Keto-Friendly Chicken Nuggets

If you have kids–or maybe if you don’t (hey, we don’t judge)–you’ve probably spent more than a few dinners eating chicken nuggets. But chicken nuggets don’t have to be some kind of weird punishment for having children. In fact, they can be delicious, healthy, and even a little fancy! Below is a recipe for chicken nuggets that are not only yummy, but also keto-friendly, which means they are golden nuggets of protein goodness that both you and your kids can love (just don’t mention to those little ankle biters that they’re healthy).
ingredients
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-1/2-in cubes
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1-1/2 c buttermilk
  • 4 c spelt flakes cereal
  • 1/2 c almond flour
  • 1/2 c almond slivers
  • Olive oil spray
  • Black pepper
  • Salt
directions
  1. Season the chicken with the chili powder and place it in a large bowl. Pour the buttermilk over the chicken, cover the bowl, and marinate in the fridge for two hours.
  2. To make the nugget breading, combine the cereal, almond flour, and almonds in a food processor. Pulse until you get a coarse meal with a few larger flakes of the cereal. Pour in a bowl. 
  3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet. 
  4. Remove the chicken from the marinade, and press each piece into the breading mix on all sides. Place the chicken nuggets on the cooling rack and spray with the olive oil spray.
  5. Bake for 15 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees. Remove from the oven and season with salt and pepper while still hot.
Want to make your nuggets even fancier? Make a chipotle aioli to dip them in! Just combine the following and stir:
  • 1/2 c mayonnaise
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tsp tomato paste
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp chipotle powder