Veggie Packed Chicken Nuggets

Finding a delicious and healthy dinner for the whole family just got easier with these Veggies Packed Chicken Nuggets.

It’s time to introduce you to your new favorite chicken nugget! I gotta say, I was blown away with how good these were.  I wanted to make them paleo but have a crispy and tasty outside, so I used some Simple Mills almond flour crackers!  I just ground them up in a blender to make bread crumbs and that was it.  I also used ground chicken so you can easily mix in veggie and they have the consistency of a fast food chicken nugget.

This is the kind of recipe that I know will stay in our rotation for years because Matt tried one and his eyes rolled to the back of his head, then ruth ate them for dinner and it is so hard to get her to like meat most days!  And they are delicious when served with my Whole30 compliant ketchup.  Because what are chicken nuggets without ketchup?!

The absolute best thing about this recipe is that you can make a batch of them at the beginning of the week and keep them in the freezer for when you need them in a pinch. Also feel free to change up which veggie you use in the nuggets. The recipe calls for broccoli but some others that can be used are carrots, zucchini, cauliflower or even kale. Just make sure the veggies are minced and you drain any excess water that the veggies are holding.

Ways to cook your Veggies Packed Chicken Nuggets

There are 3 main ways to cook your nuggets while getting them the crispy with some crunch:

Oven– This is the tried and true way to cook nuggets, the best suggestion is to cover a sheet pan with foil and then a cooling rack so the nuggets have the ability to get crispy on all sides. 350 degreed for around 10-14 min should get your nuggets to perfection.

Air Fryer– The easiest and quickest way is going to be an air fryer method. A fan favorite because the air fryer is going to get your nuggets crispy on all edges in a quicker amount of time them the oven or stove top. 400 degrees for 8 min, flipping them halfway, should be about perfect for your veggies nuggets. Make sure you don’t crowd the air fryer basket, that might mean you have to do numerous round to get all the nuggets cooked just right.

Stove– The stove is going to get your nugget edges cooked but you will have to flip half way through. Keeping an eye on them so they get crispy without getting burned is going to be another thing to watch.  Start with your pan on medium heat with some oil in the pan, arrange your nuggets so they have room but are not touching each other. Cook for about 5 minutes on one side and then flip, keep cooking for another 5 minutes until the edges are brown and crispy.

Need some ideas to finish your dinner menu, we have you covered!

Fresh Asian Radish Salad

Chicken Bacon Ranch Potato Salad

Pineapple Mint Mojito

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars {Gluten Free}

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Veggie Packed Chicken Nuggets

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★★★★★

5 from 11 reviews

• Author: Kelsey

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Ingredients

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• ½ cup shredded sweet potato
• ½ cup chopped broccoli
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• 2 cups paleo crackers*
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp oil

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Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a food processor combine shredded sweet potato and chopped broccoli.  Blend until veggies are very finely chopped. 
• Add in ground chicken, salt, garlic powder and onion powder to the food processor and blend until smooth and combined.
• In a blender or food processor add paleo crackers and blend until pulverized and resemble bread crumbs. Pour those crumbs into a small bowl.
• In another small bowl, crack the eggs and whisk them with a fork to combine.
• Scoop chicken into nugget shapes (using slightly wet hands so it doesn’t stick to you)  and place them one by one, first in the egg mixture to coat, then the cracker crumbs to coat.
• Place a pan over medium heat and add oil to the pan.  Once the pan is hot add nuggets. Cook for about 30 seconds – 1 minute on each side (until lightly browned), then place them on a baking sheet.
• Bake them for 14 more minutes until cooked through.

Notes

• * Any crackers work for this if you want to use your child’s favorite!
• Air Fryer: If cooking in the air fryer, cook at 400 degrees for 8 minutes, flipping half way through.
• Reheating: If you have frozen your nuggets you can reheat them in the air fryer or oven at 400 degrees for 8 minutes in the air fryer and 15 minutes in the oven.