I shouldn't be as shocked and amazed as I always am to see the amount of ingredients that are added to relatively simple foods. Chicken nuggets are at the top of the list as chicken isn't just left as simple chicken. Usually the chicken in most commercial chicken nuggets has been pumped with other ingredients, like soy protein and sugar. Give these Grain Free Chicken Nuggets a try. They're not complicated, require only a few simple spices, eggs and almond meal.
I like to use almond meal as a grain free alternative because it's great to bake with. It also adds a really wonderful flavor. Personally, I don't think it tastes particularly nutty. The brand I like is Bob's Red Mill Super-Fine Almond Flour.
You'll see that I use tapioca powder in my nuggets. I combine the powder with the eggs to make a slurry. This helps to make the egg wash a little thicker, and, I believe, helps the batter stick a little better. If you don't have tapioca powder, you can substitute potato starch. If you opt to use corn starch, cut the amount in half and be sure to use a non-GMO variety. This is the tapioca powder I cook and bake with. One bag lasts a really long time. After I initially open the bag, I usually store the rest in a mason jar. It's a lot less messy!
I've made chicken nuggets in the past, but these are my favorite. My kids devoured them...even my daughter who isn't a big fan of chicken. They're also really filling. Two chicken breasts go a long way.
Grain Free Chicken Nuggets
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, cubed into 2" pieces
2 c almond meal
2 eggs
1 tsp coconut or olive oil
2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp mustard seed
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp tapioca powder (optional)
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Lightly grease a baking sheet with oil.
- Cube chicken breasts and set aside
- In a small bowl, whisk 2 eggs together with tapioca powder to create a slurry. If you don't have tapioca powder, it can be omitted, or substituted with the same quantity of potato starch
- In a medium bowl combine almond meal, parsley, mustard seed, paprika and sea salt. Mix thoroughly and place to the right of the eggs.
- In "assembly line" fashion, dredge each piece of chicken in the egg mixture, then the almond flour mixture, finally placing on the baking sheet. NOTE: It's helpful to have the chicken, bowls and baking sheet as close as possible together. It's also equally helpful to dredge with one hand and grab a new piece of chicken with the other to avoid both hands getting caked with batter.
- After all pieces of chicken have been coated and placed on baking sheet, bake in preheated oven for about 10 minutes on one side. Turn nuggets once, and place back in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the nuggets are golden brown.
Enjoy!
