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What the heck is a finger nugget you ask? Well, it’s those things in the picture above. When I made these the first time, I was in somewhat of a hurry, so I haphazardly cut my chicken breasts into pieces. I realized as I was cooking that they were a little too big to be called nuggets, but yet a tad too small to be called fingers. Finger nuggets were born. Silly story, I know. But, it’s fun to say! 🙂

These are SO tasty! The coconut flour and shredded coconut combo make almost a Panko-style breading. They fry up nicely and can be served in any number of ways. They taste great on salads, on sandwiches, or just as is. You could even make mini chicken parmigiana if you wanted! Try dipping them in your favorite sauce. Before I went dairy-free, ranch dressing was my favorite.

Gluten & Grain-Free Crispy Coconut Chicken Finger Nuggets

These are SO tasty! The coconut flour and shredded coconut combo make almost a Panko-style breading. They fry up nicely and can be served in any number of ways.

Ingredients

Finger Nuggets:
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into strips
3 pastured eggs
1/4 cup coconut milk (I used canned, rather than homemade to make the eggs not as runny)
3/4 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
Palm shortening or expeller-pressed coconut oil for frying
Tangy Balsamic Dip:
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1.5 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Dash of sea salt
Dash of black pepper

Instructions

Cut your chicken breasts into fingers or strips. Set aside.
In a shallow bowl, beat 3 eggs.
Add the coconut milk and mix well.
In a separate shallow bowl, mix the coconut flour, shredded coconut, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined. You want to make sure there are no lumps left in the coconut flour.
In a large frying pan, start heating your palm shortening or coconut oil over medium heat.
As the oil is heating, you can start breading the chicken.
Take a piece of chicken and dredge in the coconut flour mix. Then, dredge in the egg mixture. Then, back over to the coconut flour. You want dry –> wet –> dry. Set on a separate plate and repeat with your other pieces of chicken.
Once your oil is heated, you can start adding the chicken in. You want to make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan, so make sure each piece of chicken has plenty of room around it. Also, keep an eye on the temperature of the oil so it doesn’t burn. I usually have to turn mine down to medium-low to keep the oil from getting too hot.
Flip each piece of chicken gently and cook until golden brown. If you’re frying in a deep pan, the chicken will be done when it floats. You can also put the chicken on a sheet pan and cook in the oven if you’re concerned with the pieces being done. If you have a big batch, it’s also nice to keep the chicken warm in the oven.
When you’ve cooked all the chicken, you’re ready to serve.
Tastes great in a wide variety of dipping sauces, but my new fave is the sweet and tangy balsamic mustard dip, which is super easy to whip up! Just mix the three ingredients above until smooth!
Enjoy! If you have leftovers, they reheat nicely in the oven!