Healthy Homemade Chicken Nuggets with Honey Dipping Sauce
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Chicken nuggets: quite possibly the all-time favorite meal among kids in America. I don’t know anyone under 10 who doesn’t love chicken nuggets.
The problem with most chicken nuggets is they are full of junk like MSG, trans fats, and petrochemicals. And of course the chicken is usually from battery chickens from factory farms, which are pumped full of hormones and antibiotics and fed genetically modified corn and soybeans.
Check out the ingredients for McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets…
McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets:
Chicken, water, salt, modified corn starch, sodium phosphates, chicken broth powder (chicken broth, salt, and natural flavoring (chicken source)), seasoning (vegetable oil, extracts of rosemary, mono, di- and triglycerides, lecithin). Battered and breaded with water, enriched bleached wheat flour (niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), yellow corn flour, bleached wheat flour, modified corn starch, salt, leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, calcium lactate), spices, wheat starch, dried whey, corn starch. Batter set in vegetable shortening. Cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, (may contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated corn oil and/or partially hydrogenated canola oil and/or cottonseed oil and/or sunflower oil and/or corn oil). TBHQ and citric acid added to help preserve freshness. Dimethylpolysiloxane added as an anti-foaming agent. Source: Fast Food Facts: McDonald’s Ingredients List
I was going to mark the unhealthy ingredients in bold — but then I found I was bolding the whole dang list — LOL!
The most frightening of all is the tertiary butylhydroquinone, an antioxidant derived from petroleum that is either sprayed on the nugget or the inside of the box it comes in to help preserve freshness! TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone) is a form of butane (lighter fluid). The FDA allows processors to use it sparingly on food. Source: Chicken Nuggets, Twinkies and Candy… Do You Really Know What You’re Eating?
Needless to say, this is not food, folks. This is a bunch of petrochemicals, denatured flours, and rancid hydrogenated oils (trans fats). Not to mention GMOs.
Knowing what I know, McDonald’s chicken nuggets are not something I can ever consider feeding to my daughter. Not if I care about her health.
Here’s an easy, healthy recipe for homemade chicken nuggets that children will love.
What Makes These Homemade Chicken Nuggets So Healthy?
- Pastured or free-range, organic chicken
- Marinated in organic whole milk yogurt
- Sea salt instead of refined table salt
- Organic sprouted whole wheat flour instead of bleached white flour
- Fried in healthy beef tallow, lard or coconut oil
- Served with nutritious raw honey
- No petrochemicals, MSG, cancer-causing preservatives, or lighter fluid
You’ll be surprised at how easy this recipe is to make. You can also make a big batch of thse chicken nuggets and freeze them in freezer bags or butcher paper. To reheat, simply put them on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
Serve your homemade chicken nuggets with whatever you like — homemade mac & cheese, mashed potatoes (with cream and butter), or homemade sourdough biscuits. They would also go great on a fresh green salad.
And don’t forget the honey for dipping. Your kids will love it!
Healthy Homemade Chicken Nuggets with Honey Dipping Sauce
Equipment:
Cast iron skillet or large stainless steel saucepan
Tongs
Small finger bowls or ramekins
Ingredients:
3 pounds pastured (or free-range organic, if you can’t get pastured) chicken meat, cut into nugget-size pieces
2 cups organic whole milk yogurt or buttermilk (enough to cover the chicken)
1 yellow or white onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1-2 pinches cayenne pepper
1 1/2 – 2 cups sprouted flour (for sources of sprouted flour, see my resources page)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups beef tallow, lard or expeller pressed coconut oil — expeller pressed is flavorless so you don’t taste any coconut flavor (Please see my resources page for sources of beef tallow)
Raw honey
1. In a bowl, Pyrex baking dish or plastic freezer bag, marinate the chicken in yogurt or buttermilk with the onion, garlic, paprika and cayenne pepper for a minimum of 4 hours and up to 2 days.
2. Place chicken in a colander and drain off the excess buttermilk or yogurt.
3. Add the sprouted flour, sea salt, ground pepper, and chicken pieces to a large plastic freezer bag, zip to seal, and shake until the chicken is completely coated. You can also dredge the chicken in the flour mixture in a large bowl if you prefer.
4. Set a cast iron skillet or large stainless steel saucepan on medium heat and add the 2 cups of expeller pressed coconut oil.
5. The oil is hot enough when it starts to bubble — but not so hot that it’s smoking. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and fry for 3-5 minutes on each side, until dark golden brown.
6. Using tongs, remove chicken nuggets from the skillet and place on a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet, or on a plate or cookie sheet lined with a paper towel. Add sea salt to taste.
7. Serve with small bowls (I use small ramekins) of raw honey for dipping.
This post is part of the NO GMO Challenge blog carnival and Food Renegade’s Fight Back Fridays blog carnival. Check out Fight Back Fridays and the No GMO Challenge for more real food recipes and stories. And if you’re a blogger, go post your link!
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14/05/2009 at 10:24 am Permalink
Sounds good to me! But I’m one of the lucky ones. My 5 year-old daughter can’t stand Chicken McNuggets (or ketchup, burgers, french fries, and most of the stereotypical “kid’s meals” – groan). Except mac and cheese, which is her favorite meal. But with whole grain pasta, raw cheese, mushrooms and broccoli, I don’t worry about it, even celebrate it!
14/05/2009 at 10:31 am Permalink
Oh Vicky — You are lucky! I’ve only ever fed my kids Real Food, but they sure do LOVE going out for lunch with Granna or other friends and loading up on the ketchup, fries, burgers, and nuggets. Since it’s only once every couple of weeks, I let it go. But I can’t say they don’t like it!
Ann Marie — YUM! Thanks for sharing.
FoodRenegade’s last blog post..Top Five Thursdays — The Recipe Edition
14/05/2009 at 10:37 am Permalink
Homemade chicken nuggets are the best, yummy! We normally bake ours though, kids love them that way.
Erica’s last blog post..My Little Picasso
14/05/2009 at 10:42 am Permalink
Because my daughter is on gaps I always use almond flour. It’s so good! I’m going to use it with your recipe. Thanks.
Amy
Amy’s last blog post..I love…
14/05/2009 at 10:43 am Permalink
I make a similar version – but with added almonds in the batter. I also like to serve it with my moroccan preserved lemon and parsley tapenade so we can get some probiotic wee beasties into our bellies.
Jenny @ NourishedKitchen’s last blog post..Cranberry Masa Muffins
14/05/2009 at 12:56 pm Permalink
Erica, How do you bake yours?
14/05/2009 at 3:50 pm Permalink
what a great post – I never ever researched all that about McDonalds stuff, that is incredible! We just have never gone, I’m shocked they still exist, fast-food places, and to know that they are thriving while feeding non-food is very disturbing.
Great recipe – I’m going to try that too. We have been known to dip our chicken in a mixture of pureed broccoli before coating and frying too.
Annie – Hip Organic Mama’s last blog post..Mama was Right! (weight loss, processed health foods, real foods)
14/05/2009 at 3:56 pm Permalink
Sounds delicious
I’m still new enough to buying organic that I can’t imagine using our organic whole-milk yogurt as a *marinade*. At that price my family better consume every last bite of yogurt. I can’t bring myself to soak things in it and throw it away 
That type of thing is one the last remaining “sticking points” in my food conversion.
14/05/2009 at 5:53 pm Permalink
I pretty much do the same thing sometimes except I use brown rice flout (dont need the gluten). Thanks for posting this!
Carla’s last blog post..Green + Chic Baby Gift Sets
14/05/2009 at 7:30 pm Permalink
Thanks for the great post!
If I do not have sprouted flour, can I add whole wheat flour to the chicken-yoghurt mixture to marinate? Does it make a difference on the phytates?
What’s the purpose for the yoghurt? Is it for the taste?
Where do you marinate the chicken? In the fridge or freezer?
As I don’t really cook, some of the above questions may sound real silly. Hope you don’t mind.
Tks for your patience.
14/05/2009 at 8:11 pm Permalink
Amy – I would love to see your recipe for almond flour chicken nuggets!
14/05/2009 at 8:13 pm Permalink
Jenny -
Is that recipe for Moroccan preserved lemon and parsley tapenade on your website? Sounds amazing!
14/05/2009 at 8:40 pm Permalink
Anon -
My responses to your questions:
“If I do not have sprouted flour, can I add whole wheat flour to the chicken-yoghurt mixture to marinate? Does it make a difference on the phytates?”
Whole wheat flour does have a lot of phytates so you need to use sprouted flour. You can’t add the flour to the yogurt — you need to dredge the nuggets in plain, dry (non-yogurty) flour.
You can either buy sprouted flour or you can sprout and grind your own grains.
“What’s the purpose for the yoghurt? Is it for the taste?”
Yeah I think so. It’s basically the same thing as buttermilk fried chicken — only I’m using yogurt instead of buttermilk, b/c I don’t keep buttermilk around.
“Where do you marinate the chicken? In the fridge or freezer?”
Fridge
“As I don’t really cook, some of the above questions may sound real silly. Hope you don’t mind.”
Not at all!
14/05/2009 at 8:51 pm Permalink
My Boys’ Teacher:
I only used yogurt because I tend to have it hanging around.
You can use buttermilk — which is the leftover stuff from making butter. Not very valuable — which is why people have traditionally used it as a marinade.
I don’t make my own butter so I don’t have buttermilk.
15/05/2009 at 2:14 am Permalink
How about using kefir? I was thinking about making it, when Kate is here, but I don’t have yogurt starter.
15/05/2009 at 5:40 am Permalink
Nancy –
Try using kefir and see if it works! You might not want to marinate as long since kefir is more sour.
I have 2 new yogurt starters. They are both countertop yogurt starters — so easy to use (just leave on counter overnight like kefir) I will bring you some yogurt starter if you want when we come. I also have more sourdough starters.
Will call you soon about dates.
xoxo
15/05/2009 at 6:50 am Permalink
Here’s another, non-fried, quickie just as good version! You can marinate 1″ cubes of fish, chicken, veal, or pork if you want, but not necessary. Step 2: (Drain excess marinade, if any, off.) Dredge in olive oil or melted butter. Step 3: Shake, a few at a time, in bag of very finely ground, dried, and seasoned crackers, whole wheat bread crumbs, whole wheat cereal, etc. …anything healthy and whole, unsweetened. Italian seasonings, various herbal or chipotle combo seasonings are great! Step 3: Place on baking sheet. For a crispier top, spray lightly with melted butter. Step 4: Bake at 500* for 7 minutes. Step 5: Provide dips of homemade BBQ sauce, honey-mustard, healthy ranch, or just plain ketchup. MMMMMMMMMMMMmm!
15/05/2009 at 6:52 am Permalink
Those look absolutely delicious! But like Anon, I don’t have sprouted flour (looking for some locally) and don’t have a grain mill at this time. Is there an alternate grain that could be used?
Mary Ellen’s last blog post..Frugalicious Fashion
15/05/2009 at 7:39 am Permalink
WOW! My mouth is watering!
Kimi @ The Nourishing Gourmet’s last blog post..Nourishing Frugal Cooking Class: A Peasant’s Feast
15/05/2009 at 8:10 am Permalink
Hi, Mary Ellen
I don’t have a local source for sprouted flour either and do not have a grain grinder yet.
I buy my sprouted flour from Peggy at To Your Health Sprouted Flour. She’s super sweet and ships fast. And the flour is great. I store it in the freezer.
http://www.sproutedgrainbread.com/products.html
As far as other grains, feel free to experiment. You could try almond flour or coconut flour. You would need to soak/sprout the almonds to avoid the phytic acid. You could also try rice flour which Carla suggested above. Rice is lower in phytic acid so you could probably just use as is.
The nuggets are great with the sprouted flour though!
15/05/2009 at 8:13 am Permalink
Mb – sounds yummy! As long as you use sprouted grain or real sourdough breads or crackers. You want to avoid the phytic acid.
I might try this with finely ground breadcrumbs from my sourdough bread. Mmmm maybe I’ll try that tonight!
I wonder if it’s as good in the oven as it is fried in coconut oil. I LOVE how it comes out fried. What do you guys think — do your baked versions come out as crispy and yummy?
15/05/2009 at 1:25 pm Permalink
Tertiary butyl hydroquinone isn’t so much a form of butane, but a form of hydroquinone.
Some biochemical compounds in nature are related to hydroquinone, such as Coenzyme Q. It used to be used mostly as a photographic developer, back in the days of black-and-white film. These days, it’s sold mostly as a skin lightener and the FDA proposed a ban on over-the-counter cosmetics containing hyquinone in 2006. That’s externally use. And Micky D wants to put it in our stomachs? It’s already banned in Europe. (The cosmetics aren’t just for African-Americans that want to lighten their skin, but also for the elimination of liver spots (age spots) and blemishes.
The bombadier beetle squirts hyoquinone and hydrogen peroxide together to produce a hot spray that it uses for defense.
Nasty stuff. Oh, and you forgot to mention. It’s carcinogenic. Carcinogenic: category 3, mutagenic: category 3, considered hazardous for the environment.
I had no idea Micky D. was quite that dumb. I thought they only sold coffee that gives you third-degree burns.
Harl Delos’s last blog post..Fighting City Hall – And The Post Office
15/05/2009 at 1:53 pm Permalink
I add breadcrumbs to my fry mix. I do use the sourdough crumbs or sourdough croutons. They add a great texture to the fry mix. These are both a great way to use up old sourdough bread. Our sourdough get more sour each day and when it gets too sour I slice the bread and dry it out in the oven. For croutons I slice and dice and heavily season. I leave it in the oven 24 hours on the “warm” setting (about 150 degrees), and toss every few hours. These will store for a long time.
Billie’s last blog post..Kefir! More good news!
15/05/2009 at 2:30 pm Permalink
Okay – so fry it, then freeze it. Got that. But does anyone know how long to microwave it, or should I just try it out. I can’t see myself heating up the oven for chicken nuggets during a SoCal summer…
Princess Edamame’s last blog post..Interview Meme
16/05/2009 at 11:52 am Permalink
As an avid chicken wing and beer fanatic, I cannot wait to try these! I am a personal trainer and tennis coach, and unfortunately have a fetish for the aforementioned! These will be great to try out….tonight!
Pauly P’s last blog post..Anita’s Penne and Broccoli
16/05/2009 at 6:11 pm Permalink
I too would like to know how to do this with coconut flour. My son is allergic to gluten, wheat and nuts.
16/05/2009 at 9:35 pm Permalink
Oh Yum! Those look really good.
I have heard that you can grind 1c of wheat berries in a blender or what will fit in a dedicated coffee grinder. I have not tried either with wheat. I have made brown rice flour using the coffee grinder and it worked well. (I think I used 1/2c but I’m not sure.) I have a bag of wheat waiting but I’m not sure when I’ll get to it. (Still trying to work my way through nourishing traditions with a teething baby.)
17/05/2009 at 10:14 am Permalink
Ann Marie,
but to be honest don’t really know if gluten is an issue. I wonder if he’d be ok with sprouted flour, any thoughts since Kate had the gluten issue?
I know you have mentioned that Kate is allergic to gluten in the past, can she tolerate the sprouted wheat flour on the nuggets? I keep my son away from gluten because of his now mostly cured eczema
Thanks!
18/05/2009 at 5:20 am Permalink
I’d love some of the new cultures! Thanks! Can’t wait to see all of you!
xoxox
18/05/2009 at 1:19 pm Permalink
OK guys I did another round of testing with some different variables:
Egg instead of yogurt/buttermilk, with sprouted flour
Egg instead of yogurt/buttermilk, with sourdough breadcrumbs
Egg instead of yogurt/buttermilk, with a combo of sprouted flour and sourdough breadcrumbs
I’ll post soon with the results.
PS: They ALL came out good.
21/05/2009 at 4:59 pm Permalink
Mmm we loved these! We thought it’d be tough finding a WAPF-friendly alternative to our favorite baked, low-fat, cereal-encrusted ones but we are thrilled with these.
To get the most out of the coconut oil, we made potato chips with the meal. It works best if you do the chips first with all the chicken residue that accumulates.
Yum! Thanks for posting!
05/06/2009 at 10:44 am Permalink
I love your blog!!
The yogurt/buttermilk is not only used for flavor. The primary reason it is used in cooking is as a tenderizer. Great to tenderize meat – they’ve been doing it for centuries in the middle east. It is also a tenderizer in baking producing a moist crumb.
I make chicken nuggets for my little girl by using ground chicken (this last time turkey), eggs, steamed broccoli, and sourdough breadcrumbs. I season this mix with herbs and spices (garlic, onion, papkrika, marjoram, thyme, salt, pepper).
I shape them like little fat logs and bake them. I serve them with ‘dippy sauce’ – homemade ranch made with sour cream, mayo (olive oil and coconut oil), and buttermilk and herbs.
I haven’t met a kid yet who doesn’t like them. And they freeze great.
16/08/2009 at 6:24 am Permalink
I having started making the frying mix and it is marinating at the moment. I am in Scotland and we do not have the flour you are talking about. would it be ok to use plain flour. please help as it be ready in 4 hrs and dont want to ruin in if it wont work
16/08/2009 at 6:50 am Permalink
Yes you can use plain flour — it’s just not as nutritious. Sprouted flour is healthier.
You can also use breadcrumbs instead of flour if you have some sourdough bread — just toast it and run it through your food processor.