This amazing recipe for paleo crunchy chicken nuggets with a basil Taiwanese twist comes from our Merry recipe contributor, the lover-ly and adorable ChihYu from I Heart Umami. Over to you ChiYu! E + C
I’m so excited to be sharing one of my favourite recipes – basil infused Taiwanese paleo crunchy chicken nuggets – with you today. I’m ChihYu from IHeartUmami.com – a food website dedicated to helping busy folks prepare delicious Asian-inspired paleo meals without hassle or extra shopping trips.
I met the lovely Carla and Emma just a few short months ago in Bangkok, and their genuine love and positive energy have touched so many people’s hearts: I am one of many who fell in love with them right away! 🙂
So when the sisters asked that I share a recipe with their readers, I decided to pull out all the stops and share this Taiwanese national pride dish with you.
These Taiwanese paleo crunchy chicken nuggets are insanely delicious. If you love and crave Asian food, this dish is for you.
It tastes so good and you won’t believe it’s healthy!
Tips on making golden delicious Basil Infused Taiwanese Crunchy Chicken Nuggets –
- Fewer steps & fewer carbs for the win: unlike traditional chicken nuggets – dipped in flour, egg, and flour again – this recipe uses only sweet potato flour/powder or arrowroot flour/powder only. No need to dip in egg or another layer of flour/breading mix.
- Super flavorful: marinate the chicken pieces overnight in the fridge for maximum flavor but if you are short on time, 2 hrs should be okay.
- Crunchy and golden delicious: pan-fry the chicken in separate batches and don’t overcrowd the frying pan so that your chicken nuggets will be extra crunchy and looking gorgeous!
- No coconut aminos? If you can’t find coconut aminos, the next best alternative will be gluten-free low sodium tamari.
- Basil infused flavour: when you pan fry the basil, because the leaves contain water, they will splatter even after you pat them dry really well. So please be extra careful and use a splatter or deep frying pan cover.
Looking for a perfect dipping sauce to go with these basil infused Taiwanese crunchy chicken nuggets?
Check out the merrymaker sisters’ dipping sauce recipes. There are so many to choose from – the paleo tomato, wholegrain mustard, or creamy pine nut will all go perfectly with these chicken nuggets.
And if you love original flavour, simply follow the steps below for an authentic taste.
I hope you enjoy this post and I welcome your tips and suggestions about what’s worked for you in your own paleo cooking. And if you want more of my Asian-inspired Paleo recipes, find them all at IHeartUmami.com.
- 680 g (1 ½ lbs.) skinless chicken breasts or thigh, slice into bite-sized chunks.
- 1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves (including stem. Alt. Italian basil).
- 1 cup sweet potato flour/powder (or arrowroot flour/powder)
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, avocado oil, or ghee (to pan-fry the nuggets)
- 2 large garlic cloves, grated
- 2 tbs. coconut aminos (or 1 ¼ tbs. gluten-free tamari)
- ½ tbs. fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
- ½ tsp. white pepper
- ½ tsp. five-spice powder
- Start with the marinade.
- Add all marinade ingredients and chicken into a container. Gently stir and coat the marinade evenly over each piece.
- Seal in a container and refrigerate overnight (or at least 2 hours in the fridge).
- Once marinated toss and coat the chicken with sweet potato flour in a large zip lock bag. Leave in the fridge while you make the basil oil!
- Now to infuse the oil with basil.
- Heat oil in a deep frying pan (or dutch oven).
- While the oil heats, use a paper towel to pat dry the basil leaves.
- When the oil is hot, lower the heat to medium-low, then carefully add 1 cup of basil.
- Use an oil splatter guard and be careful about the splatter. Once the basil is crispy, it should take about 5 seconds, remove and drain on paper towel and set aside. Keep the basil oil in the pan on medium heat.
- Now time to fry the chicken.
- Fry the chicken in separate batches until they are completely cooked through and golden brown in colour. Remove the chicken and drain on a paper towel.
- For the final touches, crush the fried basil leaves.
- Place the crunchy chicken nuggets into a large mixing bowl with the crushed basil leaves and a little salt and pepper into the chicken.
- Serve immediately with your favourite icy cold drink!
- Impress your guests at your next dinner party. Serve a big platter of these with delish as home made dipping sauce.
