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
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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!
Very yum. Thank you
These are soooo good! Can’t wait to make them again. My kids gobble them up, dipping in Buffalo Ranch. Thanks for a great and easy recipe!!
YAY! So glad you all enjoyed this recipe!!
These were delicious. I used turkey as that’s what I had. Even my kids loved them however we did find they tasted too much like coconut. Since I was making them for the gluten free aspect I will use rice flour next time and a different oil. I imagine they would taste great with some spice to them if I was able to eat that.
My husband is on a very strict AIP diet, with several food intolerances. Finding good recipes to suit his diet & tastes has been tough. This recipe was PERFECT! The poppers baked beautifully and held together so well. This will definitely be on regular rotation in our house. Thank you!
YAY! So glad these work well for you and your husband!
Delicious and fairly easy. I served with a cilantro lime dressing/dip and would recommend that over guac. I also recommend using olive oil on the baking sheet – I did one pan using up my coconut oil and the other with EVOO and the olive oil pan held more moisture.
Has anyone tried these in the air fryer?
I just got an air fryer and plan to test it soon!
Hi, these look awesome; but I am on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) and can’t have sweet potatoes. Do you think this would still work if I substitute butternut squash for the sweet potato?
Yes, you can try my recipe with butternut squash! https://unboundwellness.com/butternut-squash-chicken-poppers-paleo-whole30-aip/
This recipe is AMAZING! I substituted the flour for almond flour and it came out perfect! Thank you so much for a recipe the whole family loves!!
New to this journey, this is the first recipe I’ve tried…absolute success!! The whole family enjoyed! Served with spicy guacamole and I can’t wait to have the leftovers for lunch today!
If you made a large batch of these would you freeze them before or after cooking?
I’d do it after 🙂
Delicious! I’ve made this recipe now twice in one week. The second time I doubled the batch so that hopefully it would last a little longer. I also changed it up a little for a friend with an aversion to coconut. Absolutely delicious and such an easy protein to have on hand. They warm up fine in the microwave, but hold up better to dipping if you reheat them on the skillet for a few minutes.
Why do you use garlic and onion powder instead of fresh?
These are so flavorful and delicious! I am obsessed…I discovered this recipe almost a year ago, and it would be embarrassing to admit how many time times I have made them. Your breakfast sausage version is yummy too, as are some of your others, but this is my all time favorite. Thank you for creating these healthy and tasty recipes!
Thank you so much!! I’m so glad you like it!
What should I do if I have already cooked shredded chicken? Would it hurt to cut the cook time in half or would the rest of the ingredients need more time to cook
It wouldn’t bind with cooked shredded chicken, unfortunately… the raw meat that’s then cooked helps bind the recipe together.
Made these today and added an egg. So good! Juciy and full of flavor. We added paprika and extra garlic 🙂
Yum!!