Gluten-Free Buffalo Quinoa Nuggets
That delicious familiar buffalo sauce is often accompanied by something breaded and fried, like chicken wings, or a buffalo chicken sandwich, more often that not, not-so-gluten-free. Ugh, hard times. However, there’s always fun alternatives to be made, and ones that can still fill you with protein, too! These dip-worthy nuggets are pan-fried instead of deep-fried, hand rolled and delicious on top of a salad, or just as finger food for your next get together. The quinoa is blended perfectly with a white bean (in this case, cannellini beans) to make a nugget you can feel good about eating!
Ingredients
- FOR THE SAUCE:
- 2 tbsp butter (or dairy free alternative, like Earth Balance spread)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup hot sauce (like Frank's Red Hot)
- 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
- FOR THE NUGGETS:
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 cup white beans, drained, rinsed & mashed (we used cannellini beans)
- 1/2 cup gluten-free panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten (to make this recipe vegan - use an egg replacer)
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1 tsp black ground pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Equipment
- Fork for mashing beans
- Mixing Bowl
- Non-Stick Pan
- Baking Sheet
- Tongs
Method
- First, make your buffalo sauce using the butter, oil and hot sauce. Set aside.
- Next up, drain, rinse and mash the beans.
- Combine the cooked quinoa, beans, GF bread crumbs, egg, salts, pepper and then 4 tablespoons of the buffalo sauce mixture you just made. Mix together with your hands.
- Once mixed thoroughly, begin forming balls tightly in your hands with the quinoa mixture, around the size of a tablespoon for each. Set them aside one at a time on a baking sheet. This should form 24 balls, minimum.
- In a large non-stick skiller, heat olive oil over a medium high heat. Begin adding the quinoa nuggets to the pan, and cook until you can see them browning and crisp on all edges. Remove the nuggets with tongs, and set aside. Continue this until all the nuggets and cooked. Be gentle, they can crumble.
- Next, gently toss each ball into the buffalo sauce.
- Serve with dipping sauce such as ranch or blue cheese dressing (or alternatively a vegan substitute like Daiya dressings)
