Skip the drive-thru and make these crispy chicken nuggets complete with a highly dippable spicy ketchup.
Paleo-friendly nuggets get coated in a combination of grain-free flours (including coconut, almond, and tapioca). To kick up the flavor, they’re seasoned with garlic, onion powder, and pepper before getting pan-fried in coconut oil. The end result is a crunchy and spicy nugget made with healthier-for-you ingredients!
The ketchup sneaks in ample amounts of vegetables like carrots, onions, and heirloom tomatoes. When sautéed, they release a natural sweetness that eliminates the need for added sugars. The inclusion of apple cider vinegar not only adds extra probiotics (which is great for your gut health), but also adds a bit of tang to round out the other flavors. You can use this ketchup on anything from sweet potatoes fries to burgers.
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To get started, slice the chicken breasts into one-inch pieces and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the Paleo flours, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder together. Add the chicken bites into the bowl and coat well with the flour mixture.
Next, heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan and use a thermometer to get it to reach 350ºF. Add six to eight pieces of chicken into the hot oil and fry for six minutes, flipping halfway through.
When golden brown, use a pair of tongs to remove from the pan and place onto a plate lined with a paper towels. Allow them to drain off any excess oil and continue frying remaining nuggets. When finished, sprinkle with sea salt and serve immediately alongside ketchup to ensure the crunchiest texture.
Healthy Chicken Nuggets with Jalapeño Ketchup
Healthy Chicken Nuggets with Jalapeño Ketchup
- Large saucepan
- Immersion blender
- Strainer
- Medium mixing bowl
- Large frying pan
For the Ketchup:
- 3 T olive oil
- 3 cups carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- ½ cup roughly chopped yellow onion
- 1 T + 2½ t salt, divided
- 3 lbs heirloom tomatoes
- 1 T roughly chopped ginger
- 2 T red jalapeños, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 t ground coriander
- 1½ t dried oregano
- 1½ lbs cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 T apple cider vinegar
For the Nuggets:
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 cup Paleo flour mix (⅓ cup each almond, tapioca, and coconut flour)
- 1 T ground black pepper
- 1 T garlic powder
- 1 T onion powder
- 1 cup coconut oil
- Salt to taste
- To Make the Ketchup: In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the carrots, onion, and 1 tablespoon of the salt. Caramelize for 10-15 minutes, then add tomatoes and remaining ingredients.
- Cook the mixture for 30-40 minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently. Use an immersion blender to purée the ketchup while in the pot.
- When ready, pour the ketchup through a strainer and transfer back to the saucepan.
- Continue cooking until reduced by ⅓ (be careful of splattering), then remove from stovetop.
- Cool and set aside or keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
- To Make the Nuggets: Cut the chicken breasts into desired nugget size (approximately 1 inch pieces) and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the Paleo flour, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Do not add salt yet, since it will degrade in the hot oil.
- Thoroughly coat your chicken in the flour mixture and heat the coconut oil in large frying pan. Use a thermometer to get the oil to 350ºF and add in 6-8 chicken pieces. Cook for 6 minutes, flipping halfway through, and remove when golden brown.
- Place the cooked chicken onto a plate lined with paper towels. Allow them to drain off excess oil and continue cooking remaining nuggets.
- When finished, add salt to taste and serve immediately alongside Paleo ketchup.
Looking for Paleo ingredients? Here are a few we’d recommend:
Olive oil (Sky Organics)
Apple cider vinegar (Bragg)
Almond flour (Hodgson Mill)
Tapioca flour (Authentic Foods)
Coconut flour (Nutiva)
Black pepper (Frontier)
Garlic powder (Frontier)
Onion powder (365 Everyday Value)
Cold pressed coconut oil (Viva Naturals)
(You’ll Also Love: Keto Pork Rind Nuggets)
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