This Whole30 chicken nuggets recipe is inspired by the method used at Chick-Fil-A for super tender and flavorful nuggets with a creamy, smoky, lightly sweet dipping sauce that takes this all over the edge. These paleo chicken nuggets are crispy and tender and just perfect. A favorite Whole30 chicken recipe!
We’re chicken nugget lovers. Except not the little pressed and breaded pellets from fast food places: real chicken cut into little pieces, tossed in some sort of coating, fried up quickly in the cast-iron skillet, and dipped in my favorite Whole30 dump ranch dressing.
Naw, girl. For a truly awesome Whole30 chicken recipe, I had to upgrade.
I was inspired by the bizarre but super effective process Chick-Fil-A follows to produce super tender and flavorful chicken nuggets. Pickle juice, toss in sugar (Pass), and then fry in a pressure cooker (Also pass). So, OK, really, I just marinated the chicken in pickle juice and tossed it all in a coconut flour-spiked mixture, then pan-fried the nuggets really quickly so keep things tender and delish. The result?
Hea-ven.
They were just what I wanted: tender and flavorful and just the teeny tiniest bit sweet from the coconut flour. I whipped up a Chick-Fil-A sauce inspired dip from my Whole30 ketchup recipe, my Whole30 immersion blender mayo, and a touch of liquid smoke for some smoky BBQ sauce depth, and dipped to my little heart’s content.
Why this Whole30 chicken recipe is so good:
- They’re super easy to make, just make sure you give them plenty of time to marinate in that pickle juice.
- This Whole30 chicken recipe produces the most tender and flavorful chicken with just the slightest sweetness from the coconut flour.
- The dipping sauce is so epic: slightly sweet, creamy, and smoky, hitting all the flavor home runs!
Tips
- To make the dipping sauce, make sure you have Whole30 ketchup and Whole30 mayonnaise on hand, but I have recipes on my site that make those super easy to keep around.
- Don’t skip marinating the chicken in pickle juice! This process is what tenderizes and flavors the chicken so beautifully.
- Clean out the skillet in between batches so that the flours don’t burn.
How to make this Whole30 chicken nuggets recipe:
The most important part: marinate your chunks of chicken in pickle juice! This is what produces such tender and flavorful little nuggets. Don’t skip it when you’re making this Whole30 chicken recipe, sister!
Put your beaten egg in a wide, shallow bowl. In another wide, shallow bowl, whisk together your flours and spices.
Remove your chicken from the pickle juice and discard juice. Dip your chicken pieces in the beaten egg, shaking off excess, then toss in the flour mixture. Repeat the process until all nuggets are coated.
Fry those little nugs up! Heat a layer of oil – refined coconut oil and avocado oil work great – in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium to medium-high heat. Fry your chicken in batches, making sure to not crowd, until golden brown on all sides and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes total. Don’t overcook! Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper-towel- or brown-paper-bag-lined plate.
To make your sauce, simply whisk all ingredients together!
Where do I get pickle juice?
From a bottle of pickles, you crazy. Seriously, though, buy a compliant jar of pickles (the shelf-stable kind are best for this recipe) and use the juice you need. The pickles will be fine after! Or simply save jars of juice once you’ve eaten through a container of spears.
Alternately, you can do what my pregnant ass did and buy this one-gallon behemoth of pure pickle juice. The crazy thing is I think this stuff is actually Whole30 compliant… I’m just saying.
Do I have to marinate this Whole30 chicken recipe in pickle juice?
Nah, you don’t have to. But if you don’t, the nuggets won’t be as tender or flavorful. I’m bad about planning ahead, too, but even one hour in the marinade will make a big difference!
Can I use _________ flour?
You can substitute arrowroot for the tapioca starch, but I urge you to use the almond flour + coconut flour combination to give these nuggets the right flavor and consistency. They’ll still be good if you use all almond flour, just not as Chick-Fil-A inspired. And if you use all coconut flour, the coating will be quite dry. Flour combo for the win!
What’s the deal with the Whole30 vs. paleo dipping sauce differences?
If you’re on a Whole30, you’ll combine these ingredients for your dipping sauce:
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. Whole30 mayonnaise
- 3 Tbsp. coconut aminos
- 1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. Whole30 ketchup
- 3/4 tsp. liquid smoke
- pinch salt
If you’re not on a Whole30, try this instead:
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. Whole30 mayonnaise
- 2 tsp. maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. Whole30 ketchup
- 3/4 tsp. liquid smoke
- pinch salt
Other recipes you’ll love:
Did you make and love this Whole30 chicken recipe? Give it your review below! And make sure to share your Whole30 chicken nuggets recipe by tagging me on Instagram!
Whole30 Chicken Nuggets Recipe (Paleo, Chick-Fil-A Method)
This Whole30 chicken nuggets recipe is inspired by the method used at Chick-Fil-A for super tender and flavorful nuggets with a creamy, smoky, lightly sweet dipping sauce. This Whole30 chicken recipe produces paleo chicken nuggets that are crispy and tender and just perfect.
Ingredients
Whole30 Chicken Nuggets
- 2 large chicken breasts about about 1.5 pounds, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1/2 cup dill pickle juice
- 1 egg beaten
- 2/3 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 2 Tbsp. tapioca starch
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 tsp. onion powder
- 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1/4 tsp. dried basil
- refined coconut oil or avocado oil for frying
Chick-Fil-A-Sauce
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. Whole30 mayonnaise
- 3 Tbsp. coconut aminos if ON Whole30
- 2 tsp. maple syrup if NOT on whole30
- 1 Tbsp coconut aminos if NOT on whole30
- 1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. Whole30 ketchup
- 3/4 tsp. liquid smoke
- pinch salt
Instructions
Make Whole30 Chicken Nuggets
- Combine chicken breast chunks and pickle juice in an air-tight container or large plastic bag. Refrigerate at least one hour, preferably overnight, tossing every so often.
Pour beaten egg in a shallow bowl. Whisk together flours, tapioca starch, and spices in another shallow bowl.
- Drain chicken from pickle juice. Dip chicken pieces in egg then coat in flour mixture. Repeat until all nuggets are coated.
- Heat a thin layer of refined coconut oil or avocado oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Fry chicken nuggets in batches until golden brown and cooked through. This will take about 5-6 minutes total. Do not overcook! Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Make Chick-Fil-A Sauce
- If you are on a Whole30, use only 3 tablespoons coconut aminos and skip 2 teaspoons maple syrup and 1 tablespoon coconut aminos. If you are NOT on a Whole30, skip the 3 tablespoons coconut aminos and use 2 teaspoons maple syrup and 1 tablespoon coconut aminos.
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Chill until ready to serve, at least 30 minutes.
Can you make these in an air fryer? Or have you tried?
We have not tried it, but we imagine it would be pretty easy!
Love these! I was just wondering, does the nutrition information include the sauce, or is it just the nuggets? I know this doesn’t matter on whole30, but I’ve been telling everyone I know to make these, and I have a friend who counts macros. She was wondering if the fat content is just for the nuggets or includes the mayo in the sauce. Thanks so much! Love this recipe!
Laura,
Yes, it DOES include the sauce!
Just made these and they were a hit! Even my 1 1/2 yr old granddaughter loves them. They were the juiciest homemade nuggets ever. The sauce was just as yummy! This is def going in my dinner rotation! Thank you!!
The sauce is amazing, just what I remember Chick Fil A sauce tasting like! We put it on breakfast sandwiches this morning. 😀
That is a delicious way to utilize the sauce! Haha.
Hi,
Can you spray these with a little oil and bake them?
Yes!
Is there a substitute for the pickle juice? I’m not a fan of pickles and am fearful that I will be able to taste them on the chicken!
Apple cider vinegar?
Can I use arrowroot powder instead of tapioca starch? I don’t have tapioca starch so should I just admit it completely or use arrowroot powder instead?
Once you have tried that substitution, please let me know the results!
Is the nutrition facts for the whole recipe?
Yes!
Sooo good! I love Chic-fil-a sauce. Pretty sure I shed a tear when I tried yours.
YASSS!! So happy you liked it!
Delicious! My kids really enjoyed it & my youngest LOVES Chick-fil-a. Next time I will make the sauce!
Can these be frozen and reheated?!
I don’t see why not!
These are super yummy!! I froze a batch before I cooked them, how should I go about cooking them??
Just made these this afternoon. SO good! I have never left a comment on a recipe before but WOW. Thank you very much for sharing. Will definitely make these again!
Wow – that makes me feel super special!! I am so thrilled you liked them so much!
Love this recipe! I may have missed the answer to this question, but can you cook these in an air fryer? If so, would you happen to know the setting?
I think that would work! I’d recommend using this method to cook them:
https://www.skinnytaste.com/air-fryer-chicken-nuggets/
is it possible to bake them in the oven instead? I love this recipe but when we tried to fry them the breading burnt almost immediately (used medium heat). I was going to make some more tonight and try baking them!
Hi! Thanks for this recipe. One question – I currently only have almond flour. Do I need the coconut, or can I get away with just the almond? Happy to do either, just wondering. Thanks!
I would definitely use the coconut flour in this recipe!
I have my chicken marinating right now and can’t wait to try these! I do have a question though because I’m a little confused….. for the sauce you state coconut aminos if ON Whole30, but then you state coconut aminos again if you’re NOT on W30. I know coconut aminos are compliant, so am I doing to use 2 or 3 Tbs of it? Thanks so much for sharing! My mouth is watering 🙂
If you ARE on a Whole30, you’ll want to use the 3 Tbsp coco aminos and skip the other two 🙂 When you’re not on a Whole30, the maple syrup + 1 Tbsp coco aminos is great!
Thanks for the help on that bc that had me stumped too! I was like oh no!!! Did they change the rules?!?!? I NEEEEED coconut aminos in my life.
Ha! If they took away coco aminos I would be ever so sad!!!
Hey girl hey! I’m obsessed with all of your recipes but I have one question! If I’m whole30-ing do you have a liquid smoke you use? I cant find one…thanks friend!
Yes! Try this one:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Wright-s-All-Natural-Liquid-Smoke-Hickory-3-5-FL-OZ/15673620?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227025238878&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=55605379418&wl4=pla-86721427778&wl5=1026069&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=15673620&wl13=&veh=sem
Oh. My. God. My love of chick-fil-a sauce runs deep. I just made the sauce -I’ll put it on my Whole30 bfast casserole this week and will make your nuggets for dinner one night. This sauce is spot on. Thank you, you magician! Love your recipes!
Thank you! I’m so happy you do!!
These came out so freaking amazing! I didn’t have the tapioca starch so I just omitted that. They have such a delicious breading – couldn’t help myself, I went back for seconds. So good!!
That is so awesome to hear, Meghan!! So happy you liked them <3
I am on Day 3 of Whole30 and cannot wait to add this into next week’s menu! Chick-Fil-A is my weakness!
Excellent recipe and I will definitely make these again, including the sauce. The pickle juice marinade was subtle but noticeable and delicious. I sautéed some greens to go with for a complete meal.
Delicious! So glad you liked it 🙂
Is there any alternative to the almond flour that still gives the same effect? We have a peanut, almond, cashew and hazelnut allergy around here, and I think we would LOVE these! BTW – I LOVE your site and recipes! Made my first true Whole30 enjoyable!!!
I am so glad to hear that, Alisa! You could try all coconut flour, or simply try doubling the coconut and tapioca and leaving the almond out entirely. I haven’t tried it but I think it would definitely work! Or if you have cassava flour, that’d be a perfect substitution.