Low Carb Fajita Chicken Nuggets

Nuggets aren’t just for the kids! Get your fix and keep it keto with this adult (and kid) friendly fajita inspired chicken nugget.

When I think of chicken nuggets, I think greasy (sometimes way too delicious) fast food. Every once in a while I still get a craving for french fries, a bacon cheeseburger, or even chicken nuggets. I am now a firm believer that the worst food cravings create the best recipes. This is why I just couldn’t wait to share this fabulous homemade version with you.

Not only were they healthier than anything you will find in the drive through, but the flavors are incredible. Also, anything I can dip in guacamole and sour cream is also a winner in my book. Best part? They are gluten free, keto friendly, paleo, easy to assemble, and packed with veggies and flavor! I honestly have been snacking on the leftovers straight out of my fridge all week.

The full recipe for these Low Carb Fajita Chicken Nuggets can be found at the bottom of the post. Read on for a few tips and tricks!

“School” Supplies:

• Knife/ Cutting Board
• Large Mixing Bowl
• 2 Small Mixing Bowls
• Spoon/ Cookie Scoop
• Frying Pan (only if pan frying)
• Baking Sheet & Wire Racks (only for baking)
• Spatula

“Class” Notes:

I started with my favorite fajita veggies, like lots of sweet bell peppers in red, yellow, and orange. I also added some red onion, garlic, and diced jalapenos. You can easily create your own blend of fajita seasoning mix to avoid the extra additives you commonly find in the store bought packets.

Add the veggies, fajita seasoning mix, egg, and ground chicken to a large bowl. I also mixed in a little almond flour to help bind the nuggets together. Next, add some more almond flour (for the outer coating) to a bowl along with more fajita seasoning too.

To make the nuggets, simply use a spoon or cookie scoop to scoop about a tablespoon of the chicken mixture. I plop (very technical culinary term) the mixture right into that almond flour “breading” and flatten it out a bit and coat it evenly on both sides. The almond flour mixture should just naturally (it’s really moist) lightly stick to the outside of the chicken. DO NOT OVER BREAD.

Set it aside and repeat until they are all made! You can choose to bake or pan fry (I have done both). If you bake them, bake on a greased wire rack so the air gets the tops and the bottoms crispy (I also spray the tops with a bit of olive oil too to help get crispy).

Pan frying tastes the best in my opinion. Add a little avocado oil (only a few tsp) to a pan on medium heat and cook each side for  4 minutes or so until golden brown on medium heat (to high of heat you will burn the almond flour). Make sure to ONLY use a non-stick pan and only flip one time each to prevent the almond flour from falling off.

Finally, my favorite part… eating and dipping! Pair these nuggets with my favorite guacamole, some sour cream, or even a good chipotle mayo! I love to freeze these raw and then bake/ fry straight from the freezer too.

Have leftovers? They can easily be reheated in the oven or even in a frying pan but taste just as amazing cold too! I hope you are as addicted to these Low Carb Fajita Chicken Nuggets as we are!

Need a cold low carb beverage to go with these delicious nuggs? Check out my Low Carb Strawberry & Lime Margaritas. 

Bon Appeteach,

-L

Low Carb Fajita Chicken Nuggets

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Low Carb Fajita Chicken Nuggets

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 Nuggets

Calories: 326kcal

Author: Bon Appeteach

Ingredients

• Fajita Seasonings:
• 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Pepper
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne
• 1 lbs. Ground Chicken
• 1/2 Jalapeno minced
• 1/4 cup Red Pepper minced
• 1/4 cup Yellow Pepper minced
• 1/4 cup Orange Pepper, minced
• 3 Tbsp. Red Onion minced
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 cup Crushed Pork Rinds for the chicken filling
• 1/2 cup Almond Flour for the outer breading

Instructions

• In a small dish, mix together all the fajita seasonings. In a bowl combine the ground chicken, the veggies, egg, and 1/4 cup almond flour. Mix in half of the fajita seasoning mixture. Use your hands to mix everything well, almost as if you were making meatloaf.
• In another bowl, combine the 2/3 cup of almond flour (for the breading) and the other half of the seasoning mixture. Mix well. Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, scoop out the chicken mixture and drop it directly into the almond flour. The chicken is naturally moist, the almond flour will easily stick with a thin coating. Do not over bread!
• To form the nuggets, flatten it a little in your hand and round it out to create a "nugget" about 1/3" thick. Set them aside and repeat until all the chicken nuggets are made.
• BAKING INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with a roasting rack or cooling rack over the top. Spray with a non-stick spray. Place the nuggets on to the wire rack on the cookie sheet. Spray the top layer of nuggets with a non-stick olive oil spray as well. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Once they are cooked, brown them slightly under the
  broiler if desired. Note- They will not be as crispy as the pan-fried nuggets.
• PAN FRYING INSTRUCTIONS: In a large (NON-STICK ONLY) frying pan over medium heat, add about 2-3 tsp of avocado oil (Avocado oil has a really high smoke point so this is what I prefer). Once the oil is hot add about half of the formed nuggets into the pan (do not over crowd them) and cook
  about 4 minutes per side. Let each side cook for the allotted time and flip
  only once. Flipping several times may result in the breading coming off a bit.
  Between batches, feel free to carefully wipe out the pan with a paper towel if
  needed and add more oil.
• Once cooked, remove from the heat and place on a paper towel lined plate.

Notes

Serve with guacamole, sour cream, or a chipotle mayo sauce if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 104mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g