Looking for a Halloween dinner idea for kids? These Halloween chicken nuggets are super cute and easy to make. Plus, they can be made grain (and gluten) free!
Prepare the chicken breasts by pounding them thinly before cutting them into the desired shapes. Pounding it with a mallet or the bottom of a glass helps make it easier to cut and also helps tenderize it.
Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes from the chicken breast fillets.
If using plastic cookie cutters, or if the cutters you are using aren't very sharp, you may need to touch up the shapes with a knife or cooking scissors.
Beat an egg in a deep dish or shallow bowl.
For Grain Free Chicken Nuggets
Cover the cut chicken pieces with tapioca flour by dipping them in a bowl with around 1/4 cup of tapioca flour until coated.
Mix together the remaining 1/2 cup of tapioca starch and 1/2 cup almond flour in another dish. Season with salt, pepper, and any other herbs. (See notes below.)
For "Regular" Nuggets
Coat the chicken pieces with the regular flour.
Season the breadcrumbs with salt, pepper, and other herbs.
Finishing both types of Nuggets
Dip the coated pieces in the egg mixture.
Coat the egg covered chicken pieces with either the seasoned, grain-free flour mixture or with breadcrumbs. (In the photo I was experimenting with coconut flour, but it didn't make crispy nuggets.)
Meanwhile, heat up some oil for frying. I like to use coconut oil or home rendered lard. Both of these oils are good, stable oils for frying.
Fry at medium to high heat until golden brown. Keep in mind that almonds will burn more easily than a traditional bread crumb coating. So, don't turn up the heat too high; and the thinner the chicken, the better, to assure a fully cooked tender without burning the breading.
Flip the chicken pieces and continue to fry until both sides are golden brown, and the center is cooked through.
Notes
These can be seasoned to suit your taste with a variety of herbs. (Parsley, garlic, oregano, and thyme are great choices).
I use about 1/2 tsp. of salt for every cup of the grain-free flour mixture (or breadcrumbs).
Bread the remaining chicken "scraps" and fry the pieces to make "popcorn chicken."
If you prefer, you can bake the nuggets in the oven instead of deep frying them. Bake at around 200ºC/400ºF for around 20 minutes, or until golden brown.