Chicken nuggets - wheat free recipe
This is a great kid's favourite, however we've found that our chicken nuggets go down well at any time with children and adults alike. The crisp, crunchy polenta coating is tasty as well as healthy. And the added bonus is that you know exactly what has been used to make them, and know that they are made from real chicken, not the 'formed' chicken that commercially bought versions are made from.
One of the things we've found is that children with food allergies often get to miss the foods that their friends enjoy, so chicken nuggets, with ketchup for dipping, will certainly make up for some of the disappointment.
We've baked our version, but they are equally as good shallow fried. Place some oil in a frying pan, heat until hot then add the chicken pieces and fry until the coating is crisp and golden, and the chicken is cooked all the way through. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper and serve.
dietary information: | |
| wheat free |
|
| gluten free |
|
| nut free |
|
| dairy free |
|
| vegetarian |
|
| vegan |
|
serves 2+
| 2 | chicken breast fillets, skinless | |
| 75-100 | g | polenta grains |
| 1 | medium | egg, beaten |
| ½ | tsp | seasoning/herbs of choice (we used a chilli mix called 'Spirits of Fire') |
| freshly ground black pepper (optional) |
preheat oven: 200°C, 180°C, 400°F, Gas 6
| 1. | Lightly oil a baking tray big enough to spread the chicken nuggets on in a single layer. |
| 2. | Cut the chicken breasts into nuggets or strips. We made the nuggets approximately 5cm (2") square, and we made the
strips about 1" wide and as long as you want. Note that the nuggets and strips will require slightly different baking times depending on the thickness of the chicken used and the sizes used. If you are making both at the same time it is better to bake the nuggets and strips on separate baking trays, so that they can have different lengths of cooking time. |
| 3. | Put the beaten egg into a bowl, drop the chicken pieces into it and ensure that all the chicken gets well coated in egg. |
| 4. | On a large plate, or in a bowl, put the polenta grains and the seasoning and mix well together. |
| 5. | Remove the pieces of egg coated chicken one at a time and place in the bowl of polenta. Ensure that the chicken gets a good solid coating of polenta before removing it and placing on the baking tray. Repeat with the remaining chicken. |
| 6. | Put the tray of chicken nuggets or strips into the oven for approximately 20-25 minutes. The cooking time will depend
on the size of the chicken pieces, and should therefore be adjusted accordingly. At the end of the cooking time, check that the chicken is cooked completely through to the centre of the pieces, the easiest way is to poke with a skewer to check for juices running out. If the juices are slightly coloured then it requires a little more cooking time. Clear juices, or no juice will indicate that the chicken is cooked through. The chicken pieces should also be golden in colour and crispy. |
| 7. | Serve either hot, or cold. |
These chicken nuggets or strips make a great finger party food, as well as for packed lunches, picnics, snacks and main meals. They go well with salad, vegetables, chips, dips, rice, mash, baked potatoes, the list is endless.
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