When Ben and Corley Spell founded Good Ranchers, they made a promise to only sell food they’d feel good about feeding their own family. It’s been their guiding principle. And at the time, it seemed simple enough. But as the company grew, and customers asked for more products—that promise was tested in ways they never expected. Especially when it came to chicken nuggets.
What seemed like a natural next step in expanding their product line became a year-and-a-half long battle against industry norms, hidden ingredients, and an overwhelming amount of no’s.
Because the truth is, making a truly clean nugget (a real chicken nugget without seed oils, without added sugar, and without the usual shortcuts) just doesn’t happen in today’s food system.
This is the story of how the cleanest nuggets on the market got made, and why it almost didn’t happen.
We Didn’t Want Better Nuggets. We Wanted the Right Ones.
When Ben and Corley set out to create our chicken nuggets, it wasn’t just because they saw a gap in the market—it was because they saw a need in their own home. With four young kids at home, they understood the value of a dinner that’s both healthy and convenient. But the more they looked at the ingredient lists on store-bought nuggets, the harder it became to feel good about serving them.
Even the “better-for-you” brands had red flags, containing added sugars, fillers, and even preservatives. And worst of all? In most cases, the oils used to fry them weren’t even listed, thanks to loopholes in USDA labeling rules.
So Ben and Corley made a decision: if they couldn’t find a nugget they trusted, they’d make one themselves.
The Industry Said It Couldn’t Be Done
Ben & Corley spent over a year and a half trying to find a manufacturer who would make nuggets without any seed oils. Nearly every manufacturer told them the same thing: it couldn’t be done. “Everyone uses canola, vegetable, or soybean oil.” “That’s just how it’s done.” “You can’t fry at scale without it.” Some even said, “Customers won’t care.”
But Ben and Corley cared. Not just because they run a company built on integrity, but because they’re parents. They were trying to make something they’d feel good serving their own kids.
A few manufacturers offered a workaround: they could flash-fry the nuggets in seed oils, then finish them in the oven, just under the threshold where it would need to be listed on the label. Technically, it would pass.
But that wasn’t the point.
“If we can’t make them without seed oils,” Ben and Corley agreed, “then we’re not making them at all.”
And that wasn’t just a business decision. It was a deliberate one—shaped by experience. A few years earlier, Corley had been diagnosed with cancer while pregnant with her and Ben’s fourth child. After walking through treatment, healing, and recovery, her relationship with food changed, and she started paying closer attention. Not just to what looked healthy, but to what was actually in the food she was feeding herself and her kids. The oils. The additives. The ingredients that rarely make it into the conversation but show up in everything.
So when Good Ranchers set out to create a chicken nugget, Corley wasn’t thinking about branding or trends. She was thinking about trust—trust in the food, trust in the process, and trust in the values behind it.
That’s what makes these nuggets different. Not because they’re labeled “better-for-you,” but because someone actually fought for them to be. Every no they got along the way only sharpened their commitment to doing it the right way. These are nuggets that passed the mom test, the label test, and the personal integrity test.
Why It Took So Long—and Why It Was Worth It
Eventually, one of our manufacturers came back with a different idea: What if we used avocado oil?
That changed everything.
It wasn’t the cheapest option, and it definitely wasn’t the fastest. But no other brands were doing it, and it was the first time someone offered a solution that aligned with our standards. Not a workaround or compromise—a real answer. So we moved forward.
We said no to the dozens of easier paths. We said no to artificial fillers, hidden sugars, and fake flavors. We said no to making nuggets the “normal” way.
And because of that commitment, we’re proud to offer the cleanest chicken nuggets on the market. Made with real, whole cuts of chicken breast and cooked in avocado oil, they’re gluten-free, allergen-safe, and contain no added sugar. They’re everything we hoped for when we said yes to doing it the hard way.
Built for Kids. Trusted by Parents. Backed by Integrity.
Ben and Corley made these nuggets for every parent who reads the label. For the families who want fast meals that don’t come with guilt. For the ones who care what goes into their food and want something they can trust.
We didn’t launch these to compete with fast food. We launched them to raise the bar, and to give families like ours an option they can feel confident about.
Because when you feed your family Good Ranchers, you don’t have to second guess what’s on your plate.
From Our Kitchen to Yours
Our chicken nuggets are more than a product—they’re a promise. A promise to keep fighting for clean ingredients. A promise to never settle for “good enough.” And a promise to keep feeding your family the same way we feed ours: with honesty, integrity, and a whole lot of love.
Ready to try them?