate. When ready to fry, cover 2 tenders at a time with whey. Don’t do in big batches as the egg will just absorb all the whey. Do this when ready to fry each batch.
- Place the oil in a 3 inch deep pan or deep fryer. Heat oil to 320 - 330 F (checking the temperature with a meat thermometer. See top tips above on why the temperature of the oil is important.)
- Add 2 - 3 tenders to the hot oil at a time and cook for about 4 minutes, or until the batter is golden and the turkey cooked through. Slice one open to check. Repeat for all the remaining tenders.
- To make the dip, mix Dijon with mayo in a small bowl and serve with Keto Southern Fried Turkey Tenders with roasted sprouts.
- Storage: Airtight container in the fridge for 3 days or freezer for 2 months.
Notes
Nutrition
About Brenda
Brenda Bennett is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, certified Sugar Detox Coach, certified Keto Coach and certified Life Coach. She has been Sugar Free & Refined carb free for 17 years and has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole foods. Meal plan offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. She is the founder of the Sugar Free Fresh Start course and Sugar Free Tribe weight loss membership. Learn more.
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