Cali Veggie Chicken Nuggets
If you are trying to get kids to eat more vegetables, try combining their love of chicken nuggets with a variety of California Grown vegetables to create delicious, dippable nuggets. These are easy to make, turn out golden brown and delicious when cooked in an air fryer, and can be dunked in anything from Ranch dressing and ketchup or your favorite barbecue sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 2 cups diced white sweet potato peeled
- 1 cup carrots peeled, diced
- 1 lb lean ground chicken
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- Non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two cookie sheets or baking trays with parchment paper.
- Combine cauliflower, sweet potato, and carrots in a food processor and pulse repeatedly until finely chopped. The veggie mixture should look like small grains of rice.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the finely chopped vegetables with the ground chicken, Italian seasoning, and garlic salt. Use your hands to mix until combined.
- Use a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon to place 20 scoops of the vegetable-chicken mixture on each cookie sheet. Use your hands to roll each scoop into a ball.
- Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Roll each ball in breadcrumbs, then flatten slightly with your palm, and use your fingers to shape into a nugget that is approximately 2-inches x 1-inch x 1/2-inch. Place coated, shaped nuggets back onto the parchment lined cookie sheets.
- Spray the nuggets with the cooking spray, bake for 12 minutes, remove from the oven, flip over each nugget and spray the top side, return to the oven, and bake for another 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. If using an air fryer, cook at 425°F for 25 minutes.
Notes
TIP: If you want to freeze nuggets, it’s best to par-bake them for 15 minutes, then freeze, and bake or air fry from frozen according to the directions in step 6.
Nutrition
Serving: 5nuggetsCalories: 160kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 220mgPotassium: 300mgFiber: 2g
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