Healthy Crispy Chicken Nuggets with Waffle Fries and Chick-fil-A-Style Sauce

Ingredients

• 500 g skinless boneless chicken breast (Diced; raw weight)
• 1 cup pickle juice (For brining)
• 1 tsp salt (For the chicken seasoning)
• 1 tsp onion powder (For the chicken seasoning)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (For the chicken seasoning)
• 1.5 tsp smoked paprika (For the chicken seasoning)
• 100 g plain all-purpose flour (Approximately 40 g adheres to the chicken; the remainder is unused)
• 400 g potatoes (Carisma potatoes; russet or sweet potatoes may be substituted)
• 1 tsp avocado oil (For coating the fries)
• 1 tsp salt (For the fries)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (For the fries)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika (For the fries)
• 300 g light mayonnaise (Heinz or Hellmann's recommended)
• 150 g low-sugar or sugar-free BBQ sauce (Hughes sugar-free BBQ sauce recommended)
• 70 g yellow mustard
• 90 g honey
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp onion powder (For the sauce)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the diced chicken breast in a bowl or covered container and pour over the pickle juice. Refrigerate to brine; the source does not specify a brining duration, so allow at least 15 minutes and drain thoroughly before coating.

2. 2

   Combine the chicken salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika in a small bowl.

3. 3

   Drain the chicken well, then toss it with the seasoning mixture until every piece is evenly coated.

4. 4

   Place the flour in a shallow dish. Toss the seasoned chicken pieces in the flour, shaking off excess. Although 100 g flour is provided, approximately 40 g should remain adhered to the chicken.

5. 5

   Prepare the waffle fries by cutting the potatoes into waffle-style fries. Toss them with the avocado oil, fries salt, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.

6. 6

   Cook the coated chicken nuggets and seasoned waffle fries in an air fryer or oven until the chicken is crisp and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C, and the fries are browned and tender. The source does not specify the appliance, temperature, or cooking time; check frequently and cook in batches if needed.

7. 7

   Make the sauce by combining the light mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, yellow mustard, honey, lemon juice, and onion powder in a bowl. Stir until completely smooth and uniform.

8. 8

   Refrigerate the sauce until chilled and slightly thickened. The batch makes six servings of approximately 100 g each.

9. 9

   Serve the crispy chicken nuggets and waffle fries with one approximately 100 g serving of the chilled sauce.

Notes

The post reports approximately 971 calories, 69 g carbohydrates, 14 g fat, and 132 g protein for the chicken, waffle fries, and one 100 g sauce serving. Sauce makes six approximately 100 g servings and should be refrigerated. The source does not provide a cooking appliance, temperature, or exact cooking time, so use a food thermometer for the chicken.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• American
• high-protein
• fakeaway
• chicken
• crispy
• waffle fries
• air-fried