PREP TIME: 30 MINSCOOK TIME: 15 MINSTOTAL TIME: 45 MINS
YIELD: 5servings (30 nuggets)SERVING SIZE: 1serving (120g/4.2 oz cooked nuggets about 6 nuggets)
RECIPE MACROS
Net Carbs 3.1gFat 20.9gProtein 27.4gCalories 313.5kcal
INGREDIENTS
KETO ACIDIC SOLUTION TO TENDER THE MEAT
- 2 tablespoons White Vinegar
- ⅓ cup Water
- ½ teaspoon Salt
EGG WASH
- 1 large Egg
- 2 tablespoons Heavy Cream or coconut cream
NUGGETS
- 1 lb Chicken Breast
- 1 cup Almond Flour
- ¼ cup Grated Parmesan or more almond flour if dairy-free
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Ground Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
TO FRY THE NUGGETS
- 1-2 tablespoons Coconut Oil or avocado oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut the breast into 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick strips and then cut 2-inch (5cm) chunks from each strip. Your keto nuggets should be small enough to be perfectly cooked inside without burning the coating. Small nuggets will also use more coating, increasing carbs per serving. So as a general rule, the perfect nugget size is 2.5 cm x 5 cm (1 inch x 2 inches), and you should get roughly 30 nuggets from this recipe.
- Place the chicken chunks in a bowl and cover them with water, vinegar, and salt. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 hour until the meat is whiter in color. This step makes the meat juicy and tender, so it is highly recommended.
- When ready to make the nuggets, drain the chicken chunks and roughly pat dry with absorbent paper. Set aside on a plate.
- In a small shallow bowl, beat egg and heavy cream. Set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together: almond flour, grated Parmesan, along with all your spices.
- Dip the drained chicken pieces one at a time into the beaten egg using a tong. Then press down the chicken nuggets on both sides into the almond flour mixture to adhere.
- Set aside each coated chicken piece on a baking tray, covered with parchment paper, leaving 0.2 inches (0.5cm) of space between each nugget. Repeat these steps until all the chicken pieces have been fully coated.
FRYING METHOD – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR CRISPY NUGGETS
- Heat a 1 cm-layer of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. The best oils are high-smoke-point oils like avocado oil or coconut oil.
- Fry the chicken nuggets for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crispy. Use a sharp knife to cut the center of one nugget and check the meat color. If it’s pink, it needs to fry longer. Keep frying until the meat is white and juicy.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the nuggets from the pan and transfer them onto a plate covered with absorbent paper to soak the extra oil that could make the coating fall off the meat.
- Keep frying until all the nuggets are cooked and serve immediately.
OVEN-FRIED METHOD
- Preheat oven 400°F (200°C).
- Slightly spray oil on top of the nuggets.
- Bake on the baking tray for 10 minutes then flip each nugget on the other side and bake for 5-10 more minutes or until golden, crispy and meat is white, not pink in the center of the nuggets. The longer you bake, the dryer the meat will be, so check often.
- Serve with avocado oil mayonnaise, dijon mustard, or sugar-free ketchup.
STORAGE: FREEZING & REWARMING
- You can store leftovers of fried chicken nuggets in the fridge for 2 days in an airtight container.
- Otherwise, freeze the fried or uncooked nuggets onto a plate covered with parchment paper for 1 hour, leaving 0.5 inches between each nugget. Then transfer to a freezing bag. This 2-step method prevents the nuggets from sticking to one another.
- Rewarm in the oven at 400°F (180°C). Lay the chicken nuggets onto a baking tray and rewarm for 5-6 minutes on one side, then flip over each nugget and bake for 5 extra minutes. You can turn the oven to broil mode for 1-2 minutes to crisp the nuggets even more.
NUTRITION FACTSAMOUNT PER SERVING (1 SERVING (120G/4.2 OZ COOKED NUGGETS ABOUT 6 NUGGETS))CALORIES 313.5CALORIES FROM FAT 188% DAILY VALUE*FAT 20.9g32%Saturated Fat 6.3g39%CHOLESTEROL 107.9mg36%SODIUM 664.3mg29%POTASSIUM 349.5mg10%CARBOHYDRATES 5.6g2%Fiber 2.5g10%Sugar 0.9g1%PROTEIN 27.4g55%VITAMIN A 311.2IU6%VITAMIN C 1.1mg1%CALCIUM 116.5mg12%IRON 1.5mg8%NET CARBS 3.1g