Naturally Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets – Easy and Dairy Free

These easy gluten free chicken nuggets are crispy on the outside, tender in the middle and made using a surprisingly simple coating of potato starch or cornflour. There are no gluten free breadcrumbs needed, making them a brilliant homemade naturally gluten free alternative to shop bought chicken nuggets. They are also naturally dairy and egg free too, so great if you also can't have those ingredients.

This recipe actually has a bit of a special story behind it. I first learned how to make this style of chicken while attending a gluten free Chinese cooking course at Sweet Mandarin in Manchester. During the course, we learned how potato starch is used to coat chicken for their delicious sweet and sour chicken, creating a light, crispy coating while helping to keep the chicken beautifully tender inside. Lisa shared the tip that they also make great chicken nuggets if served without the coating and that they are just as good made using cornflour, which is easier to get hold of that potato starch - cornflour is the option I tend to use most often when I make these gluten free chicken nuggets.

Of course, as soon as I tried it, I was in complete agreement, they were the easiest, crispy chicken nuggets you can do. The chicken is coated in a simple potato starch or cornflour mixture, chilled briefly to help tenderise the chicken, then coated in pure potato starch or cornflour before frying until golden and crisp.

You can serve these gluten free chicken nuggets simply with chips, vegetables and your favourite dipping sauce, making them perfect for an easy dinner. They are also the same style of coated chicken used in Sweet Mandarin's gluten free sweet and sour chicken, so you can use them as the base for a homemade gluten free Chinese fakeaway too.

The best part is just how simple they are to make. With only a handful of ingredients, these crispy gluten free chicken nuggets are a great option for when you want something quick, easy and completely gluten free.