Sunday, June 22, 2014

Copy Cat Chick-Fil-A Nuggets - Gluten Free

This recipe is awesome and works with regular all-purpose flour and milk as well, just omit the arrowroot powder or cornstarch.




1 pound or so of chicken (about 4 breasts, 6-8 tenders, etc. I just use however many I have on hand and adjust the flour mixture if I need more)
1/2 cup pickle juice
1 egg
1/4 cup milk (I use almond milk, you can also use heavy cream)

Mix together pickle juice, egg, and milk and marinate the chicken in this mixture for about an hour. You can you do whole breasts (though slice them in half if they are really thick), tenders, or cut them up into nuggets. 

Prepare a large pan of oil (just enough to submerge your chicken halfway) to around 350 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer sprinkle some water in the pan. If it starts bubbling and sizzling it's usually ready. You can also dip a wooden spoon or chopstick into the oil. 

1 cup Pamela's baking and pancake mix (or all-purpose flour)
1 tbsp arrowroot powder (cornstarch should work as well)
2 tbsp confectioners sugar
1 tsp paprika 
1/2 tsp black pepper (or less if you are not a huge black pepper fan)
1 tsp salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp basil

Mix dry ingredients in a gallon bag. Take marinated chicken, pour out the extra liquid and put into the bag of dry ingredients. Shake. Add chicken to the oil to fry. About 3-5 minutes on each side. 

**Helpful note - the first few times I made this I added one nugget to the oil to test it first. Also I typically use canola oil but I have tried coconut oil which is a healthier alternative. It will have a slight coconut taste to it, though my husband who does not like coconut does not mind it!

If you make it with chicken breasts make sure to have some buns and pickles ready for a delicious chicken sandwich! Next time I'll post my homemade gluten free roll recipe that I used when we made chicken sandwiches. This also works really well on a biscuit for breakfast!