Description
These crispy jackfruit nuggets are a vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free alternative to chicken nuggets! The tender, juicy jackfruit is coated in a crunchy breadcrumb batter and can be baked, fried, or air-fried for a perfect crisp. They’re a great meatless snack for kids, a game day appetizer, or a delicious plant-based dinner. Serve them with BBQ sauce, ketchup, or mustard for dipping!
Ingredients
Scale
- Jackfruit
- 2 cans jackfruit, drained and rinsed
Buttermilk
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Flour Coating
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
- ¼ cup cornstarch
-
Breadcrumb Coating
- 1 ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs (or gluten-free breadcrumbs)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp paprika
Instructions
- Prepare Jackfruit: Drain and rinse the jackfruit. Pat dry with a paper towel and cut off the firm, pointy tips (optional).
- Make Buttermilk: In a bowl, whisk together almond milk and lemon juice. Let sit for a few minutes.
- Mix Flour: In a second bowl, whisk together flour and cornstarch.
- Prepare Breadcrumbs: In a third bowl, combine breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Coat Jackfruit: Dip each piece of jackfruit into the flour mixture, then buttermilk, and then breadcrumbs. Repeat once more for an extra crispy coating.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray nuggets with non-stick oil. Bake for 25 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden brown.
- Fry: Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry nuggets for 1-2 minutes per side, until crispy and golden brown.
- Air Fry: Cook at 400°F (200°C) for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Serve: Enjoy hot with your favorite dipping sauces!
Notes
- For extra crispy nuggets, double-coat with breadcrumbs.
- Use gluten-free panko to make this recipe fully gluten-free.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for later.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 nuggets
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 250mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 0mg