The Best Paleo Buffalo Chicken Nuggets (Whole 30)

The Best Paleo Buffalo Chicken Nuggets made in the air fryer or in the oven! Takes 20 minutes to cook and we share our secrets on how to get CRISPY and healthy chicken nuggets.

These paleo buffalo chicken nuggets are HERE! Or as my brother likes to call them “buff chick nuggets”.

We are a huge crispy chicken tender kind of family over here. I have a handful of different versions on the blog like these Healthier Crispy Paleo Chicken Tenders, Paleo Crispy Chicken Nuggets (nut-free!) and the original ones, those The Best Crispy Avocado Oil Chicken Tenders (paleo). Needless to say, there are plenty of options to whip up.

But now we have ones with a bit of extra spicy to them. Inspired by the classic buffalo wings except easier to prep in advance then eat and a fun way to switch things up with chicken nuggets.

This is one of my absolute favorite recipes to make for Super Bowl, an easy weeknight meal or anytime. Not to mention that these are killer on a salad too if you want to put some on top of a bed of greens of sorts. I love serving this with some crunchy romaine with avocado, pickled onions and any dressing I have on hand.

What ingredients are in these buffalo chicken tenders:

• Boneless chicken breasts or thighs cut into small pieces/strips
• Almond flour
• Arrowroot or tapioca flour
• Garlic powder
• Smoked paprika
• Eggs
• Buffalo sauce (mild or hot)
• Avocado oil

How to make these buffalo chicken nuggets in the oven or the air fryer:

Oven method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and add an oven-safe cooling rack to your baking sheet (this is a game changer!)
2. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs
3. In another shallow bowl, mix together the flour + spices
4. Dip a piece of chicken into egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off then into the flour mixture and add to baking sheet. Repeat for each piece of chicken
5. Drizzle or spray the chicken on the sheet with oil to optimize crisp
6. Bake in oven for 20-22 minutes, flipping halfway through (cook until chicken isn’t pink!)
7. Add the chicken to a large bowl and toss in buffalo sauce
8. Serve while warm and dip in your favorite condiment

Air fryer method:

1. Heat your air fryer to 400 degrees and add an oven-safe cooling rack to your baking sheet (this is a game changer!)
2. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs
3. In another shallow bowl, mix together the flour + spices
4. Dip a piece of chicken into egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off then into the flour mixture and add to baking sheet. Repeat for each piece of chicken
5. Drizzle or spray the chicken on the sheet with oil to optimize crisp
6. Bake in air fryer for 18-20 minutes, flipping halfway through (cook until chicken isn’t pink!)
7. Add the chicken to a large bowl and toss in buffalo sauce
8. Serve while warm and dip in your favorite condiments

The key to making healthy chicken nuggets crispy:

• ORDER THIS baking sheet! It is a game changer guys. Your chicken cooks on top of the cooling rack on the baking sheet and it helps it get extra crispy
• Don’t skip on the tapioca flour – this helps the flour combination really get extra crispy and crunchy in the oven
• Drizzle oil or spray some oil on top before you bake the chicken AND half way through

Tips on how to make these the best healthy crispy chicken nuggets:

1. Use a cooling rack ON the baking sheet just like this one when you bake cheese in the oven. It is such a game changer tip that my husband suggested.
2. Don’t forget to drizzle on oil on top or spray some oil on top of the chicken nuggets before going in the oven too. This will ensure the crisp factor as well.
3. Don’t skip on the tapioca flour. This combined with almond flour gives the chicken nuggets the best texture.

 

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