Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets with Homemade Chick Fil A Sauce
If you're looking for easy weeknight dinners, that are both kid-friendly and parent-approved, these better-for-you, crispy air fryer chicken nuggets are perfect! Serve with my homemade Chick-fil-a sauce and watch these gluten-free chicken nuggets get gobbled up in no time!
Servings: 4 people
Equipment
- Air Fryer I have the Ninja 4 qt Air Fryer. It is on the smaller side, but I just made these in 3-4 batches.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken breasts fat trimmed and cut into 1-1.5 inch pieces
- ½ cup pickle juice I recommend Grillo's pickles for clean ingredients!
- 3 tbsp original Nutpods or full-fat coconut milk can also sub whole milk if not dairy free
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 2 tbsp tapioca flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- ¾ tsp salt
- Olive oil or avocado oil spray for spraying basket/chicken
Sauce
- ¼ cup mayo
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 2 tbsp sugar free BBQ sauce
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp hot sauce
Instructions
- Combine the pickle juice, Nutpods, and eggs in a large bowl and whisk well until smooth.
- Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and toss to coat. Let the chicken pieces soak in the pickle mixture for at least 30 minutes (up to overnight).
- Combine the almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, garlic powder, paprika, and salt in another bowl and mix well.
- Remove the chicken pieces from the pickle juice mixture and toss them with the almond flour mixture to completely coat each piece, then set them aside. (Alternatively, add the flour mixture to a large plastic bag and add the chicken pieces. Shake until they are all coated then remove each piece and set aside.)
- Preheat your air fryer to 390 for 3-4 minutes (if preheating is recommended by your air fryer manufacturer).
- Spray the basket with avocado oil. Add the coated chicken pieces in a single layer, making sure not to overlap (you may need to do this in batches). Spray the chicken lightly with avocado oil.
- Air fry for 9 minutes, shaking the basket to flip the chicken halfway through.
- While the chicken is cooking, combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk well. Set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Serve the gluten-free chicken nuggets dipped into the sauce if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Oven Option: To make these in the regular oven, preheat to 425. Line a large baking sheet with foil and lightly spray it with avocado oil. Place all of the chicken nuggets on the baking sheet after coating them, making sure to spread them out evenly. Bake for 20 minutes, then broil for an additional 5 minutes if you want to get them crispy.
Dairy-Free: Make sure to use nutpods or coconut milk for the nuggets, and vegan mayo for the mayonnaise, and this recipe is 100% dairy free! If you're okay with dairy, feel free to substitute it with your dairy favorites.
Leftovers: Store leftover air fryer chicken nuggets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave, or if you want them crispy, reheat in the air fryer or oven. Store leftover homemade Chick Fil A sauce in an airtight container and eat within a week.
Nutrition
Calories: 538kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 197mg | Sodium: 1399mg | Potassium: 748mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 3mg