I am so excited to share my recipe for Southern style gluten free chicken nuggets made in the oven using O-Live & Co Everyday olive oil.
This post is sponsored by O-Live & Co. All thoughts and ideas are originally mine.

A healthy alternative
Everyone loves chicken nuggets. I feel like I can say that confidently.
That said, not everyone loves what chicken nuggets do to our bodies.
All too often, nuggets are made with miscellaneous chicken parts (yuck!) and deep fried in oil that’s been sitting for hours, if not days.
That’s why O-Live & Co and I wanted to team up to share a healthier alternative for America’s favorite nugget.
Their Everyday Olive Oil is perfect for using in sauces, baking with, or drizzling over dishes as a finish.
Today we’re coating these chicken nuggets in a simple mix of gluten free flour, egg, and gluten free bread crumbs.
To really capture that Southern flavor we all love in our fried chicken, we’re seasoning at every step with lots of smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and freshly cracked pepper.
Plus we’re using some pickle juice in the honey mustard dipping sauce for an additional kick!
Cutting your chicken
When I first started testing this recipe, my mind was swirling with ideas about how to prep the chicken.
There are endless options here. You can use breasts or thighs. You can cut the chicken with a knife, or puree it in a food processor.
Because we are baking these gluten free chicken nuggets and not frying them, we want as much of that juicy chicken flavor retained as possible.
For that reason, I opted to use thighs instead of breasts, as they tend to be on the juicier side.
Next, I decided to air on the side of cutting the nuggets with a knife, in the interest of simplicity and not getting another kitchen gadget dirty!
The result? Perfectly juicy nuggets, baked in the oven, with O-Live & Co. olive oil and no deep fryer!
Dipping sauce success
No gluten free chicken nuggets are complete without one very important element. The dipping sauce.
Today we’re making a simple honey mustard sauce that will knock your socks off. This dipping sauce is made from a mix of honey, mustard, pickle juice, freshly cracked pepper, salt and olive oil.
No crazy highly processed ingredients. Just some basics that come together pretty magically.
First, you're going to mix the salt, pepper, mustard, honey and pickle juice. Basically everything except the olive oil. This is important because you want the rest of the ingredients consistently mixed before you drizzle in the oil.
Next, grab a whisk or spoon and mix while drizzling in the oil. You won't need a lot, but the oil will help create a beautifully smooth consistency in your dipping sauce.
Finally, grab a spoon (or a nugget) and taste test. You can adjust your salt and pepper as needed here.
And just like that, you've made gluten free chicken nuggets with a killer sauce!
Happy cooking!
PrintGluten Free Chicken Nuggets with O-Live & Co.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 servings
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Fast Food
- Method: Baked, Breaded
- Cuisine: American, Southern Inspired
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the Nuggets:
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1 lb chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
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1 cup flour (I used gluten free flour)
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2 eggs
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2 teaspoon O-Live Everyday Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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1 cup breadcrumbs (I used gluten free breadcrumbs)
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4 teaspoon garlic powder
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4 teaspoon smoked paprika
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4 teaspoon salt
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4 teaspoon pepper
For the Sauce:
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1 tablespoon dijon mustard
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1 tablespoon honey
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1 teaspoon pickle juice
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1 teaspoon salt
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1 teaspoon pepper
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½ tablespoon O-Live Everyday Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Optional toppings:
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fresh parsley
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cracked black pepper & flake salt
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an extra drizzle of honey over the hot chicken
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut the chicken thighs into bite sized pieces and season with 1 teaspoon of the garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon paprika and 1 teaspoon pepper.
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Prepare your breading station. Beat the eggs and olive oil in one bowl. Add the flour to the last bowl and mix with another teaspoon of each: garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Add breadcrumbs to another bowl and season with the remaining spices.
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Coat the chicken pieces by dipping first into the flour, then into the egg, then finally into the breadcrumbs.
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Arrange the nuggets on a parchment lined pan and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15-18 minutes (depending on the size of your nuggets), flipping halfway through the cook time.
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While the nuggets bake, make your sauce by mixing all ingredients well and serving in a small bowl. Serve with waffle fries and lots of nuggets! Enjoy 🙂
Keywords: Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets, Chicken Nuggets