You know what is crazy, last year, Super Bowl Sunday was the last “normal-ish” day of my life. It was the last time I went out with my husband and carelessly hung out with friends, despite feeling sluggish, before the storm and mandatory bedrest hit the next day. I still blame that odd “puppy, monkey, baby” commercial…
Food wise, I have two goals in 2017. 1 - Eat out less often. 2 - Make non-paleo foods paleo and/or whole30 compliant. Last week, my mom and I were driving home from yet another doctor appointment for Lorelei, when my mom said “Let’s just stop at Chic-fil-a!” I knew if I stopped, I would be terribly tempted to drink a frozen lemonade and inhale their crazy delicious waffle fries… but this would’ve broken both of my 2017 food rules. And I knew I had a few chicken breasts at home that needed to be cooked. It also, just so happened to be the day that my thrive order was delivered! Hello Chipotle Lime Paleo Mayo and Paleo Ranch! I NEEDED something to dip into these sauces!
Ergo……. Paleo, Whole30 Compliant Chicken Nuggets - in time for Super Bowl Sunday!
I will be the first to tell you, I really don’t understand football. But I’m an absolute marketing junkie so I love rating the commercials and hidden branding throughout the Super Bowl. I also love the food. It’s the first time after a month and a half of eating clean since the holidays (usually) where you are tested. Decisions have to be made. Do you eat the junk or eat healthy food?
And before the Whole30 Police jump all over me… Technically, unless you have a crazy addition to Chic-fil-a nuggets outside of the whole30, this isn’t SWYPO. If you ate KFC every single day last month before you started the Whole30, yes, this is SWYPO. This is clean, breaded chicken bites and a perfect option for game day!
- 1 pound of Chicken
- ¼ cup of Almond Flour
- ¼ cup of Arrow Root Flour
- 2.5 tsp of Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp of Salt
- 1 tsp of Pepper
- ½ tsp of Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp of Onion Powder
- 1 TBSP of Coconut Cream
- 1 Egg
- Coconut Oil
- Cut your chicken up into small bite sizes (or if you want to make these into tenders, cut them a bit longer/larger) and set aside on a plate.
- Mix all of your dry ingredients into a bowl, blending them together.
- In a separate bowl, mix your egg and your coconut cream. (Unlike a lot of recipes, I recommend using warm coconut cream. Straight out of the can in the pantry!) Mix these together so that the cream blends in with the egg and is a eggy-creamy mixture.
- Dip the chicken pieces into the egg mixture. Make sure it is covered completely.
- Using a fork, move the eggy-chicken into the dry ingredient bowl. Roll it around and cover completely. Once covered, set it aside on a separate plate.
- Once your chicken is all covered, drop a spoonful of coconut oil into your skillet on a medium heat. Once hot, place your chicken nuggets into the skillet. Let cook for 2-3 minutes on one side, then flip and do 2-3 minutes (or until cooked) on the other side.
- ProTip: Don't over crowd the pan. These nugs will burn fast. I cook mine in 3 groups.
- Wanna make them spicy nuggets? Add a dash of cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes and/or chili powder! So good!
These Whole30 Chicken Nuggets are legit. If I had kids that ate food by mouth, this would be a go-to in our house. Hell, it’s a go-to now for the adults. My mom thought I was crazy when I told her I was dying for some outstanding paleo nuggets - she then went back for seconds and thirds! This was an easy meal to make and will be perfect for keeping game night healthy!
I paired these Gluten Free Bites of Awesomeness with steamed broccoli in my favorite Circulon Momentum Lock and Strain Steamer (you can find it a Kohls, Amazon and Macy’s - you can cook and drain all in one!!) and my husband’s favorite Whole30 Sweet Potato Fries. I didn’t have any whole30 ketchup available, and I desperately wanted an excuse to eat my Paleo Ranch and Paleo Chipotle Mayo. These all paired perfectly with the paleo chicken nuggets.
Looking for other ideas for a Whole30 (or paleo) Super Bowl Sunday? Your friends will never know my wings are healthy. These Whole30 Deviled Eggs taste great and could easily be thrown at your ex-boyfriend’s car (or the television if your team doesn’t win). And who can say no to Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus?!
