Healthified Chick Fil A Nuggets

GRAIN-FREE CHICK FIL A NUGGETS😍

HOLY SH** Y’ALL I DID IT. After months (I’m not jokin, months) of testing and retesting, I have finally done it: the most perfect, healthified but definitely not lacking in flavor, Chick Fil A inspired nuggets straight from your own home. So you can feel less guilty when you stuff 8.. ok 10.. ok like 13 nuggets in one sitting... And don’t even get me started on that sauce… has me wanting to dunk anything and everything into it. You are going to want to make these ASAP!😍

A few tips before you get started:

I know it’s annoying to buy 3 different kinds of flours, but yes, it’s necessary to use the combination of paleo flours. Trust me I’ve tried every possible combination, and this was the best combo in terms of texture, flavor, and crunch. Plus you’ll be making these so often you’ll be happy you have them already in your pantry!
Keep in mind, paleo flours burn faster than regular so don’t walk away from your stove!! It’ll be done faster than you think. Also, I didn’t raise the heat higher than medium (a 4/8 on my stove). I found this enabled me to still develop a crust without burning the outside of the nugget.
Yes the marinating in pickle juice is necessary – there’s not a lot of flavor components to the dish, and this helps both tenderize the meat and gives it a lot of flavor.

Serves 3-4.

Sauce makes 8-10 servings and keeps for up to a month in a sealed jar.

Ingredients:

For the Paleo Chicken Nuggets:

2 chicken breasts
½ cup pickle juice
½ cup almond flour
¼ cup tapioca starch (can also be subbed for arrowroot for a similar outcome)
2 tbsps coconut flour
2 eggs
1 tbsp water
2-4 tbsps avocado oil (or one with a similar smoke point)
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt

For the Chick Fil A Inspired Dipping Sauce:

½ cup mayo
3 tbsps yellow mustard
¼ cup barbecue sauce
¼ cup honey (omit or sub with date paste for Whole30)
Small pinch of salt

Directions:

For the Healthy Chick Fil a Nuggets:

Cut chicken breast into 1” nuggets and add to a Ziploc bag with the pickle juice. Let marinate in the fridge for 2 hours or up to overnight (If you’re in a pinch, 30 minutes will work too)
While the chicken is marinating, work on the dipping sauce. Mix together the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, barbecue sauce, and honey. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Store in an airtight jar and refrigerate until using.
Set up a dredging station for your chicken.
In a shallow bowl, whisk together the egg and water until frothy.
In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together the almond flour, tapioca starch, coconut flour, garlic powder, pepper, smoked paprika, and ¼ tsp salt.
Dip the chicken pieces individually into the beaten eggs.
Transfer to the flour mixture to coat. Squeeze the nuggets a bit to get the breading to stick, then coat in the flour mixture again.
Place the coated chicken pieces onto a plate and set aside until all chicken has been coated.
Heat 2-4 tbsps of oil to a large skillet on medium. It should be enough to coat the bottom of the pan.
Add the chicken nuggets to the pan in batches to ensure not to crowd the pan.
Cook for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Set aside and season immediately with a pinch of salt.
Continue cooking in batches until all chicken is done*.
Serve with the dipping sauce and enjoy!