Clean and Gluten Free Recipe for Chicken Nuggets

This clean and gluten free recipe for chicken nuggets makes eating chicken exciting again. It could very well end up being a weekly staple favorite for any busy family…

If you happen to have kids who are not yet fully on board with the whole clean eating thing, then this is a recipe sure to win them over. I honestly can’t think of any kid who doesn’t like LOVE chicken nuggets!  Not only are they healthy, they are so much easier to clean up than the conventional skillet-fried version.  Oh, and they also take less than 20 minutes of hand-on time to prepare.

Make it a Meal!

As mentioned, the nuggets take less than 20 minutes to make. It then takes another 25 minutes for them to cook, in which time you could be preparing the rest of the meal.

Recipe for Chicken Nuggets Goes Best With…

Here’s what I like to serve with my nuggets for a complete meal:

• Hemp Seed Caesar Salad 
• Organic Corn on the Cob (Note: I husk the corn and remove the silk, brush generously with extra virgin olive oil or unrefined avocado oil, season with Pink Himalayan salt and pop it in the oven at the same time as the nuggets. I cook both the nuggets and the corn for the same length of time at the same temperature. Easy peasy!)
• “Whole” Watermelon Juice 
• Clean Homemade Ketchup OR Clean Honey Mustard Sauce  OR Clean BBQ Sauce (Note: If you don’t have time to make your own condiments, check out the store-bought brands I recommend HERE.) 

Have You Heard of Lime-Washing Your Chicken?

I just have to mention lime-washing…

A friend of mine who was born in Central America recently taught me about lime-washing chicken prior to cooking. So far, it seems to make a HUGE difference in the taste of whatever chicken dish I happen to be making, including the chicken nuggets. Apparently, lime-washing is a time-honored method used in Central America as well as in Haitian cooking. It works to tenderize the meat and reduce cooking time.

I did not include the lime-washing step in the recipe below, but it is definitely worth a try!

How to Lime Wash Chicken:

1. Squeeze a generous amount of fresh lime juice all over the chicken. Use your hands to rub the lime juice into the chicken.
2. Rinse the chicken with water.
3. Pat chicken dry.
4. Season chicken with salt.

That’s it! It’s such a simple step, but I really do think it makes a BIG difference. If you give it a try, please do let me know what you think!

Ok, on with the recipe for chicken nuggets…

Clean and Gluten Free Recipe for Chicken Nuggets

An easy, clean and gluten free recipe for chicken nuggets the whole family is sure to love! Not only is the recipe healthy, it requires minimal clean up.

• Author: Ivy Larson
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x
• Category: Entree
• Cuisine: Clean Eating

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• Extra virgin olive oil (for the parchment paper)
• 1/2 cup sorghum flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Pink Himalayan sea salt plus more for seasoning chicken
• 2 organic (pasture-raised eggs)
• 1 teaspoon almond or hemp milk
• 1 pound boneless (skinless pasture-raised chicken thighs, cut into small bite-sized pieces)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and then brush a thin layer of oil over the top of the parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the sorghum flour, almond flour, oregano, garlic powder, paprika and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and almond milk (or hemp milk) until well combined.
4. Season the chicken with salt and paprika on all sides.
5. Drop a few chicken pieces into the egg wash and turn until coated. Transfer the egg-coated chicken pieces to the flour-spice bowl and dredge until evenly coated with the flour-spice mixture. Place the chicken on the oiled parchment paper.
6. Repeat Step 5 until all of the chicken is coated, making sure to spread the chicken pieces evenly on the baking sheet, leaving some space between them.
7. Bake chicken for 10 minutes, then flip and bake another 12 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is golden and crispy and no pink remains in the center. Serve warm.