Paleo Chicken Nuggets

These Paleo Chicken Nuggets are coated in a coconut flour breading and oven fried to perfection. They are delicious dipped into a simple honey mustard condiment.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Green Works. All opinions are 100% mine.

Olivia, my almost 3-year-old daughter loves to help me in the kitchen. No wonder! With a mommy who loves to experiment in the kitchen, she naturally gravitates there, too.

First thing in the morning, Olivia is right there to help me make coffee. She wants to put in the coffee filter, measure out the grinds, and of course, press that button to turn on the coffee machine. After that she insists we make oatmeal, which she will measure out and stir together.

And this isn’t where the helping ends. At the end of the day, whenever Olivia sees me doing dishes, she storms off to find her stool to be able to reach the sink and help as well.

Just so you don’t get the wrong impression here about a toddler’s fine motor skills - her 'help' usually means more work for me. Coffee grinds on the counter, rolled oats on the stovetop, and dish water on the floor are our reality - on top of the messes I make.

Sometimes I really struggle with that; like when I just want to quickly get dinner on the table or when I am developing a new recipe and need to take notes of all the steps and ingredients. But I try to let her watch and help me as often as possible.

Thankfully, there is Green Works - my favourite brand of cleaning supplies. Their products are naturally derived and don’t leave behind any chemical residue. The compostable cleaning wipes are our saving grace. They quickly make small spills disappear while leaving behind a clean fresh scent.

And for a general cleaning the all-purpose cleaner spray powerfully cuts through grease and grime, while being safe on most surfaces.

And it also is safe around Olivia, because again, it is 98% naturally derived and doesn't leave behind a harsh chemical residue.

With the powerful yet natural help of Green Works, I don’t have to worry about letting Olivia continue to sit on the kitchen counter and be my cheerful kitchen companion. I just know how important it is to involve her in the process and how many valuable lessons she is learning.

We talk about where food comes from and she sees how ingredients are prepared into delicious meals. She is even starting to get a grasp on healthy food and not being wasteful. At least, that’s what I am trying to teach her.

Kid-Friendly Paleo Chicken Nuggets

Of course, Olivia also wants to help around dinner time, especially if I am making one of her favourites. Like most children, she also loves chicken - specifically chicken nuggets.

In search for a healthy homemade chicken nugget recipe, I came up with these paleo chicken nuggets. They have a coconut flour breading and are oven fried with a lot less fat than deep frying requires.

The coating process is done by shaking the breading ingredients and chicken pieces in a large freezer bag. This always is a lot of fun for kids and a lot less messy than hand dipping and rolling.

How to Make Oven Fried Chicken

Oven frying means that these gluten free chicken nuggets are baked on a baking sheet or in a skillet with just a little oil coating the cooking surface. Grass-fed butter is my choice here, but you can also use ghee/clarified butter or coconut oil.

This recipe will not work without any fat. It is required to hydrate the coconut flour coating, which would otherwise be dry and powdery instead of crispy.

No egg wash is required to make the breading stick. Thawed chicken will be moist enough, while fresh chicken may benefit from a little soaking in dairy-free milk.

How to Season Chicken

One of the things that makes fried chicken so amazing is the wonderful, flavourful seasoning. However, I am NOT using a 13-ingredient long spice list for these baked chicken nuggets. Salt, pepper, paprika, onion, and garlic powder (all very kid-friendly) is all I use - but a good amount of these!

I ended up doubling my initial spice amount. During the testing process my husband kept asking for more flavor (white chicken breast meat is rather flavorless by itself). And he was right. Proper seasoning makes all the difference!

And the dipping sauce! While my daughter likes her nuggets plain, I can't have chicken nuggets without honey mustard dipping sauce. My sauce recipe is as simple as just honey and Dijon mustard stirred together, although you may have to look around for a paleo-approved mustard.

Recipe

Paleo Chicken Nuggets

5 from 11 votes

These Paleo Chicken Nuggets are oven fried and have a delicious seasoned coconut flour breading. A healthy and kid friendly version of baked chicken nuggets

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 3 -4 servings

Calories 252 kcal

Ingredients

  

½1x2x3x

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or tenders
• 3 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 tablespoons tapioca flour or arrowroot powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3-4 tablespoons grass-fed butter, ghee, coconut oil
• optional: ¼ cup dairy-free milk

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:

• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• ¼ raw honey

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Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 425° F.
• If you have fresh chicken breasts that are rather dry on the outside, you may want to soak them in a little dairy-free milk for the coating to stick. While if you have thawed your chicken from the freezer, it will probably quite moist and soaking won’t be necessary.
• If using chicken breasts, pound out the thickest part with a meat mallet (flat side) to achieve even thickness throughout. Cut the chicken into two-bite sized pieces.
• Add coconut flour, tapioca flour, salt, paprika, onion, garlic, and pepper to a large freezer bag. Seal the bag and shake to combine the dry ingredients.
• Add the butter onto a rimmed, flat bottomed baking sheet, and place in the oven until the butter is melted.
• Place half of the chicken pieces into the freezer bag, seal and shake until all the pieces are evenly coated. Remove the chicken nuggets while shaking off excess and place on the baking sheet. Do not crowd the nuggets. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
• Bake the nuggets for 7 minutes on one side, then carefully flip and bake for about 5 more minutes. Use an oven thermometer in the thickest piece to ensure a safe internal temperature has been reached (165° F).
• Remove the baked chicken nuggets from the baking sheet and place on a paper towel lined plate to soak up any excess oil.
• For the honey-mustard dipping sauce, stir together honey and mustard until fully combined.
• Enjoy these paleo chicken nuggets while hot.

Notes

** Cast-iron skillet method: Requires baking in 2 batches
Place skillet in the oven to preheat as well. Remove once hot and add 2 tablespoons butter (careful - it will splatter).
Arrange half of the coated chicken nuggets in the pan and bake as instructed above. (5-7 min per side). Remove paleo chicken nuggets, then add 1-2 more tablespoons butter to melt and repeat coating and baking the remaining chicken nuggets.

·Nutrition Data based on using butter for oven frying; excludes dipping sauce and optional milk

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Paleo Chicken Nuggets

Amount per Serving

Calories

252

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

13

g

20

%

Cholesterol

 

105

mg

35

%

Sodium

 

640

mg

27

%

Carbohydrates

 

6.5

g

2

%

Fiber

 

2.3

g

9

%

Sugar

 

0.1

g

0

%

Protein

 

27

g

54

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword Paleo Chicken Nuggets

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Green Works. All opinions are as always my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Leelalicious possible.