Easy Baked Gluten-free Chicken Nuggets (Keto and Stovetop Options)
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Looking for an easy meal that’s guaranteed to please? These Homemade Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets fit the bill.
These gluten-free chicken nuggets always get rave reviews, and are suitable for almost any special diet. They’re egg and dairy-free with a keto/grain-free option, and they can even be made on the stovetop!
If you’re tempted to go through a drive through when time is short, then this gluten-free chicken nuggets recipe is for you! It’s a super-easy recipe you can put together in almost no time flat that will make your family feel like you really went out of your way for them.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This just might be the best homemade chicken nuggets recipe ever for several reasons. They’re so much healthier than store-bought or restaurant chicken nuggets. They come together fast and require no special ingredients so it’s a frugal recipe as well.
They can be made in the oven or on the stovetop, and they taste amazing. The reviews say it all.
And my husband agrees with the stellar reviews as well. Every time I make them, he says, “How long do these take you to make?” which is basically him asking me to make them more often.
Ingredients
- boneless skinless chicken breast
- almond flour (or gluten-free flour blend)
- salt
- garlic powder
- paprika
- cayenne pepper
- black pepper
- avocado oil
Directions
Cut chicken into chunks. (Photo 1)
Coat the chicken. (Photo 2)
Drizzle with oil.
Place on baking tray and bake. (Photo 3)
Serve. (Photo 4)
Serving Options
Serve with rice or other grain of choice, in pitas, with or without a dipping sauce.
These nuggets taste great dipped in:
- Sugar-free No-Cook Ketchup
- Healthy Chick-fil-A Sauce
- AIP Guacamole: yes, nuggets taste great dipped in guac!
- Dairy-free Ranch Dressing
- Dairy-free Avocado Dressing
- Moroccan Vinaigrette: this is a thinner dip, but the nuggets still taste great with this.
- Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce
Substitutions for Special Diets
- Flour Option: Any gluten-free flour blend should work fine. Organic almond flour is a good grain-free option. Use organic coconut flour or organic tiger nut flour for AIP. Note that coconut will absorb a lot of moisture, so blending it with another flour is best.
- Oil: You can use any other oil suitable for high heat instead of avocado oil.
- AIP: If you use cassava or tiger nut flour and adjust the spices, these baked chicken nuggets work for the AIP diet. Omit the pepper and paprika, and cayenne. There aren’t really any good substitutes for these, but this AIP Taco Seasoning would likely taste great on these nuggets.
- whole30: Use almond flour or other non-grain flours on their own or as a blend.
Recipe Notes
- Extra Coating Option: The recipe tastes great as it is, but you might want to increase the amount of the coating by half or simply double it.
- Size of Cuts: The smaller you cut the chicken, the faster the chicken nuggets will bake. Don’t cut them so small that you have crispy itty bitty pieces of chicken, but don’t make them too large either. A bit smaller than typical frozen chicken nuggets is a good size.
- Oil: I know that it seems odd to add the oil after the coating, but this recipe really works; trust me! I like using avocado oil due to its high smoke point.
- “Spicy-ness:” Experiment with the cayenne and pepper to adjust the “spicy-ness” to your taste.
- Meal Prep: For even faster meal prep, cut up chicken into chunks, coat, and store in small plastic bags in the freezer (flash freeze first on a baking tray). Just take out of the freezer and bake in the oven for a ready-in-a-flash meal! The chunks will only take about 5 minutes longer to cook.
How to Store
You can keep these nuggets in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
To freeze, let cooked nuggets cool, then for best results, flash freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet or in a shallow container. Freeze for 1-2 hours until frozen solid. Then place the nuggets in a freezer-safe bag or other container. To reheat, bake or air-fry around 375° for about 10-15 minutes until hot.
More Easy Healthy Dinner Recipes
- Indian Lentils: A delicious meatless meal that’s ready in as little as 9 minutes!
- Ground Beef Curry: This dish is so delicious, we serve it for guests all the time and have even had it for Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter!
- Gluten-free Chili Mac: An easy, hearty and delicious one-pan meal.
- Gluten-free Hamburger Helper Beef Skillet: Another one-pan meal that tastes great.
Easy Baked Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1/2 cup almond flour (or gluten-free flour blend)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika (use onion powder for AIP)
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional – omit for AIP)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (omit for AIP)
- 1/4 cup avocado oil (About 1/4 cup should be enough to coat the chicken.)
Instructions
- Cut chicken into approximately 1 – 1½ inch size chunks. Place in bowl.
- Mix flour with seasonings.
- Sprinkle flour and seasoning mixture over chicken and mix well to coat thoroughly.
- Melt oil (if necessary). Drizzle over chicken and mix to coat lightly.
- Bake in preheated oven (425 degrees for convection / 450 for conventional) until chicken’s internal temperature reaches 180 degrees (about 10 minutes for a convection oven [I love my Hamilton Beach convection oven] and 14 for conventional).
Stovetop Option
- Cut chicken into small chunks, about 1 – 1½ inch chunks. Place in bowl.
- Mix flour with seasonings.
- Sprinkle flour and seasoning mixture over chicken and mix well to coat thoroughly.
- Melt oil (if necessary). Drizzle over chicken and mix to coat lightly.
- Cook in large shallow pan over medium heat, stirring often enough to prevent burning. Cook until chicken’s internal temperature reaches 180 degrees.
Notes
- Size of Cuts: The smaller you cut the chicken, the faster the chicken nuggets will bake. Don’t cut them so small that you have crispy bitty pieces of chicken, but not as big as commercial nuggets.
- Oil: I know that it seems odd to add the oil after the coating, but this recipe really works. Trust me! I recommend using avocado oil as its smoke point is higher.
- “Spicy-ness:” Experiment with the cayenne and pepper to adjust the “spicy-ness” to your taste.
- Meal Prep: For even faster meal prep, cut up chicken into chunks, coat, and store in small plastic bags in the freezer. Just take out of the freezer and bake in the oven for a ready-in-a-flash meal! The chunks will only take about 5 minutes longer to cook.
- How to Serve: Serve with rice, in pitas, grain of choice and with or without a dipping sauce.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and preparation methods. Optional ingredients are not included. Net carbs are typically calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (such as erythritol) from total carbohydrates. This information should not be relied upon for medical or nutritional purposes.
This recipe was inspired by a nuggets recipe in the book Simple Choices for Healthier Eating.
How about you? Do you have a quick and healthy “treat your family” meal?
Photo Credits: Naomi Huzovicova
I must have started following your site RIGHT after you posted this. Thanks for bringing attention to it again! Desperate to kick the store-bought frozen nuggets habit, and have been trying to get that motor running for two weeks now. I need your site so much! I don’t comment very often because life is hectic, but I’ve had great success with most of your recipes I’ve tried so far. Thank you. (now, if I could just get a Vitamix…:)
And I must add, I’ve had an unprecedented chance to explore a lot of your kitchen tips tonight. You are truly a godsend. Thank you for your passion for the easy, simple and cheap! I can’t believe how many things I’ve just read that are going to revolutionize yet even more in my life.
You are just too kind. I needed a pick me up tonight. Thanks for the encouragement and I hope to be of help in the future.
We finally got a chance to try these nuggets last week. You rock. I was a little intimidated by sprinkling on the melted coconut oil, but it DOES work. Very cool. (I sprinkled on with a spoon, and wasn’t even the most careful.) My husband says very little even when he loves something. For these he said, “Man, I need some more of those!” Thanks!!
Oh I am so happy! Whenever I make these my husband asks, “Are these easy to make?” which means – I love them. He doesn’t want to make me work too hard :).
Ha ha!
Thanks for the kind words. It means a lot. 🙂
my flour/seasoning mixture was washed off from the coconut oil. it was basically baked chicken nuggets with coconut oil and that’s it. any tips?
Did you just drizzle it on? Very gently?
I make my own ranch dip with a mix of sourcream and greek yogurt. I add onion and garlic powder, parsley flakes and a dash of paprika and a hint of sea salt.
Wow! These look incredible!! I can’t wait to try them. I just did something similar with sweetbreads on my site.
Thanks!!! Would you mind telling me what Facebook page you saw this on? I have been getting a lot of traffic and I’d like to say “thank you”.
“Udi’s gluten free foods” has been posting it; at least that’s how I wound up peeking in here. 🙂
Link: https://www.facebook.com/udisglutenfree .
Thank you!!! Just sent them a thank you note. We love these nuggets – time to make them again!!!
I make a similar recipe, but I fry mine, these look much healthier. I do have a question though. You put the spices on, then drizzle the oil. What does step 4 mix to lightly coat mean? If you rub the oil on the dry spices, wont the spices rub off or get chunky? thanks for helping me out! I like to cook, but I guess I need more hand holding than most!
I just drizzle the oil and mix it all up lightly so it covers everything to some degree. If you do it gently it works somehow. You’re fine. It just works. I love these! Enjoy!
Hi Tracy – would you mind telling me what Facebook page you saw my recipe on? I have been getting a lot of traffic from that referral and would love to say “thank you”! 🙂
I found you on Facebook!
Great post! I love making homemade chicken nuggets – I modified my Mom’s oven-baked fried chicken recipe from my childhood. I use crushed up Rice Chex instead of flour for a more substantial coating. Also, try putting paprika in the coating – it’s delicious!
Thanks!!! I tried another nugget recipe w/ paprika in it and loved it!!
Bless you! My son is autistic and has food allergies so he’s dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and bean and squash-free. Phew. He also has a feeding disorder that makes it difficult for him to coordinate tongue and chewing movements.
I am forever trying to find protein options for him since he can’t have dairy soy, or beans, and he can’t chew nuts or most cuts of meat. The cost of the Applegate Organic GF chicken nuggets was breaking my grocery budget! I think these just might work instead!
You are so welcome!!!! I think you will love them.
I just found this through Pinterest and this recipe looks awesome! Unfortunately I’m allergic to coconut (which sucks since it’s so popular right now) so I was wondering if you had any suggestions for another kind of oil to use. Thanks!
Sure, Felicia! Just use butter, or palm oil. Actually, I think you could use almost anything but if you’re concerned about cooking at a high heat I’d stick w/ those. Enjoy!
Where do you get coconut oil? Visiting from Miz Helen’s. Love your blog and the focus on healthy foods. I’m trying, really I am! 🙂
HI Vicki and welcome! I’m here to encourage. You can do it! If you are looking for non-coconut flavored coconut oil, I use Tropical Traditions. They have a very nice product and their expeller pressed non certified product is very reasonable. They will give you an informational book for free w/ your first order and it includes 85 recipes. If you prefer a product that tastes like coconut I can help there too. Just ask away. Here is the link to Tropical Traditions. Non certified means it is technically organic but not certified so it costs less. That’s the one that I use for a lot of my baking. Hope that helps! Oh – the link to TT is an affiliate link, just so you know. We have to disclose all that blog technical stuff.
My husband used to buy the big bay of chicken nuggets from Costco to feed our girls because it was quick & easy. It bothered me because I know how bad they are, but he stays home with them & I don’t, so nothing I could do. I found this recipe & printed it out for him. He said “I’ll never buy nuggets again, these were so easy to make & the girls ate 5 nuggets each…normally they eat 2. Thanks for making it easy to feed my kids healthy food.
Brooke – you made my night. And now I’d better go thaw some chicken so we can have these again soon! Thanks for taking the time to share! I hear Costco has some really nice organic chicken now too :-).