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Whether you’re looking for new ways to get your kids to eat healthy, or are looking for some easy ways to sneak some extra veggies in, then look no further because this recipe has you covered on both fronts! Introducing my Easy Veggie Chicken Nuggets: the healthy, delicious, homemade chicken nuggets that you know and love, but with a veggie-packed twist. They’re full of zucchini, carrots, and onions, but you’d never know, which makes this the perfect recipe for the pickier eaters in your life! Serve them alongside my 5 Minute Healthy Ranch Dressing, and you’ve got a snack made in heaven!
Friends, if there is one dish that my boys will eat, every single day, without fail, it’s chicken nuggets. No matter what day of the week it is, or what meal we are eating, they will undoubtedly ask for chicken nuggets. And let’s be honest: some nights, this looks like heating up frozen chicken nuggets, in the oven, alongside a veggie. But on the days where I’m really looking to make sure that they get their nutrients in, I love to make these Easy Veggie Chicken Nuggets to satisfy their cravings while ensuring that all of their nutrient needs are met.
But while these nuggets are healthy, don’t be fooled: they are absolutely delicious. Especially, when paired alongside my homemade healthy ranch dressing. What could possibly be better than that?! My ranch dressing recipe is filled with healthy proteins and fats that, when paired with the chicken nuggets, will keep you feeling perfectly full and satisfied. And if you want to add a spicy kick to these nuggets try serving them with my spicy tahini ranch dressing instead.
The best part is, all of these recipes can easily prepared ahead of time and eaten throughout the week. Just store the baked chicken nuggets and ranch in separate containers, in the fridge, and pull them out when you’re ready to eat. These chicken nuggets reheat like a dream, and in just a few simple minutes in the oven (or air fryer) you’ll have a nostalgic meal ready in less time than it takes to grab fast food.
The 6 Ingredients You’ll Need to Make These Nuggets
- Ground Chicken: To make these chicken nuggets, you’ll need ground chicken, which you can get from your local butcher or any grocery store!
- Zucchini: Zucchini are high in antioxidants and are perfect for adding to this recipe.
- Carrot: Carrots are a true superfood! High in Vitamins A & K and Beta-carotene, they’re the perfect veggie to sneak into these chicken nuggets.
- Onion: Both red and yellow onions work well in this recipe. I personally use yellow onions!
- Seasonings: The perfect way to season these nuggets is with a combination of onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, sea salt, and black pepper. Yum!
- Egg: You’ll need one whole egg in order to make this recipe! The egg acts as a binder and ensures that the chicken nuggets stick together.
How to Make These Kid-Friendly Chicken Nuggets
To make these nuggets, start by preheating your oven to 400 F. Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. You may want to spray the pan lightly with olive oil, to ensure that the parchment paper sticks to it.
Next, wash and grate the zucchini, carrot, and onion. Then, add them to a cheesecloth or nut milk bag and squeeze as much liquid out of them as possible. If you don’t have a cheesecloth or nut milk bag, you can wrap paper towels around them and squeeze the moisture out that way. Once the veggies are prepared, set them aside while you prepare the chicken nuggets. Add the ground chicken to a large bowl alongside the onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, sea salt, black pepper, and egg. Mix until they’re fully incorporated, then add in the veggie mixture and stir until the veggies are mixed in with the chicken.
Then, use a spoon to scoop out approximately 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture and use your hands to form the mixture into nuggets. Line the nuggets up on the baking sheet and repeat until all of the mixture has been formed into nuggets.
Bake the nuggets for 15 minutes, then remove them from the oven, flip them, and bake them for another 10 minutes, until they reach an internal temperature of 165 F. Once they’re done, remove them from the oven, serve, and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to one week.
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.
** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim
Whether you're looking for new ways to get your kids to eat healthy, or are looking for some easy ways to sneak some extra veggies in, then look no further because this recipe has you covered on both fronts! Introducing my Easy Veggie Chicken Nuggets: the healthy, delicious, homemade chicken nuggets that you know and love, but with a veggie-packed twist. They're full of zucchini, carrots, and onions, but you'd never know, which makes this the perfect recipe for the pickier eaters in your life!
Ingredients
- 2 Small Zucchini grated; you can also use one large zucchini instead
- 1 Large Carrot grated
- ½ Onion grated or finely diced
- 1 ½ Pounds Ground Chicken
- 2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Egg
Instructions
- To make these nuggets, start by preheating your oven to 400 F.
- Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. You may want to spray the pan lightly with olive oil, to ensure that the parchment paper sticks to it.
- Next, wash and grate the zucchini, carrot, and onion. Then, add them to a cheesecloth or nut milk bag and squeeze as much liquid out of them as possible. If you don't have a cheesecloth or nut milk bag, you can wrap paper towels around them and squeeze the moisture out that way.
- Once the veggies are prepared, set them aside while you prepare the chicken nuggets.
- Add the ground chicken to a large bowl alongside the onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, sea salt, black pepper, and egg. Mix until they're fully incorporated, then add in the veggie mixture and stir until the veggies are mixed in with the chicken.
- Then, use a spoon to scoop out approximately 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture and use your hands to form the mixture into nuggets. Line the nuggets up on the baking sheet and repeat until all of the mixture has been formed into nuggets.
- Bake the nuggets for 15 minutes, then remove them from the oven, flip them, and bake them for another 10 minutes, until they reach an internal temperature of 165 F.
- Once they're done, remove them from the oven, serve, and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to one week. I recommend serving them with a side of my Healthy Ranch Dressing. Yum!
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