These gluten free chicken nuggets are crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and way healthier than store-bought or takeout. No wheat flour or deep-frying, just an almond-and-tapioca flour coating that crisps up beautifully. Whether you pan-fry or air fry, these come out golden and delicious every time.
I've finally nailed a homemade gluten-free chicken nuggets recipe that my kids love, and I wholeheartedly approve of. I consider that a big win!
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There was a time in my life when I would consider it okay to get my kids store-bought chicken nuggets. Or getting them a weekly fast-food chicken nugget meal. That was all my kids ate without complaint, and I was happy to see them eat something. But that was before my healthy-eating days. One of the first things I did was to create healthier versions of their favorite foods. Enter these gluten-free, grain-free, paleo chicken nuggets.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
⏲️Ready In: 40 mins.
👪Serves: 6
🍽 Calories and Protein: 276 kcal, 36g.
📋 Main Ingredients: Chicken, almond flour, tapioca flour, egg.
📖 Dietary Notes: Gluten-free, dairy-free, high protein, paleo, Whole 30 approved.
⭐ Why You’ll Love It:
- Made with almond flour and tapioca flour
- Meal prep friendly & freezer friendly
- Great for lunch boxes
- It can be a base for many other recipes, like this chicken 65 recipe or this gluten-free chicken teriyaki.
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Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets Ingredient Notes
Chicken: Over time, I have tested these with all the different cuts, breast, tenders, and thighs, but my family likes tenders best. Breast meat would be the least juicy in this recipe.
Tapioca flour: Used to give the base coat for that crispy texture.
Almond flour: Stands in as the perfect replacement for breadcrumbs.
Oil: If pan-frying, use avocado or refined coconut oil, as they withstand high heat. Use an avocado oil spray if air frying.
How to Make Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets
Step 1: Marinate. Cut the chicken tenders into bite-sized pieces and season with all the spices. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the coating.
Step 2: Prepare the coating station. Next, take three flat bowls and put almond flour in one, tapioca flour in the second, and egg in the third. Season the flour and whisk the egg. Lay them out on the countertop in an assembly line.
Step 3: Coat. Take the marinated nuggets and add a batch to the tapioca flour. Press down to coat the nuggets fully, then shake off any excess before dropping them into the egg wash.
Next, drain any excess egg, and drop the nuggets into the almond flour mixture. Press down firmly and ensure they are fully coated. Repeat with the rest of the chicken till all the nuggets are coated.
Step 4: Place on a platter and repeat until all the nuggets are coated.
Step 5: Cook. To air-fry, spray or brush your air fryer tray with oil and lay the nuggets 1/2 inch apart. Spray or brush the tops with oil, then air-fry at 400°F for 15 minutes, or until cooked through (165°F). You may need to cook these in batches, depending on your air fryer’s size.
To pan-fry, heat 1/4 cup oil in a large cast-iron or saute pan, and once shimmering, drop the nuggets into the oil. Fry till golden brown and cooked through. Drain excess oil and place on a platter lined with a paper towel. Repeat till all the nuggets are done.
Step 6: Serve. Enjoy with ketchup or any other dip!
Pro Tips
- Brush or spray the air fryer tray with oil to prevent the breading from sticking.
- To get a golden finish when air frying, generously brush or spray the nuggets with oil.
- If pan-frying, use a flat spatula or fish spatula to flip the nugget, and flip it only when the side is done. The nugget won’t stick to the pan.
- Drain excess oil if pan-frying to ensure crispier nuggets.
- Our preferred method is pan-frying these nuggets, as it achieves a look and taste similar to regular chicken nuggets, but all methods are delicious!
Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets FAQs
There are a couple of ways to make these gluten-free chicken nuggets meal-prep-friendly:
Freeze raw: Once coated, lay them in a single layer on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. This helps the flour stick and form a little seal so that when you put them in an airtight bag for storage, they don’t stick together. When ready to eat, simply take it out of the freezer and air-fry or pan-fry until cooked through.
Freeze-cooked: If you’d rather cook your chicken nuggets first, make sure they are thoroughly cooled, then store them in a single layer in a freezer-safe bag. You can heat them in the air fryer or the oven once you’re ready to eat.
Most store-bought chicken nuggets are not gluten free. They are coated in regular wheat flour and wheat breadcrumbs.
I have found the combination of tapioca/arrowroot flour and almond flour to be the best gluten free flours for recreating regular chicken nuggets. The tapioca flour acts as the base, like regular wheat flour, and the almond flour acts as the breadcrumbs.
Absolutely! Freeze these fully cooked chicken nuggets for up to 4 months, or raw for up to 9 months. Make sure to store them in a freezer-safe, air-tight container.
Other Easy Chicken Recipes to Try
If you tried this gluten free chicken nuggets recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments. I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Pinterest or subscribe to our newsletter to get more deliciousness straight to your inbox!
Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets
Equipment
- Airfryer optional
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds chicken tenders cut up into bite sized pieces.
- 1 teaspoons red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 cup Oil
Coating
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour or arrow root flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder divided
- 2 eggs whisked
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken pieces with the spices and set aside. Start on the coating station.
- Take three flat bowls and put almond flour in one, tapioca flour in the second, and egg in the third. Season the flours with the salt and garlic powder. whisk the eggs with a tablespoon of water. Lay the bowls out on the countertop in an assembly line.
- Take the marinated nuggets and add a batch to the tapioca flour. Press down to coat the nuggets fully, then shake off any excess flour before dropping them into the egg wash.Next, drain any excess egg, and drop the nuggets into the almond flour mixture.
- Press down firmly and ensure they are fully coated. Place on a platter or a parchment lined sheet pan/ airfryer tray. Repeat with the rest of the chicken till all the nuggets are coated.
- If you are freezing them uncooked, set them in one layer on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and freeze for about 30 minutes before putting them in a freezer-friendly zip-top bag. This helps them from sticking together.
To Pan Fry
- Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large cast-iron or saute pan, and once shimmering, drop the nuggets into the oil. Fry for 3 minutes on one side and then flip to the other side and fry for another 3 minutes till golden brown and cooked throug (165ºF). Repeat till all the nuggets are done.
To Air Fry
- Spray or brush your air fryer tray with oil and lay the nuggets 1/2 inch apart. Spray or brush the tops with oil, then air-fry at 400°F for 15 minutes, or until cooked through. You may need to cook these in batches, depending on your air fryer's size.
To Bake
- Preheat oven to 375ºF/191ºC and lay parchment on a baking sheet. Lay the coated chicken nuggets flat 1/2 inch apart. Spray the nuggets with oil and then flip and spray again. Bake for 20 minutes and then flip to the other side and bake for another 5-7 minutes. The nuggets are done when golden and at least 165ºF internal temperature.
Notes
- Brush or spray the air fryer tray with oil to prevent the breading from sticking.
- To get a golden finish when air frying, brush or spray the nuggets with oil.
- If pan frying, use a flat spatula to flip the nugget, and only flip it once the other side is done.
- Our preferred method is pan-frying these nuggets, as it achieves a look and taste similar to regular chicken nuggets, but all methods are delicious!
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