I have become one of “those people.” You know what I mean. The people you ask what something tastes like, and they respond, “Well, it tastes like chicken!” Hmmph. I know you might be a bit skeptical at this point. And I don’t blame you! But, friends, this recipe does taste like that fast-food favorite! And, bonus points(!) these delicious Vegetarian Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce are high in fiber, meatless, and healthy!! Their meaty texture comes from a combination of high-fiber quinoa, eggs, and cheddar cheese! So get out of the drive-thru and into the kitchen!
I’ve been making this recipe for several years now. And, I had every intention of naming them “cheddar herb quinoa cakes”! But, every time I ate them, I kept saying to Jeff, “these taste like chicken nuggets, only better!” I was a strict vegetarian for 23 years. And while I now enjoy a little bit of meat, our diet is 90% vegetarian. In recent times meat has become a bit scarce. Not to mention pricy! The great thing about meatless dishes is your grocery dollars go a lot further! We all love saving money, right?! Now we can enjoy a recipe with that hearty, meaty texture without blowing the budget! Plus, you won’t feel weighed down as we do after a greasy fast food meal!
This is where Vegetarian Chicken Nuggets start!
Right here with a bowl of yummy cooked quinoa! Did you know quinoa is actually a seed? It comes from the Chenopodium plant, which is a member of the spinach, chard, and beet family. I love the chewy texture it has, yet it’s light and fluffy at the same time! And it’s incredibly versatile! We enjoy it mixed into our morning bowl of oatmeal, as a salad for lunch, and of course, in this yummy recipe, I’m sharing with you today! I buy a giant bag of quinoa at our local Costco for a little over ten bucks. It’s a bargain! One thing to note about quinoa, there’s one little thing that you must do before cooking it! Put the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse it with cold water for a solid minute or two. Quinoa contains a phytochemical call saponin. Rinsing the quinoa removes the saponin, which will leave the quinoa with a bitter flavor if not removed. Long story short: rinse, rinse, rinse!!
Let’s walk through the recipe!
To make Vegetarian Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Sauce Dipping Sauce:
- Make the Honey Mustard Sauce. Refrigerate until serving time.
- Rinse the quinoa.
- Cook the quinoa. You’ll know it’s done when it’s tender, and you can see the little curlicue tendrils pop out—{See the cooked quinoa photo above for reference}.
- Cool the quinoa to room temperature. You can speed up the cooling by spreading the quinoa in an even layer on a cookie sheet and placing it on a wire rack.
- While the quinoa cooks, assemble the remaining nugget ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- When the quinoa is cool, add it to the nugget mixture.
- Cook the nuggets!
- Dip the hot nuggets in the homemade Honey Mustard Sauce and enjoy!
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Here’s a few more recipes from Yums & Kisses that you’ll love!
- The Best Homemade Onion Dip! Honestly, it is! With the 4th of July coming up, you’ll want to make a batch of this to have on hand! There’s nothing better with potato chips than this dip! Plus, you’ll save a trip to the grocery store since you probably already have the ingredients for this recipe!
- Going on a bike ride this weekend? These No-Bake Peanut Butter Energy Bars are sturdy enough to take on-the-go! Peanut butter, honey, oats, coconut, millet, ground flax seeds, chocolate chips, and more will keep you fueled up for a full day of activity!
- If you’re lounging poolside this weekend, a cold pitcher filled with fruity and floral Watermelon Elderflower Sangria is always a good idea! Watermelon and strawberries turn this refresher a gorgeous rose color! Serve some of these along with it!
- And, because cake and ice cream is never a bad idea! Make my German Chocolate Ice Cream Cake! A cake so rich and fudgy it’s borderline a brownie topped with a thick layer of chocolate ganache, store-bought vanilla ice cream, and coconut-pecan frosting!
Have a fantastic weekend, friends! Stay safe! Stay healthy! I’ll see you here next week!
Love,
Heidi
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Vegetarian Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 44 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: Serves 3 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Vegetarian Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce! A healthy non-fried version of a fast-food favorite! High-fiber quinoa combines with cheddar, herbs, and eggs to create a meaty texture! Terrific for lunch, dinner, and snacks! A not-too-sweet homemade honey mustard dipping sauce takes this dish over-the-top!
Ingredients
For the Nuggets:
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup water
4 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon sea salt
black pepper, to taste
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup minced chives
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For the Dipping Sauce:
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup full-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp sea salt
dash of cayenne pepper
Instructions
For the Dipping Sauce:
- Whisk all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
To Cook the Quinoa:
- Place the raw quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer. Rinse with cold water for 1-2 minutes. Don’t skip the rinsing process, or the quinoa will have a bitter taste!
- Drain the quinoa thoroughly and place in a medium-sized saucepan with the water.
- Bring to a low boil, uncovered, over medium-high heat. Once the quinoa is at a low boil, lower the temperature to simmer for 15 minutes gently. When the quinoa is fully cooked, it will be tender, and you’ll see little tendrils pop out of the quinoa.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes to allow the quinoa to absorb any remaining water in the pan entirely.
- Cool completely and proceed with the rest of the recipe. To quickly cool the quinoa, you can spread it in an even layer on a cookie sheet.
To Assemble the Nuggets:
Place the cooked and cooled quinoa in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to thoroughly combine.
- Heat a large non-stick pan or electric griddle over medium heat.
- Scoop the quinoa mixture with a small ice cream scoop that portions 2 Tablespoon servings.
- Pack each scoop tightly with the mixture. This helps the nuggets retain their shape during the cooking process.
- Place each scoop on the hot pan. Let each nugget cook for a minute or so and then use a small spatula to flatten the top of each portion to form a small patty.
- Cook 4-6 minutes per side. The nuggets will be golden brown, and if you press the top, it will spring back and feel firm when they are fully cooked.
- Remove the nuggets from the pan and serve immediately with the dipping sauce. If using a non-stick pan, you’ll cook the nuggets in batches. Keep the cooked nuggets warm until serving time by placing them on a wire cooling rack over a cookie sheet. Place in a 200° oven while cooking the remaining nuggets.
Notes
- Add a bit more lemon juice or water to the nugget mixture before scooping if it seems dry. The mixture should be moist, so when you scoop, it holds its shape on the griddle and doesn’t fall apart.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Griddle
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: vegetarian chicken nuggets, honey mustard sauce, quinoa, quinoa patties, meat free nuggets
