Healthy Chicken Nuggets - McDonald's Copycat Recipe
This healthy chicken nuggets recipe is perfect for McDonald's lovers! The taste and texture is just like a classic McDonald's nugget, but with a whole grain batter and panfried in avocado oil instead of deep fried.
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 681kcal
Cost: $10
Equipment
- Cookie Scoop or spoon for portioning
- cookie sheet lined with parchment
- Mixing Bowl
- medium skillet
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (raw) cut into cubes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/3 cups cornstarch divided
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour 130 grams fresh milled soft white wheat--see notes for sub
- 1 egg
- 1 cup water
- avocado oil for pan frying
Instructions
- Place the cubed chicken breast in a blender. Add 3/4 teaspoon of salt (save the other 3/4 for the batter) and the black pepper. Blend until perfectly smooth.2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (raw), 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Add 1/3 cup of the corn starch to a plate. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop out about 2 tbsp worth of the chicken mixture. Place on top of the cornstarch and lightly press with your fingers to shape & flatten. Gently turn over and coat both sides. Place the coated nugget on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Continue until all nuggets have been scooped & coated in cornstarch.1 1/3 cups cornstarch
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 20-30 minutes so the nuggets firm up and are easier to handle.
- Meanwhile, add the remaining 1 cup cornstarch, the wheat flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, egg, and water to a mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.1 1/3 cups cornstarch, 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, 1 egg, 1 cup water
- Pour enough avocado oil into a skillet to cover the bottom about 1/2 inch deep. Heat to medium-high.avocado oil
- When the oil is hot, take the nuggets out of the freezer. Using a fork, dip the nuggets one at a time in the batter. Use the fork to flip and gently shake off excess, then place in the frying pan. Repeat with more nuggets until the frying pan is comfortably full, but not so tight that the nuggets are touching.
- Fry for 3 minutes on the first side, then flip and fry 3 more minutes until golden brown. Remove cooked nuggets from the skillet and place on a plate. Repeat until all nuggets are cooked. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauces.
Video
Notes
I use freshly milled soft white wheat flour in this recipe. 1 cup is about 130 grams of grain. The store bought equivalent is whole wheat pastry flour. If you cannot find that, you can use whole white wheat flour instead, but this may make a "heavier" batter.
Nutrition
Calories: 681kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 772mg | Potassium: 645mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 88IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 2mg
