Our Whole30 air fryer chicken nuggets are crispy on the outside and super juicy on the inside. Chicken nuggets were invented in the United States in the 1950s. These Whole30 air fryer chicken nuggets are being created in the US in 2020. I am honoring my chicken nuggets roots, even though technically those roots are mostly in England.
Do you remember how much chicken nuggets ranged from epic and drowned in sweet ketchup to mystery meat wrapped in a layer of bread? After about twenty years old I started to dislike those once delicious nugget bites because I noticed that they were 90% bread and 10% maybe meat. This was not a full-on war on my American childhood food, I still loved pizza bites and still do, but there came a time where there were no chicken nuggets I liked.
Fast forward nine years and after not eating chicken nuggets for almost a decade I suddenly want them. At this point I’ve realized using fresh chicken is so blissing epic in old recipes. Beyond that, just like I learned 2% milk is gross and heavy cream is bliss, I learned I prefer chicken thighs to chicken breasts. The breasts can still be epic when covered in butter or oil and they have my mouthly respect. Using the thighs will come with its own infused chicken fat so I highly recommend giving them a go.
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What is Whole30?
Whole 30 is a reset where you eliminate common foods that people have allergies or bodily issues with. I love that this approach allows an individual opportunity to discover what works for you. No two bodies are the same. I have an identical twin and even we have different food preferences and troubles.
On Whole 30 you eliminate certain foods for 30 days and replace them with whole foods. Love how it’s all in the name. After 30 days you reintroduce the foods you eliminated one by one and see how you feel. Then you pause for two days and go back on Whole 30 and repeat. A Whole 30 can be a Whole 60 when it comes to re-introduction. Read more about my tips after finishing five rounds in this article: My Top 12 Whole 30 Tips for Surviving and Thriving.
Ingredients for Whole30 Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
Whole30 air fryer chicken nuggets are as easy to make as regular ones since you are just tossing chicken pieces in flour and spices.
Avocado Oil – Has a high smoke point, tastes neutral and is epic for frying.
Almond Flour – Almond flour sticks well to the egg wash and it’s got that bready mouthfeel to it.
Nutritional Yeast – Adds a hint of cheese flavor without the cheese. Nutritional yeast used to be just a vegan thing but now that dairy-free is also a thing it’s used a lot in the place of cheese in paleo and Whole30 recipes. Sometimes I just lick it off my fingers like butter it’s so delicious.
Spices – Mustard powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and a few other spices send these nuggets into a harmony of flavor. Check to make sure your spices have no caking agents or added sweetener (normally they don’t).
Eggs – For the egg wash, which allows the almond flour and spices to stick to the nuggets.
Ketchup and Mustard for Serving:
Best Whole30 Ketchup and Mustard Brands:
Primal Kitchen Ketchup: Has a nice bright flavor and is super delicious. We use this in BBQ kitchen and for special sauce and sweet potato fry dipping. This is the main Whole 30 ketchup we use because it pears so well with everything. Primal Kitchen has all paleo products and most are Whole30 approved so check out their full line of Whole30 condiments, salad dressings, vinegar, and oils.
Thrive Market Sweetener Free Ketchup: Another delicious option. This ketchup has grape must added to it so the flavor is more savory and like sun-dried tomatoes rather than fresh ones. Thrive also has many Whole30 products from salad dressings to coffee to dish soap. We’ve been using them for three years now and they constantly offer discounts and free gifts. Use the link above to sign up and get a free gift valued at $24.
Organicville Sone ground Dijon Mustard: I love using this mustard in making mayo as well as just on sandwiches. The only ingredients are water, organic vinegar, organic mustard seeds, salt, and organic spices.
French’s Mustard: French’s is a classic choice, it’s a beautiful price, and it has no sugar or alcohol in it.
Tools You Need for Air Fried Chicken Nuggets
Meat Thermometer – Meat thermometers are crucial when it comes to air frying because their size varies widely and the amount of space you can have between the nuggets or any meat. We use this thermometer for candy making and coffee making too and it is magnetic so we just whack it on the fridge for easy use.
Oil Spray Bottle – Investment that then saves a blisston. Buying spray bottles already filled with oil is double the price or more of just buying the oil. Once you get this bottle you can just fill it yourself.
Ninja Foodi or Any Air Fryer
The thing about the Ninja Foodi is that it was designed to be wide and hold things like entire turkey thighs. You can pressure cook something and then broil, bake or air crisp it (they’re trying to change the fried wording since it’s pretty myth like as it is more crispy than fried tasting).
I used the instant pot for a year and while it created delicious food I really started to miss crispy food, especially when doing a Whole 30. The Ninja Foodi can bake, broil, air crisp, steam, dehydrate and make yogurt just like the Instant Pot can. Instead of taking a full chicken to the oven to broil and having to energize the whole oven with heat, you just dump out the water, put the basket back in, and air fry or broil it in the same device.
While we used the Ninja Foodi for this recipe any air fryer will work. Only cook as many chicken nuggets in your air fryer as you can fit into the air fryer without them touching. You want the circulation of heat in the air fryer to be able to move between the nuggets for maximum air crisping.
Visual Making of Whole30 Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees for about five minutes (we usually set it to 18 minutes and then wait until it hits 12 minutes to toss them in.
Prepare the egg wash by beating two eggs together with a whisk or fork. Then combine the almond flour with the spices. Set both bowls to one side in a line.
Turn the one pound of chicken thighs into bite sized chicken nugget bites. We used kitchen scissors to cut them. You can also use a sharp knife.
Toss the chicken in the egg wash then drip off the egg wash before tossing the chicken into the almond flour breading.
Mix the nuggets in the breading until all sides are coated then add them to your air fryer basket in two different batches and spray them with more avocado oil.
Air fry for 10-15 minutes until the nuggets read 165 on a digital thermometer or cut one open to see if the juices run clear.
Squeeze mustard and ketchup, or whatever you dip with onto a plate and then dump your nuggets from the basket onto the plate. I’ve tried using tongs and you risk knocking off the breading that way.
Enjoy and comment your thoughts on these Whole30 air fryer chicken nuggets below.
Since Whole30 does say to use a handful of meat to a plateful of veggies here are some recommendations:
- A ranch salad
- An arugula salad
- A plateful of fresh green beans
Looking for other Whole30 Air Fryer Recipes? Try these out:
Whole30 Air Fryer Buffalo Wings
Whole30 Air Fryer Alfredo Zoodles
Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Pin for Later!
Ingredients
1 Pound Chicken Thighs - cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Eggs, beaten
1 and 1/2 cups Almond Flour
Spices:
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
For Serving:
Whole30 compliant ketchup (Either Primal Kitchen's, Tessemae's, or Thrive Market's ketchup work) - see notes
Whole30 compliant mustard
Equipment
Ninja Foodi or any Air Fryer
Oil Spray Bottle - Tiny investment that then saves a blisston. Spray bottles already filled with oil are double the price of just buying the oil.
Instructions
1. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees for about five minutes (we usually set it to 18 minutes and then wait until it hits 12 minutes to toss them in.Â
2. Prepare the egg wash by beating two eggs together in a medium bowl and set to the side. -The 3 bowls will all be next to each other to toss the chicken bites into the egg wash, then the almond flour breading, and then the air fryer.
2. Combine the almond flour with the spices and set aside.Â
3. To cut the thighs into bite-sized chunks use either kitchen scissors (my preference) or a sharp kitchen knife and place the chunks in another bowl.
4. Toss the chicken bites into the egg wash and then take a handful and shake off some egg then toss them in the almond flour mixture. Spray the basket with avocado oil then add half of the chicken nuggets to the air fryer basket and spray with avocado oil again. Only add as many nuggets as you can without any of them touching to make sure the air circulates.
5. In two batches air fry the chicken nuggets for 10-15 minutes. Remove a chicken nugget and cut it in half to see if the juices run clear and to make sure they're done or use a meat thermometer to see if they are 165 degrees.Â
6. Once one batch finishes serve immediately. I recommend chowing down while the others cook because they cool quickly and are best fresh. We served ours with mustard and ketchup, occasionally combining them.Â
Notes
P.S. You're beautiful all days and in every way.
Our favorite ketchup is Primal Kitchen Ketchup and for mustard just check to see if there is any added sugar or sweetener.Â
Enjoy these Whole30 air fryer chicken nuggets on paleo or keto too!
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