There are more low carb food options on the market than ever before... but
unfortunately they are expensive. Oh so expensive. And the main
ingredient for the keto option for these nuggets does involve one high-budget
ingredient. The
unflavored protein puffs.
I keep a container in my pantry at all times and I've been buying them for a few years now but they are about $20 a jar. *But* they have a LOT of uses and are a fun ingredient to have on hand. Because they are expensive I want to talk about them for just one second.
I keep a container in my pantry at all times and I've been buying them for a few years now but they are about $20 a jar. *But* they have a LOT of uses and are a fun ingredient to have on hand. Because they are expensive I want to talk about them for just one second.
The unflavored protein puffs are little crispy, hard balls. I keep these on hand to make keto rice krispy bars using sugar free marshmallows! I also use these to make our own version of sugarfree candy bars of all kinds. Even if you just use sugar free chocolate and mix these in, you have a perfect imitation of a Crunch bar - but I use them with sugar free caramel and chocolate, sometimes sugar free wafers, etc. You can also put these in yogurt, ice cream, etc. Any time you need a crunch with high protein and no sugar. So yes they are expensive but there are a lot of uses for them and I love them... I just wish they weren't so expensive! I order mine from Amazon (links included here and below).
I'm also going to mention there are great keto cereals out there now - which
make good rice krispy (rice crispy) style bars but dang... it's $11 - $15 a
box for the cereal. Sigh.
Now, back to the chicken.
- To make awesome homemade chicken nuggets if you don't eat keto or low carb - use Rice Krispies.
- To make awesome homemade chicken nuggets if you are kind of low carb, use the Rice Krispies.
- To make awesome homemade chicken nuggets with a lower carb count but you can't afford to use half the container of ProMix unflavored protein puffs, use half protein puffs and half the crispy cereal.
- To make awesome homemade chicken nuggets that are keto, use all protein puffs or supplement with part pork rinds.
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
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!)
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.
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!!!
You might be interested in some of the products related to this post..... available through Amazon. You might be able to find the puffs at a GNC or some place? I don't know. I have only bought mine through Amazon and Netrition.com but Netrition didn't carry them anymore so the last two (or three?) times has been through Amazon. :)
