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Do you miss McDonald’s chicken nuggets? Before I was enlightened to holistic nutrition, I would literally eat McDonald’s once or twice a week. Looking back, it’s hard to believe that was the norm for me.
As bad as the quality of their ingredients was, I LOVED McDonald’s chicken nuggets as well as their McChickens.
Well, if you find yourself still missing the flavor and texture of chicken nuggets, I have really great news for you. I stumbled upon this chicken nugget lookalike… AND taste-alike. I was initially just hoping to make a tasty breaded chicken tender but discovered that the texture and flavor was off the charts and crazy similar to chicken nuggets.
I recommend that you refresh the oil once halfway through so that you don’t burn the oil or particles that come off while cooking.
You can use whatever brand you like but, I used a small bag of EPIC pork rinds which turned out to be about a cup and a half after blending.
I hope you enjoy this recipe and if you do, let us know in the comments!
- 2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breast
- ½ cup cassava flour
- 1½ cup pork rinds, ground
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- In a blender, combine pork rinds, garlic, onion, and salt. Blend until pork rinds are small crumbs.
- In a large bowl, combine pork rind mixture with cassava. Toss with hands or a utensil until well-combined.
- Slice raw chicken into small nugget-sized pieces.
- Heat a large pan with the avocado oil on medium to low heat.
- Dredge chicken in coconut milk, then in the flour mixture, and then lay into the pan. Fry for about 2-3 minutes each side or until each piece is fully cooked and golden brown.
17 comments
[…] Golden Chicken Nuggets from Autoimmune Wellness *Crushed pork rinds help make these little nuggets crunchy! […]
In no way I am sceptical but just nervous that the pork rinds would have stuff in it that’s not healthy or wrong type of fat. Having not eaten pork for decades would crushed plantain chips work? Thanks so much
I was going to try this recipe this evening but wanted to clarify – the coconut milk, is that the full-fat from the can? If so, is it with the liquid incorporated or just the thick whites from the top of the can separated? Thanks for your help! Can’t wait to try this one…it sounds AMAZING!!!
Leah, this isn’t my recipe, but I always assume if a recipe calls for coconut milk, it means the incorporated liquid. Hope it helps!
This recipe looks amazing! I’m definitely going to make it. I just have a question – in the intro you mentioned that the pork rinds were a cup and a half after blending, but the recipe says “1 1/2 cup pork rinds, ground” which means you measure first and then grind. If it’s 1 1/2 cup after grinding it should be “1 1/2 cup ground pork rinds”.
I found ground fried pork rinds called Pork Panko at my store. It’s a 3 oz. box distributed by Bacon’s Heir, LLC, Atlanta, GA 30341. The website’s above.
Thanks for sharing!
I made this and it was fantastic! My husband, who has patiently eaten everything I’ve put in front of him, loved it, too.
We’re so happy to hear, Babz!
Thank you for sharing this recipe, Kelsey! I made it for myself and my husband tonight and we both loved the chicken nuggets. Using pork rinds is genius! I never would have thought to use them but the texture and flavor are perfect. I honestly can’t tell that it’s gluten free not a “traditional ” wheat flour coated chicken nugget. The recipe is really easy to make, too. I have added it to my rotation. Thanks for your hard work! Angie and Mickey- thank you for posting Kelsey’s recipe!
I made this recipe last night. I am not a fan of pork rinds but I love this recipe. My 12-year-old son said he would love to eat these nuggets again. This recipe is a keeper.
I Love this recipe. I would highly recommend it! This is a go-to recipe in my house. Thank you for sharing!
I have made these per the recipe before, and my whole family loves them (husband, 8 year old and 2 year old), but today instead of shallow frying them, I put them on a rack in a sheet pan and cooked them in the oven (convection) at 500F for about 14 minutes. I also sprayed them with a coconut oil spray. Time would definitely depend on how big or small your chicken is cut. They had great flavor and the chicken was perfectly cooked and juicy, but they did not crisp up the same as frying them on the stove top, which I expected. Doing it in the oven still tastes great, and I love if for a more hands off approach, but shallow frying will still be my first choice!
These look great! I’m curious if there is a good substitute for the pork rinds? I can’t eat pork products at all and am hopeful there’s something else I could use?
Update! I ended up using paleo puffs instead of pork rinds, and it turned out great! I had some that had gone stale, and was happy to find a use for them. I think I will keep them around for other ‘breading’ type recipes.
Had anyone tried this in an air fryer?
Delicious! I wouldn’t say exactly like I remember McD’s, but it’s been ages since I’ve eaten those, but nice and crispy and flavorful!