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Gluten free chicken nuggets.
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4.84 from 6 votes

Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets

This fan-favorte recipe, formerly known as Zesty Chicken Bites has been an LCK favorite recipe for years. These chicken nuggets have an amazing gluten-free and grain-free breading that is just perfect and will be beloved by both kids and adults alike. Serving kids? Omit the hot spices! We offer directions for air frying and baking!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time33 minutes
Course: Dinner
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets
Method: Air Fryer or Bake
Author: Lexi

Ingredients

  • 1-½ pounds chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces (about 1-½”-2” pieces)
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1-½ cups almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne optional
  • Avocado Oil Spray or Avocado Oil (for cooking the chicken)

Instructions

  • Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
  • In a shallow container whisk together eggs with a big pinch of salt and pepper
  • In a separate shallow container, whisk together almond flour, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, chili powder, and cayenne.
  • Dip sliced chicken into the egg, then dredge in flour mixture, being sure to coat it evenly. Repeat until all chicken is coated. Make sure to handle the chicken delicately to not disturb the coating.

To Pan Fry:

  • Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Once hot, cook chicken in the skillet, in batches, for 3-4 minutes on each side depending on how thick your chicken is. Cook until chicken is crispy and golden-brown and cooked through. Place on towel to drain excess oil.
  • Sere immediately or let cool for meal prep.

To Air-Fry:

  • Preheat air-fryer to 400ºF (if necessary, not all air-fryers need to pre-heat).
  • Lightly spray the air fryer basket with avocado spray (or similar spray without additives) and place the prepared chicken in one layer, with spacing in between each piece. You may need to do it in multiple batches if your air-fryer is small. Lightly spray the chicken with additional avocado spray.
  • Air fry for 12-14 minutes, turning the chicken at the 5 minute and 10 minute mark. The outside should be lightly golden and crispy, and the internal temperature of the meat should be 165º
  • Serve immediately, or let cool for meal prep.

To Bake:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Lightly spray or brush the sheet tray with oil. Place the chicken on the sheet tray and lightly spray or brush with oil.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the coating is crispy.
  • Serve immediately or let cool for meal prep.

Notes

This recipe was originally published in 2014 under the name Zesty Chicken Bites. The recipe has been made and loved by so many of you. We slightly updated the recipe (by increasing the yield that the recipe makes) and took new photographs so more of you can find and love this recipe.
If serving for kids, omit the cayenne pepper!

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 recipe | Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.8g | Protein: 34.9g | Fat: 11.2g | Saturated Fat: 2.8g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 320mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 0.1g