Paleo Chicken Nuggets: The one meal I could eat absolutely any time, any place: Chick-Fil-A chicken nuggets. I mean who doesn’t love chicken nuggets?! When we’re in Europe for those 8-10 months out of the year, those nuggets are my number one food craving! So I had to get creative and come up with something similar to make due.
These paleo chicken tenders are next level because of one key ingredient: pickle juice. It may sound odd, but marinating your chicken in pickle juice creates the juiciest, most flavorful chicken nuggets ever! And bonus, they resemble the flavor of chick-fil-a!
ingredient list:
Chicken Tenderloins: Dicing your chicken tenderloin up into bite-sized pieces to create chicken nuggets. Also, you can use chicken breasts, but I find chicken tenderloins are easier to manage!
Pickle Juice: The secret ingredient to making these paleo chicken nuggets! The acidity of the pickle juice brine breaks down the chicken leaving them tender, flavorful, and with a hint of pickle flavor!
Almond Flour: The almond flour is used to create a breading for the chicken nuggets, and in the air fryer it becomes crispy and golden brown!
Eggs: Used to bind the chicken to the almond flour.
Seasonings: Paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
what makes these paleo chicken nuggets similar to chick-fil-a?
Well, rumor has it that Chick-Fil-A marinates their chicken nuggets in pickle juice as well, making them juicy and tender! Although I can’t 100% confirm their recipe, these paleo chicken nuggets have a delicious flavor, texture, and crispiness! Especially if you love pickles like me!
i don’t have an air-fryer, can I use the oven?
Yes, you can definitely oven-bake these paleo chicken nuggets! Although, I find the air fryer is much easier to clean up, cooks a lot quicker, and makes the nuggets crisper than a traditional oven. But if you don’t have an air fryer, you can bake the nuggets at 400 degrees F for about 15 -20 minutes or until nuggets are fully cooked through.
If you like this recipe, check out my paleo chicken tenders here!
Paleo Chicken Nuggets
Equipment
- Air-Fryer
Ingredients
- 14 oz chicken tenderloin diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup pickle juice
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Dice chicken tenderloins into 1" bite-sized pieces. Add the diced chicken nuggets to a ziplock bag with pickle juice. Refrigerate for 1 hour (or longer if possible! the longer they sit, the better).
- Grab two bowls: one for eggs and one for the breading. Beat 2 eggs in one bowl. In the other, mix almond flour and seasonings.
- Remove chicken pieces from the marinade. Drain and discard all excess pickle juice. Blot with a paper towel to remove any excess liquid from the chicken. Dip each piece in the egg wash, followed by the almond flour breading. Ensure that each piece is fully coated.
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees. Air fry the nuggets for about 10 minutes or until the inside is fully cooked. They should be golden brown and tender!
- Dip in your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!