How Many Carbs Are in Chicken Strips?

Chicken strips are a popular finger food that can be a tasty addition to many meals. However, for people watching their carb intake, knowing the carbohydrate content is important. This article will explain how many carbs chicken strips contain and provide tips for keeping carb counts low.

What Are Chicken Strips?

Chicken strips, also known as chicken fingers or chicken tenders, are pieces of boneless chicken breast that have been battered or breaded then fried or baked. They are long, thin strips of meat that are easy to pick up and dip into sauces. Chicken strips make a quick and convenient snack or meal.

Carb Content of Chicken Strips

The carb content of chicken strips can vary greatly depending on how they are prepared.

Here are some general carb counts

• Plain grilled or baked chicken breast strips: 0-1 grams of carbs per 3 oz serving

• Unbreaded, pan-fried chicken strips: 0-2 grams of carbs per 3 oz serving

• Lightly breaded, baked chicken strips: 5-10 grams of carbs per 3 oz serving

• Heavily breaded deep fried chicken strips 15-30 grams of carbs per 3 oz serving

As you can see, plain chicken with little or no breading is the lowest carb option. The more heavily breaded and fried the chicken strips are, the higher the carb content will become.

Why Breading Increases Carbs

Breading adds significant carbs to chicken strips. Breadings are usually made from carb-heavy ingredients like wheat flour, breadcrumbs or cornmeal. Frying also adds carbs because the oil causes the starch in the breading to absorb more moisture, increasing its weight.

A lightly breaded chicken strip may contain 5-10 grams of carbs from the breading alone. Heavier breading can add 15 grams of carbs or more.

Lower Carb Breading Alternatives

If you want breaded chicken strips but are watching carbs there are some lower carb breading options

• Crushed pork rinds or parmesan cheese

• Almond flour, coconut flour or oat fiber

• Ground flaxseeds or hemp seeds

• Finely chopped nuts

• Crushed cauliflower florets

These alternatives add crunch without all the starchy carbs of regular breadcrumbs. Just avoid frying them in sugary batters, which adds unnecessary carbs.

How Cooking Method Impacts Carbs

Baked or grilled chicken strips are preferable to fried for lowering carbs. Baking uses little or no added fat while frying causes the breading to absorb more oil, increasing the weight and carb count.

Here is how the cooking method affects carb content:

• Baked: Since no oil is absorbed into the breading, the total carb count stays lower.

• Grilled or broiled: These dry heat methods add minimal carbs.

• Pan-fried: The breading absorbs a bit of oil, increasing carbs slightly.

• Deep fried: Immersing chicken strips in hot oil causes the breading to soak up more fat and significantly increases the total carb content.

Cutting Carbs With Sauces and Dips

The sauces paired with chicken strips can also affect the carb count. Honey mustard, BBQ sauce, sweet & sour sauce and teriyaki sauce all add extra sugars and should be avoided if limiting carbs.

Some better options include:

• Ranch, blue cheese or Caesar dressing

• Hot sauce

• Horseradish or mustard

• Vinegar-based sauces

• Guacamole

• Salsa

• Lemon juice

• Herb vinaigrettes

Opting for lower carb sauces prevents excess blood sugar spikes.

How to Order Low Carb Chicken Strips

When dining out, you can customize your order to reduce carbs:

• Request grilled or baked chicken tenders instead of breaded and fried

• Ask for extra veggies instead of French fries as a side

• Choose blue cheese, ranch, mustard or hot sauce for dipping instead of sweet BBQ or honey mustard

• Avoid the kids meal and order from the main menu for plain tenders

• Request any sauce or dressing be served on the side

With a few tweaks, you can enjoy tasty chicken strips that align with a low carb diet.

Keto-Friendly Chicken Strip Recipes

If you follow a keto diet, there are great ways to prepare chicken strips or tenders at home. Here are some keto-friendly recipes to try:

Keto “Cornflake” Chicken Tenders

• Ingredients: Chicken breasts, crushed pork rinds, parmesan cheese, egg, herbs

• Method: Cut chicken into strips, coat with egg then seasoned pork rind mixture. Bake until crispy.

Coconut Chicken Strips

• Ingredients: Chicken breasts, coconut flour, coconut flakes, egg, garlic powder, salt

• Method: Cut chicken into strips, coat with coconut flour, dip into egg then coconut flakes. Bake until cooked through.

Buffalo Chicken Strips

• Ingredients: Chicken breasts, almond flour, egg, hot sauce, melted butter

• Method: Cut chicken into strips, coat with almond flour and egg, bake until cooked then toss in melted butter and hot sauce.

With a simple swap of low carb flours and creative recipes, you can enjoy breaded chicken strips on a keto diet.

Healthy Carb Balance

When eaten in moderation alongside other nutrient-dense foods, chicken strips can be part of a healthy low carb meal plan. Focus on getting your carbs from vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds rather than processed breading.

Pair your chicken with a side salad or non-starchy veggies like broccoli, cauliflower or zucchini noodles. Complete the meal with healthy fats from foods like olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.

The Bottom Line

Chicken strips can fit into a low carb diet if you pay attention to the carb count. Avoid heavily breaded, fried versions and sweet dipping sauces. Opt for unbreaded baked or grilled chicken with lower carb sauces as a more waistline-friendly alternative. With a few simple substitutions, you can still enjoy the crispy, chicken flavor you crave.

Breaded chicken strips contain varying amounts of carbs depending on the size, type of breading, and preparation method. A typical serving (around 100g) of frozen, prepared breaded chicken tenders contains about 15g of total carbohydrates. This can be broken down into 2g of dietary fiber and 1g of sugar, with the remaining portion being complex carbohydrates. Restaurant-style breaded chicken strips, like KFC chicken strips, can have around 8g of total carbs per strip.

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts