Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets in a Ninja Foodie

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Gluten free chicken nuggets are a staple in our household. As I have a sensitivity to gluten (though I have not been diagnosed with celiac disease and can digest homemade sourdough bread), we build our meals to accommodate. This recipe can come together from prep to plate in 30-45 minutes or less and is a fraction of the cost of store bought chicken nuggets.

These homemade chicken nuggets contribute to a significant cost savings within our budget, are quick to make and of course are tender and juicy! Additionally, this recipe can be made egg-free and corn-free!

I have been gluten free since the early 2010’s and the popular store bought brands have not gotten better over the last ten years. Often, these chicken nuggets taste dry and like cardboard.

Plus the chicken is often fatty, made of more thigh meat than chicken breast and there is ratio of batter to chicken is off. After giving up store bought gluten free chicken nuggets, I created this recipe.

This recipe combines ingredients to make a batter (to coat the chicken and provide a slight crunch). It is seasoned with just enough to enjoy the gluten free chicken nuggets on their own, while not taking away from the addition of dipping sauces. Plus, we use chicken breasts cut into strips or nugget shapes.

We make these gluten free chicken nuggets in a Ninja Foodie. An alternative to making the gluten free chicken nuggets in the Ninja foodie, is an air fryer.

This is the Ninja Foodie we have and it is easily our top three most used kitchen appliances. I rave to everyone about the ninja foodie because it is helps keep our kitchen appliances minimal and doubles as both an air fryer and pressure cooker.

While meal prepping, we often chose to use this meal on our busiest days. We often put this on our ‘Thursday’, the night where our time spent preparing and eating food is the shortest before our little one’s bedtime.

Plus, this recipe uses our handy Ninja Foodie to prepare the meal in minutes. So, let’s get to the recipe, shall we?

Dipping sauce for gluten free chicken nuggets

We are big fans of dipping sauce over here (especially our selective toddler). While the gluten free chicken nuggets are cooking in the Ninja Foodie, we prepare our sauces. Though these gluten free chicken nuggets taste great on their own, dipping sauces take them to a whole other level.

Our favorite dipping sauces come in a variety of forms:

• Honey BBQ – Mix equal parts honey and BBQ sauce.
• Fancy Sauce – Mix equal parts mayo and ketchup.
• Buffalo Sauce – Mix equal parts ranch and hot sauce. Our preference is buttermilk ranch and Frank’s hot sauce.
• Orange Sauce – Orange juice, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, white vinegar, corn starch (or arrowroot starch), red pepper flakes
• Singular Sauces – Ketchup, ranch, mayo, BBQ, hot sauce

Making a Complete Meal

To make this a complete meal, we often serve with a carb and vegetable. Also, we like to compliment the meal with a pickle. Dill spears only, please!

Quick vegetable sides we enjoy include:

• Roasted broccoli, cauliflower or green beans
• Steaming mixed veggies (corn, carrot, peas) or California blend (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower)
• Celery and carrots
  • Can also dip in ranch

Simple side dishes ideas include:

• Chips
  • A few staples we often have in our house include: kettle chips, jalapeño potato chips, salt and vinegar potato chips, Doritos, Pirate’s Booty, and white cheddar puffs
• Potato Salad
• Pasta Salad
• Mac and cheese
• Rice
  • If we are making these chicken nuggets with rice, we slather them with orange sauce.

Meal Preparation and Storage

Prepare these gluten free chicken nuggets in advance to save time.

• Chicken strips: To make these chicken nuggets into chicken strips, change the length of the chicken from 2-3 inches wide to thin, long strips. Follow the recipe as laid out and adjust cook time as necessary.
• Next day prep: If you want the ingredients together to make the next day, prepare the batter and chicken. Prep all the dry ingredients for the batter in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or beeswax wrap and keep on the counter. Cut and prepare chicken into desired shape and keep in refrigerator in a ziplock bag or reusable container for up to one day before consuming.
• Bulk prep- freeze before cooking: It is easy to make these gluten free chicken nuggets in bulk before cooking them. Follow the recipe until the step of placing the chicken nuggets into the air fryer. Instead, place them on a lined cookie sheet and put into the freezer until they are frozen. This will help to avoid the nuggets from sticking together when placed into a bag. Simply pour the bag of chicken nuggets into the air fryer (or ninja foodie) and cook until at least 165 degrees!
• Bulk prep – in freezer: If made in bulk, allow the gluten free chicken nuggets to cool completely in the fridge before placing them in the freezer. Though we eat these before they make it to the freezer, they can be frozen up to six months when stored in an air tight container (or freezer bag). To prepare, pull them directly from freezer and put them back into the air fryer to warm. Alternatively, take them from the freezer and put them into the microwave or microwave oven.
• Leftovers – in fridge: Store these in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat within the microwave, microwave oven or back into the air fryer/ninja foodie.

As you can see, the possibilities are endless with these gluten free chicken nuggets. We can not get enough of them! If you enjoy chicken nuggets, do you enjoy them plain or do you dip them into a sauce?