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!
Sweet Potato Chicken Poppers
Want to save this for later?
Just drop your name and email below. Then we’ll email right to your inbox. ✉️
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
- ½ 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!
LOVE this recipe! I come back to it time and time again for quick and easy lunches during the week. These are great for meal-prepping which is exactly what I need!
Yay, so glad!!
These were so delicious! My fiancé and I almost finished them in one sitting. Subbed coconut flour with almond flour because it’s all I had- no issues. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!!
YUM! Lifesaver snack to keep in the refrigerator.
Thank you!!
Sooo yummy!! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Cris!! 🙂
Is there another option to replace coconut oil? Can I sub that with olive oil?
That works! 🙂
Was not too bad but kids weren’t a huge fan, we did the AiP version so maybe would be better with other spices. I useD the large grater on the Food processor but maybe it’s be better with the smaller one.
D E L I C I O U S!! I used turkey because that is what I had. Instead of green onions and the spices, I sauted one chopped onion and 2 cloves of garlic! I will make them again…
Your guacamole looks amazing. Do you have a recipe for that as well?
yes! https://unboundwellness.com/aip-guacamole/
Does anyone know if you can use olive oil instead of coconut oil? I made these today and they’re delicious but I find the strong coconut flavour not great, might be the kind of coconut oil I’m using, but thought maybe olive oil could work? I’m new to AIP so not certain if you’re really supposed to be cooking with olive oil but figure if you can roast veggie with it, why not use it here. Thanks
Yup! You can 🙂
Would regular onion do instead of green onion?
You can try that, or you can just leave it out 🙂
We love this recipe! I wasn’t sure how it would work without eggs, but it holds together perfectly (what do you need them for, anyway?). I have tried it with ground chicken and ground turkey, and both were excellent. A big winner with the picky kids!
I have tried the zucchini poppers too, and we like those – but nothing beats sweet potatoes!
My non aip husband, picky kids and I all love these. I have made them without the coconut flour or oil, and they turn out great. I have made them with turkey instead of chicken. I have also used dried herbs in place of green onion. I will be using this recipe for years to come. Thank you so much.
Amazing! I was hesitant to make these but so glad I did. Baked at night, popped in the fridge and crisped up in the air fryer. I also tried one right off the pan and right out of the fridge- both were delicious! This is on my snack list while doing Whole 30. You won’t regret it. ( I added smoked paprika-so yummy)
Oh my goodness. I made these tonight. They are super easy and so tasty! Thanks for the tasty treat!
These are so delicious! I just made a batch and ate them hot. The sweet potato and coconut oil keep the chicken so moist and flavorful. Thank you for such a nice recipe. It’s a “Keeper”!
Thank you so much, Anne!! So glad you liked it!