Chicken, Sweet Potato & Apple Nuggets
2013-11-28
- Yield : 20 - 30 balls
- Prep Time : 20m
- Cook Time : 15m
- Ready In : 35m
These chicken, sweet potato and apple nuggets are really just a delicious accident. I was big batch cooking one day planning to make the sweet potato, carrot, apple & spelt muffins and the chicken, halloumi and quinoa balls. The sweet potato and cocount oil was prepared for the muffins and I had all the chicken ball ingredients prepped when I realised the halloumi was mouldy. Without an alternative I abandoned the muffins and added the sweet potato, carrot and apple to the chicken mixture. End result? Delicious 🙂
Nutrition Note: Who knew chicken nuggets could be packed full of fruit and veg?
Join us on Facebook for other foodie bits and pieces.Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 1-2 tbsp coconut oil (optional)
- 1 red onion, diced
- 500 g chicken breast or mince
- 1 carrot, peeled and grated
- 1 apple, peeled and grated
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp parsley or coriander, finely chopped
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- sunflower or rice bran oil to fry
Method
Step 1
Place the sweet potato in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil over high heat and cook until the sweet potato is soft. Drain, stir though the coconut oil and set aside to cool. -
Step 2
In a food processor combine the onion, chicken, carrot, apple, lemon zest, lemon juice and parsley or coriander and process until well combined. Add the sweet potato and pulse until mixed through. -
Step 3
Transfer the chicken mixture into a bowl and stir through the quinoa, breadcrumbs and egg. Roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into nuggets (you can freeze the nuggets at this point). -
Step 4
Heat the oil in a frypan over medium heat. Add the nuggets in batches and continue turning until all sides are golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. -
Recipe Comments
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posted by BK on December 5, 2013
This looks amazing! Do you know if they can be baked instead of fried?
posted by Jess on January 20, 2014
Hi BK, yes – I haven’t tried baking them before but some of our other chicken nugget recipes are baked.
Chicken & cannellini bean nuggets: https://ohcooks.wpengine.com/recipe/chicken-and-cannellini-bean-nuggets/
Quinoa, chicken and broccoli nuggets: https://ohcooks.wpengine.com/recipe/baby-toddler-finger-food-quinoa-chicken-brocolli-nuggets/
So you could try baking them on a baking tray lined with baking paper at 200 degrees celcius for around 10-15 minutes.
I hope that helps, Enjoy, Jx
posted by Elsa Hietbrink on December 8, 2013
Just cooked these for my 17 month old and she are three in about a minute! I baked them in the oven instead of frying them because I can never seem to get the frying part right- mine always stick!
posted by Jess on December 8, 2013
Hi Elsa, that’s great! So pleased to hear your little girl loved them. How long did you bake them for and at what temperature? Someone else was asking so would love to pass it on – thanks, Jx
posted by Elsa Hietbrink on March 10, 2014
Hi Jess. I just came back to check the recipe to make a new batch and saw your question. I bake them for about 20 minutes in a moderate oven flipping half way through. Elsa
posted by Jess on March 10, 2014
Thanks so much Elsa 🙂 Jx
posted by Jaana on December 11, 2013
I made these yesterday. Delicious!!! my 11mo gobbled 5 up straight away! I have a lovely batch in the freezer now too. I made a slight modification, I omitted breadcrumbs and instead I crushed cornflakes and then rolled the nuggets in egg and cornflakes for a crispy texture 🙂 yum
posted by Erak on December 11, 2013
I tried baking these today… they were lovely. Slightly crispy on the outside and a little mushy inside – similar to an arancini ball. I baked then on 180°C for 20mins though I checked it at 15mins & they seemed done but I just wanted to be sure! This recipe makes loads. . for those with limited freezer space (~40 balls).
posted by Delwyn on December 22, 2013
Just making these – did everyone use quinoa flakes? My mixture is very wet – extremely wet infact – is it suppose to be?
posted by Jess on December 22, 2013
Hi Delwyn, we used cooked quinoa seed. With the mixture, you should be easily able to shape into little nuggets. If it is too wet, you could try using extra quinoa flakes or if you can save until tomorrow pop the mixture into the fridge and try adding some cooked quinoa seed, rice or couscous tomorrow to help thicken it up. I hope that helps a little. Enjoy, Jx
posted by Delwyn on December 23, 2013
I think using the flakes made it so wet as I cooked it with 2cups of water – I managed to get into balls and freeze so when i take them out will add cooked quinoa seed and hopefully this will work – suppose I could have not bothered cooking the flakes and just added them which would have made the mixture much drier. Many thanks for your advice 🙂
posted by Emma on January 7, 2014
These tasted delicious but fell apart while cooking. Admittedly I substituted quinoa for cooked couscous as I read the recipe wrong. Do you think that would have made a difference? I omitted the egg as the mixture was quite soggy. Would this have added to the patties falling apart? Any advice would be great.
Ps. I love your site!
posted by Jess on January 7, 2014
Hi Emma, thank you for the feedback. Sorry to hear they fell apart, I have not had that problem with these nuggets before. The egg helps to bind the mixture so omitting it could contribute to them falling apart. I’m not sure if the couscous would have made too much of a difference. It is finer so possibly? I also drained as much of the liquid as I could from the sweet potato before mashing it. It could also help to squeeze the juice from the grated apple too? I hope this helps next time. Jx
posted by emma on January 8, 2014
Thanks – I will give the apple a squeeze next time. I steamed the potato so it wasn’t too wet. They were still delicious though!
posted by Jess on January 8, 2014
Glad they were still a hit 🙂 My little George thinks they are delicious too, enjoy Jx
posted by kate on January 22, 2014
Hi, what could I substitute fro the quinoa? It is quite an expensive product and when the recipe calls for 1 cup it is a bit expensive for me overall.
Cheers.
posted by Jess on January 22, 2014
Hi Kate,
Rice or couscous would work well as substitutes for quinoa in this recipe. I hope you enjoy, Jx
posted by Mish on January 22, 2014
I have a quick question – it says to freeze before cooking in the recipe. Is it possible to cook first, then freeze and then just reheat, or will that not work? i’m wanting something to take out and about with me. Thanks!
posted by Jess on January 22, 2014
Hi Mish, yes – you could also cook, freeze then reheat as an alternative. We just find they tend to dry out a little more if you cook then freeze and reheat. But I’m sure it will be fine especially for your convenience. Jx
posted by Lucy on January 23, 2014
I have cooked these both ways – frying and baking (180deg for 20 mins). I found baking much easier but they were delicious both ways! I agree with previous comments that the recipe makes heaps so I froze a few batches of uncooked mixture. Thanks for the recipe!
posted by Jakki on January 27, 2014
Made these tonight with cous cous instead of quinoa. Yummy!!!
posted by Leah on January 29, 2014
Hi! I made these today for my 15 month old daughter and she demolished them. Mine were very wet too and I used quinoa seed, perhaps there was too much water in the sweet potato? How did you ladies freeze the nuggets before cooking? I think mine are way too wet and will stick together in the one glad bag? Thanks!
posted by Vicki on February 1, 2014
My 10 mo demolished them too, I think he had 8 or 9 for dinner, lol. I cooked a small batch of 10 to start with – half in the oven and half in a small pan (still have LOADS of mix left over) and I think the oven worked a little better. I used quinoa seed and then added some extra breadcrumbs to stiffen the mixture up a bit. When I have made similar things previously I lined a baking tray with paper (greaseproof or freezer paper) and put them in the freezer in a single layer, then put in a container or bag once they were frozen.
posted by Sarah on February 19, 2014
Just made these for my kids and they are soooo yummy! Stayed together perfectly too. thank you
posted by Rachel on March 3, 2014
Silly question but is it one cup of raw quinoa cooked, or am I just cooking one third to make one cup??
posted by Jess on March 4, 2014
Hi Rachel, it’s one cup of cooked quinoa, so just cook one third to make one cup. Thanks, Jx
posted by Amanda on March 4, 2014
Hi what could I use instead of the egg? My son is allergic to eggs.
Thanks
posted by cel on March 19, 2014
What could you substitute if you cant use egg? Thanks
posted by Lisa Lewis on March 23, 2014
These sound delicious. Would these be ok to freeze after cooking? Looking for quick easy meals that can be pulled out and reheated? Thanks
posted by Claire on March 24, 2014
Hi Jess, what could you substitute for the egg to bind them? My daughter has a egg and dairy allergy.
Thanks
posted by Jess on March 27, 2014
Hi Claire,
We just posted this on our Facebook page which might help with ideas for an egg substitute: (Personally, I would try the chia seed suggestion)
EGG REPLACER: Whether your child is allergic or you just ran out, sometimes you just need to replace the egg. Here are a few we have used; have you tried them? Do you know of any more?
Bananas (1 ripe banana=1 egg)
Apple puree (1 tbsp=1 egg)
Egg replacer powder
Mix 1 tablespoon ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons hot water and leave to soak for a few minutes.
Mix 1 tablespoon chia seeds with 3 tablespoons hot water and leave to soak for a few minutes.
A few people suggested other alternatives such as tahini and olive oil. You could even try omitting the egg without a replacement to see if they hold together OK before you try adding a substiute. Good luck & please let us know how you go. Jess x
posted by Anne grant on May 17, 2014
To fry or not to fry….frying is scary for people averse to the extra oil. I use an air fryer and if I use any oil at all, I use spray…..Best investment I ever made.
posted by Jo on May 30, 2014
My fussy toddler wouldn’t eat them unfortunately, may be the lemon flavour he isn’t used to, so will keep offering. I loved them ! Was wondering if you freeze them uncooked, what oven temp and time would you cook them from frozen?
I did these without a food processor just grated the onion and mixed it all together in a bowl. Also coated in breadcrumbs for a crispy texture. Yum!
posted by Jess on July 9, 2014
My toddler wasn’t too keen on them either! I’ll keep trying him on them because I now have heaps…
posted by Jessica on July 30, 2014
Neither my 3 year old or my 9 month old would eat these. After my husband and I tried them we agreed they tasted terrible. Very bland on seasoning and over powering onion flavor. I tried to doctor them up with more spices but no luck. I only used about 1/3 of a large onion but it was too much. Hoping the other recipes I have seen here will turn out better.
posted by Eunice on August 11, 2014
These are yummy! It fell apart a little so I rolled them in breadcrumbs after and pan fry. My little boy ate 3 after his childcare. Total winner. Thanks for this recipe, I’m checking more recipes now.
posted by Angela on October 21, 2014
Mine were a bit wet because I put the sweet potato and quinoa in hot, so I put a bit of extra GF breadcrumbs in. It helped a bit. It makes such a large quantity that I made sausage rolls from half the mixture with some puff pastry. The kids absolutely loved them. As I said to my husband, as long as it looks like something they like (ie wrapped in pastry or as a nugget) kids will eat almost anything. Even my very fussy 8 year old. Thanks!
posted by Gemma on November 1, 2014
Hello OHC – my daughter unfortunately wasn’t a huge fan of these, and I now have a LOT of (uncooked) leftover nuggets. Any suggestions on how I could magic them in to a new dish?
Cheers
Gemma
posted by Angela on February 16, 2015
These looks great for my baby to eat on her own! Was just wondering if I can replace the egg? Without eggs, will the mixture crumble? As my baby is only 7.5mths old I’ve not intro her any eggs for fear of allergies. thanks a bunch!
posted by Jess on March 19, 2015
Hi Angela, Does your daughter have an allergy? If not the latest infant feeding guidelines suggest there is no reason to delay the introduction of any allergenic foods. If you have a family history of allergies or at all concerned I would suggest avoiding the introduction of any new food 2-3 days before or after so you can determine if there is a reaction and to give you some peace of mind. In addition, baked eggs are often very well tolerated. I have listed some ideas below as an egg replacer that may work well. We hope your little girl enjoys them 🙂 Jx
EGG REPLACER: Whether your child is allergic or you just ran out, sometimes you just need to replace the egg. Here are a few we have used; have you tried them? Do you know of any more?
Bananas (1 ripe banana=1 egg)
Apple puree (1 tbsp=1 egg)
Egg replacer powder
Mix 1 tablespoon ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons hot water and leave to soak for a few minutes.
Mix 1 tablespoon chia seeds with 3 tablespoons hot water and leave to soak for a few minutes.
posted by Sarah on March 11, 2015
My son devoured these tonight after i had frozen them. just wondering how long they can be frozen for? they have been in my freezer for about 3 months as he went through a very fussy period where he wouldn’t eat anything!
posted by Jess on March 19, 2015
Hi Sarah, we would suggest 1-2 months in the freezer as they contain cooked meat. However, if they were OK for you I would try and enjoy them over the next few weeks just to be on the safe side. Enjoy, Jx
posted by Allysun on April 7, 2015
If you use chicken breast instead of minced chicken am I right to assume you’d cook the chicken breast first?? Thanks!
posted by Tamara on July 17, 2015
Yum, added zuchinni, my son loves green things in his food – first thing he eats! I also found my mixture a tad wet so added a bit more rice and breadcrumbs in (I didn’t use quinoa as I struggle to get it right!)
posted by Sarah on July 26, 2015
Hi just wondering, I cooked a huge batch of these up. Are they ok to freeze once cooked? I’ve made some chicken balls by Annabel Karmel and she cooks them then freezes these?
posted by Jess on July 29, 2015
Hi Sarah, yes these are great for the freezer. Jx
posted by jami on August 3, 2015
To clarify, did you cook the chicken prior to blending it with other ingredients? Thank you.
posted by Rawan on October 19, 2015
Hi Jess, I was reading through the comments before trying them and I noticed you said in one of the last few comments that they contain cooked meat (before freezing). So are you cooking the chicken before putting it in the food processor with the rest of the ingredients? I’m sure not, right? Thanks! Cannot wait to try them on my kids!
posted by Brielle on January 22, 2016
My mixture was fairly moist. It held shape but could not be rolled. This caused problems when cooking as they were too soft. I tried cooking some in the oven which were ok but more dry than pan frying. The best cooking method for me was to dust them in flour before pan frying/shallow frying. They held their shape much better and had no trouble with turning to cook or sticking. I recommend this method if you find your mixture is moist and you are having trouble pan frying