These tasty gluten free chicken nuggets are also grain free and have a tex-mex twist! They’re a perfect pairing with my Chipotle Vegan Queso dip!

Wooden board with fiesta gluten free chicken nuggets and vegan queso sauce.

Homemade chicken nuggets are one of those things we never get tired of.

I try to make extra so I can have some leftovers to heat up for lunch, but the little buggers almost always eat everything.

Luckily homemade gluten free chicken nuggets are super easy to make, so I’ll just keep making bigger batches until I have a respectable amount left for a meal later in the week.

This particular gluten free chicken nuggets recipe has my Smoky Chipotle Taco Seasoning in the marinade AND the breading to give it have a boost of Tex-Mex flavor. (You can use any taco seasoning you like. I’m just partial to that one at the moment.)

And it goes beautifully with my Chipotle Vegan Queso recipe.

Let’s make some!

A glass dish with small pieces of raw chicken. Alongside sit some limes, salt, and taco seasoning

These healthy gluten free chicken nuggets start off with a simple marinade. You can marinate the chicken pieces at room temperature for about 30-45 minutes or you can prep it several hours ahead or the night before.

Did I mention these are egg free chicken nuggets? No eggs needed, so if you avoid them, you’re in luck.

Simple Chicken Marinade Ingredients

Lime juice
Salt
Smoky Chipotle Taco Seasoning (or any taco/mex inspired seasoning blend)

A white bowl with the gluten free breading ingredients -- tapioca flour, cassava flour, nutritional yeast, taco seasoning, and salt.

Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets Breading Ingredients

The breading is easy, too!

I love the addition of nutritional yeast to give it a boost of flavor. And the mixture of cassava & tapioca (or arrowroot) flours is the perfect grain-free breading ratio.

Using all cassava flour makes the coating a little chalky.

Using all tapioca flour makes it gummy when the chicken cools off.

Using a little of each gives you a light, crispy coating that keeps its texture.

I buy my cassava flour and nutritional yeast on Amazon. I really like the brand Anthony’s.

A zip top bag with the breading ingredients blended.

Can I make them plain instead?

I added a tex-mex spin on these gluten free nuggets, but if you’d rather make them plain that’s fine, too!

Omit the taco seasoning. Maybe use some all-purpose seasoning or an herb-garlic seasoning instead.

You can omit the nutritional yeast, too, but keeping it in would give it a nice flavor.

How to make the best gluten free chicken nuggets

I use the shake & bake method by combining the breading ingredients into a gallon-sized bag.

Chicken has been added to the zip top bag and shaken around to coat the pieces in the breading.

I used to think this method would make a big mess and the breading would be clumpy.

It surprises me every time how well it works!

A stainless skillet with hot coconut oil, cooking the chicken pieces.

Tips for Pan-Frying Breaded Chicken

Cover the pan with 1/4″ of oil and let it get really hot before you add the chicken. Not smoking, but pretty close.
Shake off the excess flour before putting the chicken pieces in the pan. If you have too much “sediment” in the pan it’ll end up burning after the 2nd or 3rd batch.
Don’t overcrowd the pan.
Once you put the chicken in the pan, DON’T TOUCH IT FOR AT LEAST 3-4 MINUTES. Especially if you aren’t using a non-stick pan. It’ll stick and then you’ll be sad.
Once the chicken has formed a crust on the bottom it should be easy to flip them over.
Don’t over cook them! They should be firm to the touch, with the slightest amount of give. And the crust should be golden brown.
Transfer them to a wire rack on top of a sheet pan instead of a plate with papertowels. This will allow them to cool without getting soggy on the bottom. I like to keep the pan in a warm oven while I cook the rest of the chicken.

Finished chicken nuggets alongside a bowl of vegan chipotle queso sauce.

Can I bake these nuggets in the oven?

Yes, but make sure you line your baking sheet with parchment so they don’t stick. You’ll also want to spray them with some kind of oil-based spray to help them get a nice, browned coating.

I’d bake them at about 400 degrees for 8-12 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken pieces.

Can I put them in an air fryer?

Sure! These nuggets can be made in an air fryer, but make sure you grease that tray really well.

Try cooking them at 400 degrees for 5-6 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Finished gluten free nuggets alongside the vegan queso sauce. Nuggets have been sprinkled with fresh cilantro and a little hot sauce.

Don’t these gluten free chicken bites look delicious??

Steve and I loved them with my Chipotle Vegan Queso. Make sure to soak your cashews the morning before you make these. Or pour boiling water over them and let them sit for 20 min if you forget to soak.

You could also serve them with another kind of dip — like Roasted Jalapeño Ranch, enchilada sauce, guacamole or a drizzle of Hot Honey Cilantro Glaze.

More Ideas for Serving gluten-free chicken nuggets

Popcorn chicken is usually an appetizer, but we eat it as a main dish! Here are a few ideas of how you can make this into a meal:

CRISPY CHICKEN SALAD — Add them to a bed of lettuce or some Southwest Cabbage Slaw and drizzle them with some paleo ranch and a side of avocado. And your favorite taco salad fixings.
CRISPY CHICKEN TACOS — Since this chicken has Tex-Mex/Latin flavors, it would be totally delicious in a taco. You can even chop them up to make them easier to put into tacos. A drizzle of my Citrus Crema would be delicious with this!
CRISPY CHICKEN SNACK PLATTER — Serve this alongside some fresh veg crudites or sweet potato fries with a couple of dips and you won’t even need utensils! My kids love meals like that.

If you like this recipe, try my delicious Paleo Fish Nuggets! My kids are just as wild about those as they are about paleo chicken nuggets.

If you make one of my recipes, be sure to post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Paleo Fiesta Popcorn Chicken with Vegan Queso

Yield: Serves 6

This tasty paleo friendly popcorn chicken has a tex-mex twist! They're a perfect pairing with my Chipotle Vegan Queso dip!

Ingredients

1 1/2 - 2 pounds of chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1 - 1/12 inch pieces
2 juicy limes
5 teaspoons taco seasoning, divided
1/2 teaspoon + pinch of sea salt
1/3 cup cassava flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour (or arrowroot flour)
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
Coconut oil or avocado oil, for pan-frying
1 batch Chipotle Vegan Queso

Instructions

Be sure to soak the cashews for the queso dip either the morning before you eat or an hour or two before by pouring boiling water over them. (See queso recipe for details.)
Put the chicken pieces in a shallow dish. Squirt the juice from one of the limes over the chicken. Sprinkle 3 teaspoons of taco seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon of salt on top and mix everything around until the chicken is evenly coated. Let it sit for 30-45 minutes at room temperature to marinate or up to 24 hours chilled.
While the chicken is marinating, make the Chipotle Vegan Queso dip and set it aside while you make the chicken.
When you're ready to cook the chicken, put the cassava flour, tapioca flour, nutritional yeast, a pinch of salt and the remaining 2 teaspoons of taco seasoning into a large gallon-sized zip-top bag. Shake it around to mix it well.
Add the chicken pieces to the bag and shake it around really well to coat all of the chicken in the breading. Let it rest inside the bag while you get the oil ready.
Put enough oil in a large skillet to cover the bottom in about 1/4" of oil. Bring it to high heat. The oil should "shimmer" on the bottom and a drop of water should sizzle loudly.
Fry the chicken in 2-3 batches, depending on the size of your pan. When you put a batch of chicken in the pan, don't touch it for at least 3-4 minutes to allow it to form a crust. Otherwise it's going to stick.
Flip the chicken pieces over and cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side until the chicken is cooked through and mostly firm when you poke it with a pair of tongs.
Transfer the chicken to a wire rack sitting on a rimmed sheet pan to cool. (I put it in a warm oven to keep the chicken warm.)
Cook the remaining batches of chicken, cut the remaining lime into wedges, and serve with the queso dip and lime slices. A shake or two of hot sauce is good on these, too!

Notes

Nat's Note:

I highly recommend using my Smoky Chipotle Taco Seasoning for this! My Chorizo Seasoning would be great as well. And if you're a purist, try my Homemade Taco Seasoning!

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