Chicken nuggets are always an easy sell with my kids, so I decided to upgrade the typical chicken nugget by adding broccoli and breading them in almond flour and parmesan. I love that this recipe gets some extra veggies onto their plates without straying too far from a dinner they already know and love.
These nuggets are super easy to make. No steaming or cooking the broccoli ahead of time, you just pulse the raw florets in a food processor until they’re finely chopped, then mix it with the other ingredients and a few simple seasonings. Pop them in the oven, and dinner is done in 30 minutes or less. Serve them with fries, sweet potatoes, or veggies, plus sides of ketchup or ranch for dipping.
Another easy, kid-approved dinner for my Tiny Tastebuds, Big Opinions series, and one that the adults will happily eat, too!
Ingredients
Serves 3-4. Makes 18 nuggets.
For the nuggets
1 lb organic ground chicken
1 cup raw broccoli florets
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the breading
⅔ cup almond flour
3 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch of salt
Avocado oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the raw broccoli florets to a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped.
- Add the ground chicken, finely chopped broccoli, cheddar cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Mix until combined.
- In a shallow bowl or on a rimmed plate, stir together the almond flour, Parmesan cheese, and a pinch of salt.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop about 1½ tablespoons of the chicken mixture and place it on the almond flour plate. Roll each ball in the almond flour mixture until coated, then gently flatten it into a nugget shape. Make sure all sides are coated.
- Arrange the nuggets on the prepared baking sheet and spray the tops generously with avocado oil.
- Bake for 7 minutes, then flip and spray the other side with avocado oil. Bake another 7-9 minutes or until the nuggets are golden and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. (Do not overcook or they’ll be dry!) For an extra golden finish, switch the oven to broil for the last minute, watching closely so they don’t burn or overcook.
- Serve warm with ketchup, ranch, honey mustard, or your kids’ favorite dipping sauce, plus a side of veggies.
While these were definitely created with tiny tastebuds in mind, they’re one of those dinners that the adults can happily eat too, which means one dinner for the whole family and no short-order cooking required! That’s always a win around here. Hope you love this one as much as we do!
