French fries are one of my all-time favorite foods. However, when they’re made traditionally, they’re terribly unhealthy and decidedly not paleo. The good news is the paleo world is a big fan of the sweet potato, and when turned into “fries” — especially when you kick it up a notch with some spice — they can be turned into a healthy, flavor-packed treat. I paired these with my favorite paleo chicken nuggets to create my very own little paleo happy meal.

You can cook the fries and nuggets at the same time since the oven temperature is the same and the cooking time is about the same (you will likely just take the nuggets out a little bit before the fries). I just split the recipes up for clarity’s sake.

Active time: 20 minutes
Inactive time: 30 minutes

Fries:

2 large sweet potatoes
1.5 teaspoons garlic powder
1.5 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper powder
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon cooking oil/fat of your choice (I used coconut oil)

Instructions:

1. Wash the sweet potatoes and then cut them into evenly-sized french fry strips — size is your preference, but keep in mind that the smaller the strip, the crispier the french fry. Use a very sharp knife or a mandolin for this process, as sweet potatoes are very dense and can be difficult to cut.
2. Combine the rest of the ingredients for the fries in a small bowl and mix. Place the fries in a large bowl, drizzle with oil/fat and sprinkle the seasoning mix over the fries.

3. Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease 1 large or 2 small baking sheets and transfer the fries to the sheet(s), making sure to evenly space the fries so that they are not too tightly packed.

4. Bake the fries for 15 minutes, then flip them and cook for another 10-15 minutes until fries begin to brown at the edges.

Chicken:

2 lbs. chicken breast
2 cups coconut flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and black pepper
Cooking oil/fat of choice (I used coconut oil)

Instructions

1. Chop chicken breast into nugget-sized pieces, roughly 1-2 inches in size.
2. Crack eggs into a bowl and add salt and pepper. Whisk until mixed well.
3. Combine coconut flour and seasonings in a separate bowl and stir to combine.
4. Dip each nugget into the egg first, then coat in the flour mixture. Place the nuggets on a greased baking sheet.

5. Preheat oven to 400°F and bake for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through the process. You’ll know that your nuggets are finished when they begin to lightly brown.
6. Enjoy fries and nuggets with your favorite dipping sauce — my favorites for this combination would be a homemade honey and sriracha sauce or chipotle aioli.

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