I have been on a real ground chicken kick lately. Since it is so easy to make your own ground chicken using inexpensive chicken thighs from Costco, it seems like a no brainer for me! My kids and my picky husband also really seem to like it. Plus, ground chicken is a very lean, heart-healthy meat, so feels like a win-win!
My oldest daughter is very particular when it comes to things like chicken nuggets and chicken tenders. She wants them to be very crispy, and she gave the stamp of approval on these! Because they have a good amount of surface area to crisp up in the air fryer, especially if you toss them halfway through, they get that perfect crispy texture. I dipped them in my homemade ranch dressing, and it was perfect!
A Few Tips and Tricks:
Don’t overfill the piping bag. Ground chicken is a very thick substance, so you want to keep the amount of it manageable in the piping bag. I overfilled my bag at first and it was very hard on my hands to pipe it. When I got down to my bag being about halfway filled, it became easy to pipe them.
You can use either an egg or breadcrumbs to help these hold together. Using an egg makes these low-crab/high protein. You might prefer to use breadcrumbs, though, and they work just fine instead of an egg. Need gluten-free breadcrumbs? Try making them at home for better texture!
If you are a person who likes spicy things, this recipe would handle an addition of hot sauce or cayenne powder directly into the raw mixture!
PrintGround Chicken Dippers
These easy, low carb, Whole30 compliant dippers made from ground chicken are easy and delicious! Better yet, they are kid (and picky husband!) approved!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: About 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
1 pound ground chicken (or make your own from chicken thighs)
1 egg OR 1/2 cup GF breadcrumbs (using an egg keeps these Whole30 compliant)
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese (optional, leave out if you need Whole30 compliant)
Instructions
1. Combine all the ingredients above. If you are making your own ground chicken, just add everything to the food processor and pulse until well combined.
2. Fill your piping bag about halfway full (do not overfill or it becomes difficult to pipe) and snip the end with scissors. You do not want a huge opening at the end of the piping bag. I would shoot for about 1/2 an inch.
2. Get a piece of parchment paper that is as big as your air fryer basket. Pipe out stretches of the ground chicken mixture about 2 inches long. They can be piped close together because they shrink a bit when they cook, not expand.
3. When you have the parchment paper full, spray with a bit of avocado or olive oil and transfer the paper to the air fryer basket. Air fry at 390 degrees. After 3- 4 minutes, toss the dippers in the basket to get crisping on all sides. Air fry an additional 2 – 3 minutes. Check the internal temperature and ensure they are at least 160 degrees. Remove from air fryer and place directly on paper towels on an oven safe plate.
4. To keep the dippers warm while you cook the rest, place the plate in an oven that has been warmed to 150 degrees and then turned off.
5. Serve with your preferred dipping sauce. My family loves it with my homemade ranch dressing (and it’s Whole30 compliant!)
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