Chicken Nuggets and Homemade Ranch Dressing

One of my Facebook friends was asking about a good chicken nugget recipe that was relatively healthier than the standard store bought nugget, and even though I’ve never been a huge nugget fan, I figured I’d give it a go with my air fryer.

Dude! I think I killed it (in a good way)! They came out SO stinkin’ good that I decided to freeze the rest and see how they do reheated later.

Gosh dangit I’m pretty proud of myself over these little nugglets!

Here are the ingredients for the nuggets:

1/2 cup bread crumbs (not panko)
1/4 cup almond flour
Your choice of seasonings to add to the breadcrumbs and to your taste.
2 medium eggs
2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
2 tablespoons taco/red sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Chicken breasts

We’ll start with the bread crumbs and flour and your desired seasonings. I used a roasted garlic and herb seasoning, along with a little garlic salt and pepper.

Just give it all a quick mix with a fork and set aside.

In another bowl, whisk your eggs and milk and taco sauce (the sauce is optional, but I love it. It won’t be spicy when you eat it, it’s just a layer of flavor).

Set that mixture aside and cut some chicken breasts into pieces (maybe about 1 1/2 inches).

Put your chicken in the egg mixture and cover in the fridge for about an hour. (This is optional, but best if you add the sauce. If you don’t have time just give it a couple of minutes).

Now it’s time to dredge the chicken!

You can single or double dip on these. I did a little mix of both. Below is an example of how to double dip.

Basically, cover in breadcrumbs then dip back into the egg mixture and cover in breadcrumbs a second time.

You can bake these easily enough, but man alive, I hate turning on my oven in the summer and my air fryer is so handy.

Before you bake or airfry, just be sure to spray both sides of the nuggets with a little cooking spray so they golden up.

I cooked these at 360° for 10 minutes before I turned them over and cooked 5 more minutes.

While those cooked I decided to make some homemade ranch for dipping. Y’all! Let me tell ya, homemade ranch dressing is so much better than bottled or packet made ranch.

Here is what you’ll need to mix up in a bowl:

1/2 cup of mayo
1/4 cup of sour cream
Dill weed
Dried basil
Cajun seasoning (optional)
Garlic seasoning
Salt and pepper
4-5 tablespoons of milk (your choice, I used unsweetened almond milk)

You want to go a little heavy on the dill, that helps it taste more ranchy. I am also pretty liberal with the garlic salt. It’s all to your taste, really.

I love this cajun seasoning in my ranch. Don’t add too much, you only need a shake or two for flavor.

I start out adding only one tablespoon of milk at a time so I don’t add too much and the dressing gets too loose in consistency. I added 4 total, which was great for dipping. I’d say for a salad you could add a few more.