My kids love Chick-Fil-A Chicken Nuggets. My daughter says there is something in the breading she really likes that is not like my breaded chicken.
Why not make a copy cat recipe with that same texture, I thought. Watch how easily these homemade chick-fil-a nuggets come together.
Enter my intern Monica. Monica shared her recipe with her readers (and with me) but my toughest critic, Sofia, said something was “missing.” I made one batch baked and one pan fried. The baked batch did not brown or turn crispy so I ditched that idea.
Instead, I tweaked the seasoning a little and fried it in coconut oil. When I say, “fry” I don’t mean deep fry… I mean about ½ an inch deep in your large pan.
My son, who can’t eat a regular Chick-Fil-A nuggets (he eats gluten free), ate these 3 days in a row. He was so excited to help me make the recipe that he begged to photograph them as well (thus the plain, un-styled by a 6 year old, photos). I guess we should thank him, since I wasn’t going to photograph or post it this recipe at all.
Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets
I actually love this recipe now for more reasons than the taste. He has gotten past his severe texture issues with chicken and throughly enjoys these. When I say “severe” the last time he ate chicken was 5 years ago… sometime around 1.
This recipe can be enjoyed by everyone, not just gluten and grain free people. It was the breading texture I was after and not without the “odd texture” that some grain free/gluten free foods can have. Of course, if you don’t have coconut flour, feel free to use all purpose flour but the texture will not be the same.
You can also pack leftovers inside a lunchbox and make an awesome school lunch!
I send them at room temperature, but if you child prefers them hot, pack them inside a thermos.
If you’ve been around this site for long, you know that I am passionate about creating recipes that are not just tasty, but also made with whole, fresh ingredients.
When I created my Family KickStart program, I took everything I loved from other 21-30 day whole eating plans and turned it into a program that’s easy to do with the whole family.
Serving up recipes like this and even two different recipes for whole-food pancakes every recipe in the 30 day Family KickStart Program is kid approved. You won’t have to make several meals to please everyone and stick to your diet.
Join the Family KickStart Program today and I’ll send you everything you need from meal plans to recipes and even shopping lists to help you succeed as a family in eating whole food for 30 days straight!
More about these gluten free chicken nuggets though, this week I bought 3lbs of organic chicken breasts on sale. I plan to make extra chicken nuggets and freeze them since my son loves them so much.
To freeze, follow all the steps prior to cooking them. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread breaded nuggets on the tray. Freeze for an hour and then transfer them to a freezer safe bag.
Letting him help me cook and photograph these has meant a lot to me. While they may not be the prettiest pictures in my blog, my son thinks they are amazing! Sometimes posts aren’t about perfection… it’s about showing the love you have for all that’s in them.
I hope you enjoy this recipe nearly as much as my son. He really wanted to share “his favorite nuggets” with you. You can also watch this short video and check out how easy they are to make.
PrintCopycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets
Homemade gluten free chicken nuggets with the same texture and taste as the original Chickfila chicken nuggets.
- Yield: 4-6
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch cubes
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Pat dry the chicken breasts with a paper towel and with a sharp knife, cut them into 1-inch, nugget-sized pieces.
- In a bowl, beat the eggs and set aside.
- In a dish, combine the coconut flour, and seasonings.
- First, dip the chicken in the egg, then in the seasoned coconut flour mixture, making sure to turn the chicken to coat all sides.
- Meanwhile, fill your frying pan with oil to about ½″ to ¾″ high and heat to medium heat, about 325F (160C).
- Pan-fry the nuggets, for about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove them from the pan onto a paper-towel-lined plate and repeat with remaining nuggets.
- NOTE: Between each batch, remove the excess coating/breading from the nuggets that fall off while frying from the bottom of the pan. If you’re doubling the recipe, you might have to drain the oil from the pan, remove the fallen debris, and continue.
Notes
If your oil is too hot, the coconut flour will burn. Some coconut flour will fall off chicken onto bottom of pan. After each batch, you might want to remove some of the fallen flour off the pan, especially if you are doubling the recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 nuggets
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 2.2g
- Sodium: 83.3mg
- Fat: 5.6g
- Saturated Fat: 1.8g
- Carbohydrates: 8.3g
- Fiber: 3.7g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 144.7mg
Keywords: gluten free chicken nuggets
Rachel
Is there another option for the eggs? My little one has a milk and egg allergy.
Laura Fuentes
Yes, you can use an egg substitute or dip them in milk to wet it and get it to stick.
Robin
Hi! I’m very excited to try these (just started my 3yo on GF and neeeeed help!) Here’s the thing, I want to mince my precooked chicken and form into nuggets THEN add the batter and fry.. do you think this will work? My son is a texture guy too and will eat real chicken nuggets but not chicken strips..and we all know that true nuggets are like minced or mushed chicken. Help!
★★★★★
Laura Fuentes
Hi Robin, I have a similar recipe that uses minced chicken here. I don’t recommend mincing after cooking because it won’t bind together. You can get ground/minced chicken and form them into nuggets, coat them with this recipe, and then pan-fry bake them. Sort of the best of this and the other recipe.