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
Tiffany
Wow. My kids loved it. My husband thought I brought home store bought chicken. I think we all are more than we should! My son asked for seconds. (he hardly ever asks for seconds) my daughter tried to sneak some before supper! I made them exactly as instructed. If anyone is nervous to try these, don’t worry they are great! Thanks for all your great recipes. Umm I NEED to subscribe! Lol
★★★★★
Laura Fuentes
I’m so glad these were winners Tiffany! Definitely, subscribe. Recipes to your inbox weekly!
Tiffany Pontier
Tried these with almond flour and I can’t stop eating. Lol. Also I used salmon this time because I realized at the last minute that I didn’t have panko for your salmon recipe. 🙂
★★★★★
Sabrina Garcia
Hi Laura!!!
Have you try using an Air Fryer?
Laura Fuentes
Hi Sabrina, you can totally use an Air Fryer with these nuggets. These are fried in a pan but an airfryer will be great. I no longer have one but I did love it when I had it.
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Patty
Was excited to try, but disappointed . Texture was sandy. Also, overkill on coconut flavor. However, the mix of spices was good, but didn’t remind me of CFA.
★
Kristi
Just wondering if you ever found a suitable egg substitute for soaking the chicken? My son has a whey (which is in milk) and egg intolerance.
Laura Fuentes
not that will make the mixture stick. sorry!
Sterling
I am noshing on a fresh set that was dipped in coconut milk wash before the flour mixture. It’s shedding a bit more than the egg might, but they’re plenty coated.
Erin
Hi! Do you think I could make these with ground chicken?? Thanks so much!
Laura Fuentes
Not this recipe Erin. For ground chicken you are going to want to use this recipe. Enjoy!
JenniferQ
Thank you for the great recipe and clear instructions. We made up 4 pounds of these tonight and they were gobbled up by my hungry family who felt they were being treated to the best dinner ever! Not having coconut flour, we whizzed up rice in the dry Vita-mix container until it was a flour. It seemed to work just fine, though I cannot compare it to your original recipe.
I am receiving inspiration from your approach. After 20 years of parenting, I still need inspiration for the daily question of “what’s for dinner?”! Thank you.
Stephanie Schneller
I’m thrilled these were enjoyed at your house Jennifer! 4lbs! wow. that was one big family meal. I’m thrilled to provide you with kichen inspiration any day 🙂
Adrienne S.
Laura,
You nailed this recipe! We had it for dinner last night. This tastes just like Chick Fil A and was a big hit with my family. Thanks for sharing!
Laura Fuentes
I’m so glad it was a success! I hope you enjoy this recipe for many years to come.
Nicole
My daughter is gluten, dairy & egg free. Would this work with a flax or chia egg substitute?
Looks delicious!
Laura Fuentes
Nicole, I have not tried binding the “breading” with an egg substitute. Let me know if they work for you. Enjoy!
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Alyson
How do you get them to get crispy??? Mine turned out soggy and gritty 🙁
Laura Fuentes
Did you bake them? I assume you did. You have to spray them with coconut oil spray prior to baking them otherwise they don’t bake well. For optimal results pan frying is the best.
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Amy
As a mom of four boys, I have to say, each one said, ” this is so yummy!”
Thanks for the great recipe!
★★★★★
Laura Fuentes
I’m glad they loved the recipe Amy!
Kat
We are just starting out GF. But we have a load of other allergies and coconut is one. What would you suggest for a replacement? We also have soy and nuts allergies. Thanks!
Laura Fuentes
you can use a rice based gluten free all purpose flour mix. However, the texture won’t be the same. If you can find gluten free bread crumbs you can use those too.
JoAnn
Hmmm…thinking I’ll try these with almond meal. I’ve had success using it to bread chicken strips before. We’ll see how it goes!
Laura Fuentes
let me know how it works out!
Amy
I made these, but I marinated the chicken with salt, spices and vinegar overnight for more taste. I have to say I was surprised by the lack of crisp and the “soggy sauce” of wasted coconut flour in my pan of expensive oil. I guess I was expecting it to be more like commercial nuggets. It’s a good alternative to the unhealthy fare in fast food restaurants though, but my kids eat chicken as is, don’t need it breaded or fried. Thanks for a gluten alternative for me to experiment.
★★★★
Laura Fuentes
Amy, some of the coconut flour will fall at the bottom of the pan. It’s just how it goes.
Robin
These look fabulous! My grain free little guy will be so excited! Stupid question…..when you send them for lunch the next day do you warm them? Or straight from the fridge to the lunch box? Do you put a cold pack with them? Sorry…..I’m somewhat phobic about chicken 🙂
Laura Fuentes
I send them straight from the fridge in the lunchbox. they sort of get eaten at room temperature. I’m more phobic about where their hands have been… (school bathrooms, desks, playground, noses….lol)
jess
Just found these a couple of days ago and made them! In my haste I accidently put the seasoning in the egg wash…haha! But it turned out so darn tasty. My oil cooked off quickly so I had to keep adding more in between batches. Bummer. The taste is so good though and the texture of the “breading” is FUN
★★★★
Lisa
Can you put these in an air fryer instead of the frying pan?
Laura Fuentes
Absolutely! preheat 400F for 5 minutes. Airfry at 400F for 8 to 10 minutes (this will vary by the size of your nugget pieces). Enjoy!
Susan
Laura – I saw this link from your sweet potato tater tots on a Buzzfeed list of great sweet potato recipes and I had to laugh! I wish I had found this recipe 15 years ago when I had a picky eater, he would’ve eaten these up – now of course he’s a college freshman who runs, rock climbs, lifts weights and eats like a horse! So I especially appreciate your last comment about kids being resilient and don’t need to be catered to as much as we think, truly words of wisdom. Seems like a big problem at the time, but they usually do thrive and grow out of it! So grateful for the Internet and Pinterest and sensible, creative and fun blogs like yours, keep up the great work (now my husband has been told to try GF and these will be a fun, easy dinner to try). Thanks!
Laura Fuentes
Susan, I am so glad I was able to “speak” to you with my comment! You’ll find lots of gf recipes on here since two of us in my family are gf. Here is to an easy transition into gluten free!
Xan
I can’t wait to try this recipe. My son is so picky; it’s so hard to get him to eat chicken of any kind. My question, is it possible to send these nuggets to school warm. I haven’t been able to find anything out there that can keep food like that warm. Both my kids have allergies so I am always looking for great ideas! I love your website and can’t wait to order your book!
Laura Fuentes
Hi Xan! I dont know if you own a thermos but here are the thermoses that I recommend. You can definitely send these warm to school inside a thermos. Remember that kids are very resilient and that they don’t really need to be catered to as much as we think.
Andrea
What can I use instead of egg for the coating? I would really like to try these for my daughter, but she has an egg allergy. Also, how do You cook these from frozen? Do you thaw them and then fry as per the recipe instructions?
Laura Fuentes
you can make a “flax” egg or use a commercial egg substitute and dip it in that, then proceed with the rest of the recipe as noted. To cook these from frozen, I’d leave them out on the counter for 5-10min to thaw them out while the oil or oven heats.
Lauren C
What type of oil do you use to fry with?
Laura Fuentes
I personally use coconut oil.