Amazing Homemade Chicken Nuggets! - AND a Keto (low carb and sugar free) healthy chicken nugget option that can also be made into boneless hot wings or use in keto orange chicken/general tso's chicken

 

 

I didn't have enough protein puffs left for a full batch, but I did have crispy rice cereal in the pantry left over from my Christmas baking shopping trip.  The carb count in the cereal isn't bad when you consider you aren't eating a whole bowl of it and you aren't eating a couple rice krispy bars!  You are grinding it up and using it to bread your chicken.  Two cups of the cereal has a total of 45 carbs (Fitday) and that would be enough to do a LOT of chicken chunks.  So it would feed 4-6 people.  

Play with the recipe and the ingredients and make it your own.

 

 




On Thursday I did a food prep day and made a lot of the breading mix.  I made enough for 2 huge pans of homemade nuggets, plus extra I put into the container and reused to store it in the pantry.

I ground it in batches;  some I made a fine powder, some were in medium sized bits and some I only pulsed a few times in the food processor so it had some big crispy pieces left. 

BREADING

2 cups protein puffs, rice krispies, ground pork rinds or a mixture of all three

3/4 t paprika (see option below for a smokey spicey option)
3/4 t salt
1/2 t garlic powder
egg whites - about 2

2 t oil of choice (I used avocado but you can use whatever you like)
optional:  1/4 t cayenne and use a smokey paprika or chipotle blend for spicier
                or 2 t of any Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning Blend (I use Lawry's but any brand will do!)

1-2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks or 'chicken fingers' size

Cut the chicken.
Place the protein puffs, the cereal or the pork rinds in a food processor.  Add the 3 spices for regular breaded nuggets.  Opt for the smokey paprika blend or cayenne option for a little more spice or add the chicken seasoning blend for a yummy regular chicken nugget that has a little more flavor.  Pulse the processor using the S-blade.  I like to do a couple different batches so I can pulse half into a powder and the second batch leaving in larger crispy pieces.  I'm all about the breading!  I like nice coverage and crispy chicken pieces.

Mix the egg whites with the oil.

Now dredge the chicken chunks first in the egg white, then the dry mix, then place on an oiled baking sheet (I line mine with foil and then oil/grease them).  Bake at 375 until golden brown and crispy.

When they come out you can salt and serve as is or for boneless hot wings, brush them with a mixture of 4 T hot sauce like Franks or Tapatio' and 4 T melted butter!  OH MY GOODNESS they are amazing.

 

 

 

 

 

I hate (hate!) breading food items.  I like to use plastic food service gloves, and I use my left hand for the egg wash and my right hand for the dry crumb mix - that keeps them from getting too gummed up.

 

All done breading... now either into the oven OR you can freeze them until frozen solid, then put them all into a Ziplock for a future meal.

 

Into the oven with you!

 

THIS BATCH is being brushed with the hot sauce and butter mixture.

Not only was amazing that night for dinner but I used the leftovers

to make a spicy Orange Chicken/General Tso's type dish the next night.

*Did I post that recipe yet? If not, I will this weekend*

 

So good.  A close up showing the different sizes of 'crispies' I like to use.  Some small, some larger.

   

Here is a close up of my empty container of ProMix.  LOL.  I was out of protein puffs with this last recipe so I reused the container to store the extra breading I made.

 

You can see big and small pieces of crispy breading.  I had to use a mixture of both cereal and protein puffs as I was down to the last cup of puffs.

 And into the pantry for future meals!!!