Sweet Potato Chicken Poppers
These sweet potato chicken poppers are the original sweet potato chicken nuggets the internet fell in love with! They’re gluten, dairy, and egg-free and are so simple to make!
Are you a chicken nugget fan? Or maybe you have one in the family? I feel you! Chicken nuggets are life, and I was obsessed for the first half of my life, if not more.
Chicken nuggets are one of those foods that seem like you’d never be able to make a healthier version of… think again! This recipe first premiered on my website in 2017 and was my very first viral recipe. It took Pinterest by storm, and really put my blog (which now reaches millions) on the map. Since then, I’ve made other versions, like my breakfast sausage chicken poppers, but this is the legit OG!
These sweet potato chicken poppers are the real food version of chicken nuggets made with veggies instead of breading. They’re gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and so easy to make!
Why you’ll love sweet potato chicken poppers
- Veggie goodness! This recipe uses veggies instead of breading for an extra nutritious boost.
- Quick and easy. These chicken poppers come together so quickly and easily. The longest part of the hands-on process is rolling them into nuggets; even then, that’s relatively quick. Think of it almost like a sheet pan meal, like this gluten-free sheet pan sesame chicken or gluten-free sheet pan shrimp fried rice. You get everything you need on one sheet pan!
- Allergen friendly. They’re paleo, Whole 30 friendly, and even AIP Diet friendly.
- Total crowd pleaser. This recipe is loved by kids and adults alike!
Recipe Ingredients
- Ground Chicken. If you can find the ground chicken in the store, you can easily use a food processor to grind chicken breast or thigh into ground chicken.
- Sweet Potato. You’ll grate the sweet potato for this recipe. You can either use a grater or a food processor.
- Coconut flour. The coconut flour helps to bind this recipe.
- Garlic powder, onion powder, and green onion.
Modifications & Substitutions
- Seasonings. These seasonings are mild and more kid-friendly, but you can easily switch up the seasonings with herbs or something spicier if you prefer!
- Ground turkey. This can easily be swapped in for ground chicken.
- Carrots. Carrots work just as well in this recipe. The only thing I’ve found is that carrots have a higher moisture content, so you’ll want to pat the carrots dry after shredding. I also have a recipe for bacon ranch chicken poppers that use carrots.
- Almond or cassava flour. Either one of these will work in place of the coconut flour.
- Avocado or olive oil. Either one will work in place of coconut oil.
How to make Sweet Potato Chicken Poppers
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this recipe. Find full instructions in the recipe card.
Step one. Add the ground turkey, coconut flour, coconut oil, and spices to a bowl.
Step two. Combine the mixture.
Step three. Roll the mixture into small, slightly flattened poppers about one inch in diameter (you’ll have about 20-25 poppers) and place them on the baking sheet .
Step four. Place in the oven for 25-28 minutes, flipping halfway through. Crisp further in a pan or place under the broiler if desired for 1-2 minutes to crisp further. Remove from the oven when thoroughly cooked through
Tips & Tricks
- Use a food processor to shred the sweet potato. Simply use the shredder attachment, and it’ll be done within seconds! If you wind up subbing carrots or just happen to have a sweet potato with higher water content, make sure you pat it dry if it looks at all wet.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop the poppers. This not only makes the process go faster but it makes for uniform sizes.
- Put on a set of gloves. I almost always use gloves with recipes like this to keep my hands clean.
- Make sure you press the poppers down. You want poppers/nuggets, not meatballs!
Storage and Reheating Instructions
- Store them in the fridge. Store these in the fridge in glass for 3-4 days. You can then reheat for a few minutes in the air fryer or oven.
- Freeze them. These chicken poppers can be frozen for 1-2 months! Defrost them in the fridge and reheat for a few minutes in the air fryer or oven. I highly recommend using a vacuum sealer to reduce any freezer burn.
Recipe FAQS
I love serving these with a dip like ranch, ketchup, or guacamole! As far as sides go, I usually eat them with broccoli, though a side salad or other roasted green veggie would be great as well.
Most butcher counters will have ground chicken. You can also sub ground turkey, or make your own ground chicken by setting chicken breast in the freezer for about 10-15 min and then blending it in a food processor.
Other Related Gluten-Free Chicken Nugget Recipes
If you tried these Sweet Potato Chicken Poppers or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Print
Sweet Potato Chicken Poppers
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 20–25 poppers (4 servings) 1x
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: global
Description
These sweet chicken poppers are the original sweet potato chicken nuggets that the internet fell in love with! They’re gluten, dairy, and egg-free and are so simple to make!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 2 cups sweet potato, finely shredded
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, softened
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 2 sprigs green onion, finely chopped
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)
- Optional: 1 tsp paprika (omit for AIP)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper lightly greased with oil
- Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and gently mix with your hands or with a silicone spatula to combine.
- Use a cookie scoop or your hand to scoop the mixture into small, round, poppers and evenly space them on the baking sheet. Slightly flatten them with your hand. They should be about one inch in diameter. You should have 20-25 poppers.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 28-30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until baked through to 165 F. If you want more of a crisp, place them under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the oven.
- Allow to cool and serve with your favorite sauce! These are made for dipping, so pair them with guacamole, ketchup, mustard, etc!
Notes
You can easily shred the sweet potato using the shredder attachment on a food processor.
Storage instructions: Store these in the fridge in glass for 3-4 days. You can then reheat in the air fryer or oven for a few minutes. These chicken poppers can be frozen for 1-2 months! Defrost them in the fridge and reheat for a few minutes in the air fryer or oven. I highly recommend using a vacuum sealer to reduce any freezer burn.
I also have to shout out a similar recipe, chicken and zucchini poppers from One Lovely Life! These are another great option if you’re looking for something lower in starch.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 277
- Fat: 10.2g
- Carbohydrates: 18.8g
- Fiber: 3.8g
- Protein: 27.9g
These were amazing!!! Thank you so so much. Made them for my allergy daughter who isn’t really a fan of chicken and she gobbled these right up! They’re so good, didn’t even need a dip! I’m also on a restricted diet and couldn’t stop eating them. Plan on making a few batches at once next time and freezing 🙂
These were delicious!! I made them today for my mom, the picky eater, and she loved them too. Great way to get in more veggies!
Thank you!!
Anyway to make these without sweet potatoe for just plain chicken nuggets?
Those would basically just be meatballs, not really chicken nuggets!
These came out SO GOOD!!!! I have a one-year-old who is loving to try and hold new food and a husband who just found out he has Celiac. These are perfect and my husband and I couldn’t stop sneaking them as they came out of the oven – we definitely have to make another batch! They’re perfect for sending with my toddler to daycare. Thank you SO much for sharing this recipe!!! xo
Yay, so glad they are working so well in your family!
These are really good. We don’t follow any special diets so I used regular flour. I baked them in a cast iron pan so I could use the drippings for gravy. I used butter, flour, garlic salt, and some of the extra sweet potato to make the gravy. Very good on rice. I’m definitely making this again but next time I’ll pre-cook the sweet potatoes. They were a little too crunchy for our taste. I’ll try adding a bit of ginger next time too.
This recipe is definitely a keeper 🙂
Yay, so glad you enjoyed!
Made this today and flavor was really good but just want it crispy. I put it on Broiler for 2-3 mins as suggested but didn’t crisp up. I wonder if using Arrow root flour will help crisp it up. Or using an airfryer be better?
You can try in an airfryer or turn on the broiler for longer to help it crisp up!
Made these with ground pork and dipped in AIP ranch and were delicious.
YUM!!
This is my favourite recipe, thank you very much!!!!!
It’s a favorite!!
Would love to try these wonderful and healthy recipes.
Hope you love them!!
Do you know the weight of sweet potatoes used in this recipe? I saw a reply saying 1-2 medium sweet potatoes, but it’s hard to be sure if your idea of medium is the same as mine, plus there’s quite a bit difference between 1 and 2 potatoes!! So it would be incredibly helpful to know how much they weigh since it’s difficult to judge what will make 2 cups of grated potato.
Thanks!
These little poppers are VERY delicious and easy to make. I am not a fan of chicken nuggets, but diet changes are necessary, so am exploring new options. I made recipe as stated and they turned out perfectly. I wouldn’t change a thing except to have some kind of dipping sauce next time. Waaaaay better than any fast food joints.
Thank you!! So glad you are enjoying them!
These were a huge hit with my toddlers! I’m thinking of trying them with shredded carrots next time for a little extra veggie. Thanks for a great recipe!
Yay, so glad it was hit!