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Paleo Chicken Nuggets + Healthy Honey Mustard (GF/DF)

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Paleo Chicken Nuggets Recipe

These paleo chicken nuggets are incredibly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Impressively simple to make, this recipe is the healthier answer to your fast food craving. And don’t forget the healthy honey mustard – it’s just four ingredients and the PERFECT companion to these paleo chicken nuggets!

Paleo chicken nuggets are finally here! I’ve actually been making this recipe for months, fine-tuning it every time. I’m a firm believer in chicken nuggets always having a place in our lives. They’re not just to enjoy throughout childhood, but adulthood too …and eventually senior-hood.

I also have a secret for how to eat these paleo chicken nuggets that makes them just a little more grown-up. I make a double batch at the beginning of the week, and throw them in all my salads as a crispy, delicious protein! Now I will say, if you plan on doing the same, to reheat these chicken nuggets I highlyyyy recommend warming them up in the oven as apposed to the microwave. The microwave makes these a little soggy, whereas the oven keeps the outside layer nice and crunchy. To do this, set your oven to 400° Fahrenheit and heat your paleo chicken nuggets on a baking sheet for 5-10 minutes or until they’re warm throughout.

And of course, you can enjoy these nuggets anyway you’d like! Another favorite method of mine is serving them with my air fryer sweet potato fries. I also included a BONUS healthy honey mustard recipe for you guys below. Paleo chicken nuggets, air fryer sweet potato fries, and healthy honey mustard is a killer combo. It honestly tastes like you ordered fast food for dinner, but is WAY HEALTHIER.

What You Need To Make Paleo Chicken Nuggets and Healthy Honey Mustard

Almond Flour – If you don’t already have a bag of almond flour in your cabinet, I highly recommend you go out and buy one. I use almond flour in a TON of my recipes, and not just the paleo ones. It’s a great gluten-free and paleo flour substitute, and that’s exactly how we use it in these paleo chicken nuggets.

Tapioca Starch – Another item I highly recommend you pick up next time you’re at the grocery store. Tapioca starch is a great item to have if you intend to cook more paleo recipes. It can act as a substitute to corn starch and since almond flour alone can be kind of dense, tapioca starch really helps to lighten up the crispy coating.

Dijon Mustard – Well, obviously! Dijon is my personal favorites of all the mustards. In my eyes, it’s a more mature yellow mustard. I wouldn’t recommend subbing a different kind of mustard for the dijon in this recipe. Dijon adds a little spice, helping this healthy honey mustard tasting almost identical to your regular ole’ honey mustard.

Paleo Chicken Nuggets + Healthy Honey Mustard (GF/DF)
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Paleo Chicken Nuggets + Healthy Honey Mustard (GF/DF)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: MainCuisine: American
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Total time

20

minutes

These paleo chicken nuggets are incredibly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Impressively simple to make, this recipe is the healthier answer to your fast food craving. And don’t forget the healthy honey mustard – it’s just four ingredients and the PERFECT companion to these paleo chicken nuggets!

Ingredients

  • For the chicken nuggets:

  • 1 1/2 Pounds Chicken Breast, see Notes

  • 1 Egg

  • 1 Cup Almond Flour

  • 1/4 Cup Tapioca Starch

  • 1 Teaspoon Paprika

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

  • 2 Teaspoons Salt, divided

  • For the healthy honey mustard:

  • 1/4 Cup Dijon Mustard, see Notes

  • 1/4 Cup Honey

  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

  • 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice, see Notes

Directions

  • Cut chicken into bite-sized chunks and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and set aside.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the almond flour, tapioca starch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt.Paleo Chicken Nuggets Process Photo 3
  • Using one hand, place each piece of chicken into the egg, then with the other hand, dredge chicken in the flour mixture.Paleo Chicken Nuggets Process Photo 4
  • To fry: Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a pan over medium/high heat. Working in batches, as to not overcrowd the pan, fry each chicken nugget for 2-3 minutes per side or until cooked through.
    OR
    To bake: Preheat your oven to 425° Fahrenheit, place nuggets on a greased baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through.Paleo Chicken Nuggets Process Photo 5
  • For the healthy honey mustard:
  • Add all honey mustard ingredients to a bowl and whisk until combined.Healthy Honey Mustard Process Photo

Notes

  • Chicken Breast: You’ll be cutting the chicken into bite-sized chunks in the first step of this recipe. I usually cut mine between 2-3 inches big. However, you can definitely cut your chicken into whatever shape/sized you’d like, just take that into consideration when you’re frying or baking your nuggets.
  • Dijon Mustard: I would not recommend subbing any other type of mustard, dijon works BEST in this recipe.
  • Lemon Juice: You can use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar instead of lemon juice, if you’d like.

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Dairy-Free

Best Ever Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies Hero Shot

These paleo chocolate chip cookies are truly some of my best work yet. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, perfectly sweet and loaded with chunks of chocolate – YUM!

When I started experiencing intense chocolate chip cookie cravings, I made it my mission to develop a paleo recipe. Tested more times than I can count, this recipe is nothing short of perfection (humble brag). I am fully obsessed with these cookies. I keep a few in my freezer at all times, ya know …in case of emergency.

What You Need To Make Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

Almond Flour – Once hard to find, almond flour is sold at most grocery stores these days. Though be careful, almond flour is not the same as almond meal. Don’t try substituting almond meal, or any other flour, for the almond flour in this recipe.

Coconut Sugar – I pretty much only bake with coconut sugar these days. It’s plant-based, less processed, and is lower on the glycemic index than white sugar. If you don’t have a bag of coconut sugar at home, I highly recommend you buy one!

Coconut Oil – Not a fan of that coconut flavor in your baked goods? I feel you and I got you. Look for refined coconut oil, it has little to no coconut flavor but does the exact same thing as the unrefined kind. You could also swap melted dairy-free butter or regular butter for the coconut oil if you’d like.

Chocolate – Ahh the most important part! If you’re looking to make this recipe 100% paleo, be sure to use a paleo chocolate bar. My favorites are the Hu Kitchen and Eating Evolved paleo chocolate bars. If you’re not paleo, use whatever chocolate bar you’d like in this recipe. Alternately, you could use 1 cup of chocolate chips instead of chopping up a chocolate bar!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make It Vegan: Use a flax egg or your favorite egg-substitute in place of the egg in this recipe. Your cookies won’t be as fluffy, but still delicious!

Add Dairy: If you’re not paleo or dairy-free, you can substitute the melted coconut oil for melted butter. You can also use whatever chocolate you’d like, no need to seek out a paleo kind.

Best Ever Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Best Ever Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

20

cookies
Prep time

5

minutes
Baking time

12

minutes
Resting Time

1

minute

These paleo chocolate chip cookies are truly some of my best work yet. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, perfectly sweet and loaded with chunks of chocolate – YUM!

Ingredients

  • 1/4 Cup Coconut Oil, melted

  • 1 Egg, at room temperature (see NOTES)

  • 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup

  • 1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar

  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

  • 2 1/2 Cups Almond Flour

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

  • 1 Chocolate Bar, chopped (see NOTES)

Directions

  • Mix together the melted coconut oil, egg, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl.Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies Process Photo 1
  • Add in the almond flour, baking soda, and salt, mix until fully combined.Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies Process Photo 2
  • Fold in your chocolate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to overnight.Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies Process Photo 3
  • When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and remove dough from the fridge.Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies Process Photo 4
  • Scoop 2 tablespoons of dough, flatten slightly, and space each cookie 2-3 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges.Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies Process Photo 5
  • Remove from the oven and let sit on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies Process Photo 6

Notes

  • Egg: Take your egg out of the fridge an hour before starting this recipe. If your egg is too cold when you add it to the bowl, it will sauce the melted coconut oil to harden.
  • Chocolate Bar: I recommend Hu Kitchen or Eating Evolved paleo chocolate bars for this recipe. You could also use 1 cup of chocolate chips in place of the chocolate bar.

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More Delicious Paleo Recipes

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Dairy-Free

Paleo Spaghetti and Meatballs

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Paleo Spaghetti and Meatballs

These paleo spaghetti and meatballs are next level. Tender meatballs are met with a homemade tomato sauce loaded with flavor and fresh herbs! This is my all-time favorite Sunday dinner, you can’t beat this healthier recipe.

Paleo Spaghetti and Meatballs

I was pretty much raised on spaghetti and meatballs. To this day, it is my all-time favorite meal. I was a little spoiled growing up, both my Mom and Nonna made their meatballs from scratch. I have one especially vivid memory of helping my Nonna roll meatballs at the kitchen table. With these incredible spaghetti and meatball memories sitting in the back of my mind since I launched this blog, I knew I needed to create a dairy-free and gluten-free meatball recipe ASAP. And then I figured, while I’m at it, might as well make ’em paleo. So that’s exactly what I did!

What You Need To Make Paleo Spaghetti and Meatballs

Ground Beef and Ground Pork – A 1:1 ratio of these meats yield the world’s most perfectly tender and moist (sorry!) meatballs. I’ve tried them with just ground beef and let me assure you, they are not the same.

Dairy-Free Milk – I recommend almond, cashew, or soy milk here! If you’re not dairy-free, feel free to use just regular ole’ milk instead.

Almond Flour – This takes the place of breadcrumbs in our recipe. Almond flour is necessary to help bind the meatballs and give them that nice, soft texture. If you don’t have almond flour, you can use almond meal instead. If you’re not gluten-free or paleo, you can use regular breadcrumbs instead.

Whole Peeled Tomatoes – These pack the most flavor for your sauce. You might notice a few whole tomatoes lingering after you cook your meatballs. If this happens, then gently press down on them with the back of a wooden spoon to break them up.

Jovial Grain Free Cassava Spaghetti – This product is relatively new to the Jovial lineup and oh boy am I excited it exists. For the longest time, zucchini noodles were the only paleo pasta option and they always failed to curb my pasta cravings. This cassava spaghetti is the closest paleo version you’ll get to the real thing. I set my expectations low, but was pleasantly surprised by both the taste and texture! Even my gluten-loving Dad and Boyfriend had nothing bad to say about it – I definitely recommend.

Paleo Spaghetti and Meatballs

FAQs

Can I just use one type of ground meat?
I highly recommend using both ground beef and ground pork for the ultimate meatballs. Though, you can use just ground beef if you’d like. Simply sub an extra pound of ground beef for the pork.
Can I leave out the eggs?
Definitely not. The eggs are what hold our meatballs together. If you leave out the eggs, then your meatballs will totally fall apart on you – no thanks!
What if I don’t have fresh parsley?
If for some reason you can’t find fresh parsley, you can substitute fresh basil instead. And if you can’t find fresh basil, try using 1/4 the amount of dried basil.

Paleo Spaghetti and Meatballs
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Paleo Spaghetti and Meatballs

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Intermediate
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes
Total time

40

minutes

These paleo spaghetti and meatballs are next level. Tender meatballs are met with a homemade tomato sauce loaded with flavor and fresh herbs! This is my all-time favorite Sunday dinner, and I love that this recipe is much healthier.

Ingredients

  • For the meatballs:

  • 1 Pound Ground Beef

  • 1 Pound Ground Pork, see NOTES

  • 2 Garlic Cloves, minced

  • 2 Eggs

  • 1/4 Cup Non-Dairy Milk, see NOTES

  • 2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, finely chopped

  • 1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning

  • 1 Teaspoon Salt

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

  • 1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil

  • For the sauce:

  • 3 Garlic Cloves, minced

  • 28oz Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes

  • 2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, chopped

  • 1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning

  • 1 Teaspoon Salt

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

  • For serving:

  • Jovial Grain Free Cassava Spaghetti, see NOTES

  • Fresh Parsley, roughly chopped

Directions

  • For the meatballs:
  • Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing together with your hands.
  • Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, measure out 2 tablespoon of meat per meatball and roll into a ball using the palms of your hands. Then place each prepared meatball on a baking sheet of large plate and set aside.Paleo Spaghetti and Meatballs Process Photo 1
  • Once all meatballs are prepped, heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Working in batches, sear your meatballs for 2-3 minutes per side. They do not need to be cooked through, you are just forming a nice crispy crust on the outside. Remove all meatballs from the pot and then set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.Paleo Spaghetti and Meatballs Process Photo 2
  • For the sauce:
  • Sauté the garlic in the same pot your cooked your meatballs in over medium-low heat for 2 minutes.
  • Add all other sauce ingredients and then give everything a quick stir to combine.Paleo Spaghetti and Meatballs Process Photo 3
  • Gently add your meatballs back into the pot (it’s ok to stack them on top of each other).Paleo Spaghetti and Meatballs Process Photo 4
  • Cover pot with lid, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15-20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Serve over grain free pasta of choice!Paleo Spaghetti and Meatballs Process Photo 5

Notes

  • You can omit the pork and use 2 pounds of ground beef instead.
  • I recommend you use almond, cashew or soy milk for this recipe. You want a milk with a very mild flavor, so avoid using coconut milk.
  • Jovial’s Grain Free Cassava Spaghetti is my recommended pasta option. You can use zucchini noodles or any pasta you’d like!

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Like this recipe?

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