Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Chicken Nugget Recipe
Be sure to read our tips and tricks below to get crispy, delicious nuggets every time!Â
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless chicken, cut into tenders or chunks
- 1 cup unsweetened milk substitute
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
Breading
- 2 cups GF breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup tapioca flour
- 1-2 tablespoons seasoning of your choice – Cajun, Italian, etc. If it contains salt, omit the salt in the recipe
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons oregano or thyme
- Non-dairy butter, oil, or cooking spray
Directions
- Mix the non-dairy milk with the apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. This creates a non-dairy buttermilk. (Can use regular buttermilk if you can do dairy)
- Pour the buttermilk into a zip top gallon bag, and add the salt. Add in the chicken.
- Put the bag of chicken into the fridge and let “brine” for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine all breading ingredients in a shallow bowl, and grease a cookie sheet.
- Remove each piece of chicken from the brine, dredging completely in the breading.
- Place coated chicken pieces onto the greased sheet.
- Spray each piece generously with oil, or drizzle them with melted butter.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes until crispy, golden brown, and done in the center. You can turn the tenders half-way for crispness, although that’s personal preference. Larger chunks will take longer to cook through.
Tips and Tricks
- Brining adds so much flavor – don’t skip this step – it’s totally worth it!
- Breadcrumb options abound – Rice Chex, Corn Chex, crushed GF crackers, store-bought GF bread crumbs…we actually use a combination of these.
- Be very generous with the spray or drizzled butter before baking – this is how the tenders get crispy!Â
