What are two of the top kid-favorite foods in the U.S.? Yes, you guessed it – the chicken nugget, and of course, the French fry! However, rather than rely on processed frozen varieties, or worse yet, fast food establishments, why not create a real food “Happy Meal” at home.
And since these are so easy to make, why not get your kids involved in preparing them with you! It’s a blessed opportunity to teach your children not only how to cook, but how to eat healthy – two important skills that will last a lifetime!
For more kid-friendly recipes and cooking with kid tips, check out Kids in the Kitchen.
Time-Saving Tip: These delicious gluten-free, grain-free nuggets freeze great, so make a double batch to have on hand for days when you need a quick, but healthy meal! To freeze, simply loosen cooked chicken from bottom of the baking sheet, but leave chicken on the baking sheet and set aside to cool completely. Then, place baking sheet in freezer for a couple of hours to freeze the chicken. Once frozen solid, place chicken nuggets into a freezer safe container, or gallon-size ziplock baggie, and freeze. These reheat great in the oven or toaster oven. Simply thaw the frozen nuggets in the fridge first, then bake at 300 degrees until warmed through and crispy again, about 8-10 minutes.
Kids in the Kitchen: Set up all the ingredients and have your kids do the fun part – dredging the chicken in the GF breadcrumbs!
These gluten-free, grain-free nuggets are the perfect kid-favorite quick lunch or dinner! And because they are made with healthy real food ingredients, you can feel good about serving them!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pound of organic chicken breasts (fat trimmed, no skin)
- 2 tbsp cultured buttermilk (or non-dairy milk, such as almond milk, if you're DF)
- 1 large pastured egg
- 1/8 tsp each of the following herbs/seasonings:
- garlic powder
- dried parsley
- Celtic sea salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- 1 cup homemade breadcrumbs
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.
- In a wide shallow bowl or dish, whisk together Kefir, egg and seasonings until slightly foamy.
- For chicken strips/tenders: Cut chicken breasts into thin strips about a half-inch in thickness. For chicken nuggets: Cut chicken breasts into small chunks.
- Place chicken into the egg wash and be sure to turn them to ensure they are well coated with the egg wash. Allow chicken to sit in the egg wash about two minutes.
- On a large plate, add breadcrumbs.
- Remove chicken from egg wash, one piece at a time, and dredge through the breadcrumbs, making sure to thoroughly coat each side.
- Place chicken on oiled baking sheet, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and bake approximately 15-20 minutes, until breadcrumbs are lightly browned at top/edges and chicken is cooked through.
- Serve with Healthy Valley Ranch Dressing and Healthier French Fries.
Notes
Chicken Parmesan Dunkers: For a delicious chicken nugget parmesan, simply reduce the breadcrumbs to 3/4 cup and add 1/4 grated parmesan cheese. Serve nuggets with a side of warm marinara sauce. Yum!
