Fagan Eats Paleo Recipe: Paleo Chicken Pizza Poppers

I don't know about you, but I miss eating chicken nuggets sometimes; that experience of eating bite-sized chicken pieces and dipping them in sauces. Yum.  Not the easiest to recreate on Paleo though. But I think my new recipe does the trick...

You see, if I see a long ingredient list in a recipe, I move on.  It feels too daunting if I have to buy a bunch of things to use just once.  That's why I aim to make recipes super simple, mostly with stuff you might have around the house.  And this recipe is no exception.  

Here, I was hoping to create something fun that would work as a chicken nugget substitute without a bunch of fuss.  Something I might try to make on a weeknight. This recipe strikes that balance. These Chicken Pizza Poppers would be great for kids too. But I must admit, I haven't had a chance to test that theory!  If you do, let me know what the verdict happens to be.  

Hope you all find these fun to eat.  Enjoy!  --J

Chicken Pizza Poppers

by Jamie Miller

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Keywords: saute roast blender appetizer entree snack sauce ancestral gluten-free nut-free paleo primal soy-free chicken tomato July 4th Super Bowl comfort food American Italian fall spring summer winter

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Ingredients (4 to 6 servings)

For the Chicken

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, cut into 1 in pieces
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped finely
• garlic powder
• salt and pepper

For the Pizza Sauce

• 1 can of whole peeled tomatoes (28 ounces)
• 1/2 onion, chopped finely
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• salt
• 1 cup chicken broth

Instructions

For the Sauce

Heat a large sauce pan over medium heat and add olive oil when hot.

Add onion and garlic, and saute until the onion becomes translucent.

Add the tomato (with any sauce in the can), the oregano, basil and mix everything together.

Simmer for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding chicken broth as necessary to obtain desired consistency.

Add salt to taste.

When done cooking, if desired use immersion blender to smooth consistency.

For the Chicken

While the sauce is simmering, heat a large frying pan over medium heat.

While the pan is heating, place the chicken pieces in a medium bowl, season generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add in the fresh basil and coat the chicken pieces.

When the pan is heated, add the olive oil.

Place the chicken pieces in a single layer in the frying pan, but don't crowd the pan by placing the chicken too close together.

Flip over the chicken pieces until browned on the bottom, and continue cooking on the other side until lightly browned and cooked through, about 5-8 minutes total. Be careful not to overcook the chicken.

Repeat until all the chicken is cooked.

Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes when finished cooking.

Serve with the pizza sauce for dipping.

Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

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