I make these chicken nuggets with canned chicken, shredded mozzarella, sunflower seed meal, and an egg, then coat them in crushed pork rinds and bake them at 450°F. The outside gets crisp and the inside stays tender and a little cheesy. There is no raw chicken to cut up and no flour in the breading. Mixing, shaping, and baking takes under 30 minutes. The recipe makes 15 nuggets, or 3 servings of 5.
I keep canned chicken on hand for quick recipes like these nuggets, my Canned Chicken Patties, and my Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad Cucumber Boats.
I serve these nuggets as a lunch, a dinner, a snack, or an appetizer, on their own or with a dipping sauce.
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💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Can be made and served in 30 minutes.
- Crushed pork rinds stand in for flour or bread crumbs in the breading. Sunflower seed meal takes the place of almond flour in the mixture.
- Canned chicken means there is no raw chicken to cut or cook first.
- They keep in the refrigerator for 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months, so they work for meal prep.
➡️ Ingredients
⏲ How to make chicken nuggets
This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare Chicken Nugget Mixture: To a mixing bowl, add the canned chicken, shredded mozzarella cheese, ground sunflower seed meal, egg, and spices. Using an electric mixer, mix all of that together until well combined.
- Prepare Breading: In a separate shallow mixing bowl, whisk together crushed pork rinds and cayenne pepper.
- Prepare Chicken Nuggets: Using a spoon, portion out about 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture and form it into a nugget shape, then gently dip and coat all sides of the nugget in the crushed pork rinds mixture. Transfer the breaded nugget to your prepared baking sheet. Repeat this process to yield 15 total nuggets. You will have leftover crushed pork rinds; do not discard them.
- Bake Chicken Nuggets: Transfer the baking sheet of nuggets to the oven and bake for 7 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and, using forks, flip each nugget over. Sprinkle the remaining crushed pork rinds atop the other side of the nuggets, then return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for an additional 6 minutes, until the nuggets are golden brown and crisp.
- Serve: Remove the baking sheet of chicken nuggets from the oven. Allow the nuggets time to cool slightly before serving on their own or with your favorite dipping sauce.
🍴 Nutrition
The recipe makes 15 nuggets, or 3 servings of 5 nuggets each. The calories, carbs, protein, and fat for each serving are in the nutrition label below the recipe instructions.
👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions
- Canned Chicken: Finely shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover finely shredded chicken breasts or chicken thighs will work.
- Ground Sunflower Seed Meal: Almond flour works as a 1:1 swap. I would not use coconut flour.
✨ Variations
- Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese to the breading mixture for some added texture and flavor.
- Add ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika to the breading mixture.
〰️ How to serve
- With a dipping sauce, like my homemade ketchup, vegan ranch dressing, horseradish sauce, or BBQ sauce.
- Serve them with these golden jicama fries in place of french fries.
- Serve with classic sides like these air fryer onion rings.
- Serve with veggie side dishes like red cabbage slaw and mashed cauliflower.
- Plate alongside refreshing salads like vegan Caesar salad or spinach and arugula salad.
➜ Cooking and recipe tips
- Be sure to drain and pat the canned chicken dry before you get started. This step ensures the ingredients combine well so that the nuggets can be formed.
- Don’t forget to generously coat your parchment paper with cooking spray. I like to use avocado oil cooking spray. This gets the nuggets a little crispier. If you don’t have cooking spray, drizzle oil on your parchment paper and then brush it around to coat the paper.
💬 FAQs
Can these be made in an air fryer?
Yes. Spray your air fryer basket with non-stick cooking spray and preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F. Once preheated, cook the nuggets for 7 minutes, flip each nugget over, then cook until they are crisp and golden brown, which should take approximately an additional 6 minutes.
How should the cooked chicken nuggets be stored?
Store the cooked nuggets in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Can the nuggets be frozen to eat later?
Yes. You’ll want to first freeze them spaced out and in a single layer so that they don’t all freeze together. To do this, place them on a baking tray and freeze them for 1 to 2 hours. Then transfer them to an airtight container or storage baggie and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How should the leftover nuggets be reheated?
If the chicken nuggets have been frozen, allow them to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then, reheat them in the oven at 450 degrees F, in the air fryer at 400 degrees F, or in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds (depending on the wattage of your microwave) until warmed throughout.
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Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
- 1 12.5-ounce can of chicken, drained, patted dry with paper towel
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (112 g)
- ½ cup ground sunflower seed meal or almond flour (55 g)
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup crushed pork rinds (about 50 g)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat Oven And Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and arrange oven rack on middle rack. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and spray generous coating of non-stick cooking spray atop parchment paper.
- Prepare Chicken Nugget Mixture: To a mixing bowl, add canned chicken, shredded mozzarella, ground sunflower seed meal, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. Using an electric mixer, mix together until well-combined.
- Prepare Breading: In a separate shallow mixing bowl, whisk together crushed pork rinds and cayenne pepper.
- Prepare Chicken Nuggets: Using a spoon, portion out about 2 tablespoons of chicken mixture and form into nugget shape, then gently dip and coat all sides of nuggets in crushed pork rinds mixture before placing on prepared baking sheet. Repeat this process to yield 15 total nuggets placed in a single layer on baking sheet. You will have leftover crushed pork rinds; do not discard.
- Bake Chicken Nuggets: Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake for 7 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven and, using forks, flip each nugget over. Sprinkle remaining crushed pork rinds atop other side of nuggets, then return baking sheet to oven and bake for an additional 6 minutes, until the nuggets are golden brown and crisp.
- Serve: Remove the baking sheet of chicken nuggets from the oven. Allow nuggets time to cool slightly before serving on their own or with your favorite dipping sauce.
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