Description

These Sweet Potato Chicken Nuggets are a delicious and healthier twist on classic chicken nuggets, combining tender ground chicken with naturally sweet mashed sweet potatoes. Coated in a flavorful seasoned flour mixture and baked to crispy perfection, they make a perfect snack or meal option that’s easy to prepare and packed with satisfying flavors.

Ingredients

For the Nuggets:

1 medium sweet potato, cooked and peeled
1 lb ground chicken
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley

For the Seasoned Flour:

½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup corn starch
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika

Other Must-Haves:

Bowl of cold water
Oil spray

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Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or spray it lightly with oil to prevent sticking.
Prepare Nugget Mixture: In a large bowl, mash the cooked and peeled sweet potato with a fork until mostly smooth. Add ground chicken, salt, ground pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried parsley, then mix well until combined thoroughly.
Make Seasoned Flour: In another bowl, combine all-purpose flour, corn starch, salt, ground pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Mix well to create the seasoned flour coating.
Form Nuggets: Dip your hands in the bowl of cold water to keep the mixture from sticking. Take about one rounded tablespoon of the chicken mixture and shape it into a nugget using your hands. Dredge each nugget in the seasoned flour mixture, gently shake off any excess flour, and place the nuggets on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the mixture is shaped and coated.
Spray with Oil and Bake: Lightly spray the tops of the nuggets with oil spray. Bake them in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, flipping the nuggets halfway through cooking to ensure they cook evenly and are golden brown. The nuggets are done when the chicken is fully cooked and the coating is crisp.
Serve Warm: Remove from oven and serve warm, paired with your favorite dipping sauce such as sweet and sour sauce or ranch.

Notes

Ensure the sweet potato is fully cooked before mashing. You can microwave a pierced sweet potato for 5-7 minutes to speed this up. Let it cool before peeling.
One medium sweet potato yields about 1.5 cups mashed, but a bit more or less will still work fine in this recipe.
If preferred, you can substitute the seasoned flour with seasoned Italian breadcrumbs. For this, dip the raw nuggets in scrambled egg before coating with breadcrumbs to help them stick.
These nuggets can also be pan-fried in a little oil over medium-low heat if you want a different texture and method.
Serve with a homemade sweet and sour sauce for a tasty pairing.
Leftovers can be reheated, and these nuggets freeze well for easy future meals.