Ranking the best gluten-free chicken nuggets

Frozen gluten-free chicken nuggets are a staple in my freezer for busy nights. But who makes the best gluten-free chicken nuggets?

As a mom, busy nights happen, and sometimes I just don't have the time or energy to want to cook a full dinner at the end of the day. Between sports, activities, and everything else, it's nice to be able to pull dinner out of the freezer, warm it up and call it good enough for the day. Gluten-free chicken nuggets are one of my go-to's for this.

What brands make gluten-free chicken nuggets?

Believe it or not, there are actually several brands that make and sell frozen gluten-free nuggets.

• Tyson
• Applegate
• Yummy Dino Buddies
• Ian's
• Golden Platter
• LiveGfree
• Sprouts
• Trader Joes

I am sure I'm missing some others.

We've tried several brands and varieties, so you don't have to waste your money on subpar gluten-free food. I mean, who does?

My favorite gluten-free chicken nuggets.

#3 Pick Applegate Gluten-free Chicken Nuggets

Why I love the Applegate.

• Easy to find. - I can find these at most of my local stores, including Walmart. This means I don't have to worry about going to a specialty grocery store to find them. which I have to do for several other gluten-free products.
• Quality ingredients. - I love so many of the Applegate products because their ingredients are some of the best quality, especially for being a larger company.
• Taste. - The meat and breading both have flavor, it is mild, but it is still there.
• Texture. - Since these are smaller, they can be easy to overcook, but if you cook them right, the extra thick breading keeps these nuggets tender inside.

Cons for Applegate.

• Size. - These nuggets are tiny compared to other brands and not by just a little bit.
• Quantity. -Sometimes, all I can find are the smaller boxes of these gluten-free chicken nuggets. When you have two hungry teens, a grown man, and usually, another friend or two wanting a quick lunch or dinner, that doesn't go far.
• Price. - These frozen nuggets tend to cost me anywhere from $5.00 for the smaller boxes up to $13.00 for the bigger bags, depending on where I buy them. They are some of the more expensive gluten-free nuggets you can buy, but the ingredients still keep them in my top three.

Note: Applegate does make some that are not gluten-free as well, so make sure you are seeing the gluten-free label to get the gluten-free nuggets.

#2 Pick Tyson Naturals Gluten-free Chicken Nuggets

For a bigger brand like Tyson to be making gluten-free food easily accessible to more people is amazing. These nuggets are my husband's favorite ones, so we get them a lot.

What I love about the Tyson gluten-free chicken nuggets.

• Easy to find. - When you live in the middle of nowhere, being able to find delicious gluten-free food easily is a huge selling point. I can usually buy these at my local store, with no special trips anywhere required.
• Price. - The bag of these frozen nuggets is usually just under $9.00 for me locally. Which is on the lower end for a lot of gluten-free store-bought foods.
• Quantity. - The bag is a very good size, especially in the world of tiny gluten-free food (I'm looking at you, gluten-free bread). One bag of these usually lasts two smaller meals for just the kids or one meal as a family. There is no need to have to buy an extra package just to have enough nuggets for everyone to have some.
• Taste. - These nuggets are NOT plain. They almost remind me of Wendy's spicy nuggets. They have a little kick, not in a bad way, but in a good way. These are by far the most flavorful gluten-free chicken nuggets we've bought.

Cons for Tyson Naturals

• Spice.- While my husband loves the spice on these nuggets, my oldest doesn't. She's more of let the dipping sauces season her nuggets kind of person, and she says the spice can be overpowering to some.

#1 Pick Yummy Dino Buddies

The Yummy Dino Buddies were actually ones our oldest found on accident one day when we were at Walmart. She asked to try them, and since they were gluten-free, I said sure. Let's just say we have several boxes of these gluten-free nuggets in our freezer, lol.

What I love about Yummy Dino Buddies.

• Easy to find. - These are sold at Walmart locally to me, which isn't far. This means no fancy trips to find one thing on the list.
• Price. - These gluten-free nuggets come in an 18-ounce package which is just slightly smaller than the 20-ounce bag the Tyson comes in. However, these Yummy dino buddies are usually less than $6.00.
• Flavor. - These ones have a similar flavor to the Applegate nuggets. They are mild but still flavorful.
• Texture. - The breading on these has just a slight crunch which gives the overall texture a little bit more fun than the Applegate.
• Fun Shapes. - Don't let the shapes fool you into thinking these are only for little kids. I have teens, and they love these, and so do all their friends. Trust me, buy these.

Cons about Yummy Dino Buddies.

• The only con I can think of is that I spend a lot of money buying these because they get eaten so often, haha. But I guess that's a good problem to have when you find something gluten-free that everyone loves.

Honorable mention.

I need to shout out to the Golden Platter gluten-free nuggets. They aren't in the top three only because I can only find them at Costco. Since I don't get to Costco as often as I would like, I don't get to buy these often. However, they are not ones to skip over if you see them.

• Price. - The bag is HUGE, and it's usually only around $13.00. I can usually get 2-3 full family portions out of one bag.
• The flavor and texture are similar to the Applegate but find the breading thinner. Not in a bad way; it's just different.

Brands to SKIP.

Ian's

Ian's gluten-free nuggets ranked at the bottom. My kids won't even eat them if they are in the freezer. Not only are they really expensive for the size, at around $14.00 locally for the smaller box of them. They are also very dry and bland in flavor. These gluten-free nuggets have what Ian's calls a "cornflake crumb breading," but it doesn't get that crisp and can fall off the side of the nuggets.

Brands I still need to try.

I will admit that I haven't tried the following brands since I have not been able to find them locally. If you love them, please let me know, and I will update this list, so others know they are a fan favorite.

• LiveGfree - Sold at Alidis.
• Sprouts
• Trader Joes

Special Note.

Caulipower brand does make gluten-free chicken tenders. They are actually really good. I just left them off this list since they are tenders and not nuggets.

So who has the best gluten-free chicken nuggets?

Of course, everyone is going to have different opinions on this, but our favorite is the Yummy Dino Buddies. Trust me; you need to try them.

Let me know what your favorite brand is and why in the comments or if there is a brand I need to find. I am always on the hunt for more delicious gluten-free food.

If you are feeling in the mood for making your own gluten-free chicken, I suggest giving my easy gluten-free shake and bake pretzel breaded chicken a try.

More gluten-free reviews.

Feel free to share this article with friends and family to help more people know how to help keep loved ones gluten-free.