Kid-Friendly Sweet Potato and Chicken Nuggets (Paleo, Whole 30, GF)

It made these during a kid-friendly cooking day. As you can see in the photo, I whipped up Paleo/Whole 30 nuggets, Kid-Friendly crunchy breaded nuggets, Keto Meatballs, and some old fashioned Pepperoni Pinwheels for the picky eaters as well as several veggie sides.

The great thing about these nuggets is that they look just like regular chicken nuggets and have a texture similar to processed nuggets, but they are half vegetables! You can sneak in veggies while still giving kids and adults alike a familiar comfort food.

Healthy Sweet Potato and Chicken Nuggets

  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 1 1/2 lbs baked sweet potatoes (about 3 medium)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Directions

  • Bake sweet potatoes until soft. Poke them with a fork and either microwave them for 5-7 minutes each or bake them all at 400F for 45-50 minutes, until tender.
  • When the sweet potatoes are cool enough to touch with bare hands, slit them open and scoop the contents into a large bowl.
  • Add the almond flour, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper to a metal bowl. Mix well until the spices are blended with the sweet potatoes.
  • Mix in the ground chicken and the egg. The mix will be VERY sticky! Knead it with your hands until everything is completely blended. You may need to use the back of a spoon to scrape it off your fingers.
  • Put the metal bowl of ingredients in your freezer for 20 minutes. This lets it cool and solidify enough to handle. If you try to make nuggets without chilling it first you’ll just end up with sticky hands.
  • Preheat your oven to 350F. Cover a baking sheet with foil and spritz it with nonstick spray.
  • With damp hands, grab golfball sized pieces of dough and form them into nuggets.
  • Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, flip the nuggets over, and continue cooking for another 20 minutes.
  • If you want some extra aesthetic browning, turn your broiler on and pop the nuggets under it for 2 minutes.
  • To reheat, arrange a single layer of nuggets on a plate. Cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 1 minute. Check for doneness (microwave temps vary wildly). Add another 30 seconds if not done yet. These heat up fast!