These Whole30 copycat Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets are such a great easy weeknight meal or family friendly go-to recipe for lunch or dinner. They’re paleo, low carb, and made with simple ingredients, making them a healthier option than the drive through! These nuggets use pickle brined chicken pieces, then coated in a grain-and gluten-free mixture and cooked in the air fryer to perfection.
Copycat Chick-fil-A Whole30 Chicken Nuggets Ingredients
These Chick-fil-A nuggets are really easy to make, and have a simple ingredient list which uses common Paleo/Whole30 pantry items. The fresh ingredients you’ll need are just the chicken breasts and the eggs. Then you’ll need dill pickle juice to brine the chicken nuggets in. This is really what makes the recipe, so don’t skip this step! There are many Whole30 compatible pickle options at stores these days that don’t contain sugar.
Related: Whole30 Items at Walmart, Whole30 Items at Fresh Thyme, Whole30 Items at Target
For the “breading” you’ll need almond flour and coconut flour for the bulk of it. Mixing these two gluten-free and Whole30 flours is the best way to make the coating not too thick from just the almond flour, and not too fine from just coconut flour. You’ll also need a few tablespoons of arrowroot flour, which helps to bind everything together and add to the breading texture. You’ll season the flour mixture with a few spices, including garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
I get these pantry staple items from Thrive Market which sells Paleo, Whole30 and gluten-free items at a discount online, but you can find them at all major grocery retailers, and Amazon.
How to Make These In the Air Fryer
The cooking process for these Chick-Fil-A copycat nuggets is super simple. You’ll first start by slicing the chicken breasts into 1-inch, bite-size pieces. Then you’ll need to place them into a bag or container with the pickle juice for at least 1 to 2 hours, although bringing them in the pickle juice overnight is ideal. Then you’ll drain the juice, pat the chicken dry, and get the flour mixture ready.
Set out two bowls, and in one, beat the eggs. In the other, combine all of the breading ingredients and stir with a fork to combine the spices with the flours. Then you’ll start the process of coating each chicken piece in the egg wash, transferring it into the flour mixture and evenly coating each piece. You’ll want to place each chicken nugget directly into your air fryer after it has been breaded.
Continue this process until all of the chicken pieces have been breaded, or the air fryer is full of one even layer of chicken nuggets. Lastly, you’ll spray a light coat of a spray oil over the chicken nuggets, which helps them get that golden brown color. Cook the Whole30 chicken nuggets on 400 degrees F. in the air fryer for 8 minutes, flipping halfway through.
What to Serve Your Whole30 Chicken Nuggets With
You can serve these air fryer nuggets with any veggie side! I love a good side salad with it, or sweet potato fries. They’re great along side roasted broccoli, too. If you have leftovers of the nuggets, they are delicious when chopped up and thrown into a big salad or wrap.
These nuggets are made for dipping! For Whole30 and Paleo dipping sauces, my favorites are from Primal Kitchen. We use their BBQ sauces, ketchup, mustard and buffalo sauce constantly, and they’re all low carb and made without additives, too. The code “PALEOBAILEY” gives you a discount at checkout when you order online, or you can find them on Amazon!
Other Whole30 Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love:
Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs
PrintAir Fryer Chicken Nuggets (Chick-Fil-A CopyCat): Whole30, Paleo, GF, Low Carb
These Whole30 copycat Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets are such a great easy weeknight meal or family friendly go-to recipe. They’re paleo, low carb, and made with simple ingredients, making them a healthier option than the drive through! These nuggets use pickle brined chicken pieces, then coated in a grain-and gluten-free mixture and cooked in the air fryer to perfection.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 8
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup dill pickle juice
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 2 tbsp arrowroot flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 eggs, beaten
- Spray oil (olive or avocado oil)
Instructions
- Combine the pickle juice and chicken pieces in a bag or container with a lid. Brine/marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour (overnight is ideal)
- Remove the chicken from the pickle juice and pat dry really well. Use two medium sized bowls and in one of them, beat the eggs. In the second bowl, combine the flours and spices and mix well
- Begin coating each piece of chicken by first dipping one into the egg wash and then transferring into the flour. Turn the chicken to coat all sides and place directly into the air fryer
- Continue this process until all of the chicken nuggets are in the air fryer, or the air fryer is full of one even layer of chicken nuggets (you may need to do this in two batches depending on what air fryer you have)
- Spray the top of the chicken nuggets in the air fryer with a very light spray of oil
- Air fry on 400 degrees F. for 8 minutes, flipping and giving the other side a light coat of oil halfway through
Nutrition Facts:
- Calories: 310
- Fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 5.5 g
- Protein: 30.3 g
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Catherine France says
If I don’t open a air fryer, what would you suggest the oven temperature to be and for how long?
Catherine France says
Sorry for my typo, I don’t have an air fryer. I was hoping to bake them in the oven.
paleobailey says
I haven’t made these in the oven, but my best guess would be 400 degrees F. for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Maybe slightly less time, but I’d keep an eye on them towards the end 🙂