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These crispy baked chicken nuggets are baked instead of fried and are a great healthier option to the more famous fried counterpart. If you're making them for your kids, they'll love them and if not, they bring out the kid in you!
While like everyone, I love fried food but I'm always looking for healthy alternatives that taste great from crispy baked chicken tenders to baked teryaki chicken wings.
It is almost a weekly tradition where it is around 4 pm in the afternoon and Lauren and I are texting each other trying to figure out what we want for dinner. Most of the time I end up picking something but I always bug Lauren to make the decision. And recently she did! Randomly she was craving some crispy chicken nuggets, so I scoured the internet for some ideas.
I've made chicken nuggets plenty of times in the past, but I always fried them. Wanting a slightly healthier alternative I decided to bake them instead. We weren't disappointed by the results and satisfied a craving by Lauren on top of it.
It is important to use panko breadcrumbs as it gives the chicken a crunchier texture than regular breadcrumbs would. You might almost forget that these are baked and you're saving some extra calories!
And I know I say this a lot, but these healthy chicken nuggets are super easy and can be made quickly. It would be great as an appetizer for a party or football game as well.
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Recipe Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts - perfect for bite sized nuggets.
- Panko breadcrumbs - these breadcrumbs are what makes the oven baked nuggets crispy.
- Olive oil - moistens the breadcrumbs and allows them to brown and become even crispier.
- Parmesan cheese - adds some saltiness, flavor and texture.
- Paprika, salt, garlic powder, thyme, basil, black pepper - these spices pair well with the chicken, giving them additional flavor.
- Eggs - acts as the glue for the breadcrumbs.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Pour breadcrumbs in baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over breadcrumbs and toss with fingers. Spread in even layer and bake for 3 minutes. Remove from oven.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, cheese, salt, thyme, basil, garlic powder, paprika and black pepper.
- In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Dip chicken into the egg mixture first.
- Dip egg coated chicken into panko mixture and press mixture into chicken so it is entirely coated
- Place wire cooling rack on baking sheet and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Transfer coated chicken to wire rack, leaving space in between each piece.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until chicken reached 165°F. Serve the baked chicken nuggets immediately with a sauce of your choice.
Can I Use Regular Breadcrumbs?
Yes although if you want crispy chicken nuggets, I recommend using panko as it's better for baking.
Can I Use Chicken Thighs?
Yes you can. Chicken thighs have double the amount of fat and is more tender and more flavorful, although some might disagree with that. Use what you prefer, but the thighs will take slightly longer to cook.
Sauce Options
- BBQ sauce
- Honey mustard sauce
- Blue cheese
- Ranch dressing
- Sweet chili sauce
- Ketchup
Side Options
If you are eating these as your main meal you need a side and there are plenty of options. Some include:
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Parmesan Zucchini Chips
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Crispy Baked Parmesan Green Beans
- Roasted Parmesan Brussels Sprouts
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- I've mentioned it multiple times but panko breadcrumbs are best for crispy baked chicken.
- Pre-bake the breadcrumbs for 3 minutes so they will be extra crispy. If you don't the chicken will be done before the breadcrumbs are browned and crispy.
- Be consistent when cutting the chicken so they cook evenly.
- Place chicken on wire cooling rack which allows for all sides of the chicken to cook. If you skip this step, the bottom won't be crispy. The wire rack allows for hot air circulation to cook the chicken.
- You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear and there is no pink. Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn’t just cook slightly longer.
- Leftover baked chicken nuggets will store well in an airtight container for 1/2 days in the fridge. To reheat, place chicken on cooling rack and cover with aluminum foil. Cook at 300°F in the oven until the chicken is warmed through.
Other Chicken Recipes
- Orange Chicken
- Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuit
- Balsamic Peach Chicken
- Chicken Schnitzel
- Indian Butter Chicken
If you’ve tried these baked chicken nuggets or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Baked Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Pour breadcrumbs in baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over breadcrumbs and toss with fingers. Spread in even layer and bake for 3 minutes. Remove from oven.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, cheese, salt, thyme, basil, garlic powder, paprika and black pepper. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs.
- Place wire cooling rack on baking sheet and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Dip chicken into the egg mixture first, then coat with panko mixture. Transfer coated chicken to wire rack, leaving space in between each piece. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until chicken reached 165°F. Serve immediately with a sauce of your choice.
Notes
- I've mentioned it multiple times but panko breadcrumbs are best for crispy baked chicken.
- Pre-bake the breadcrumbs for 3 minutes so they will be extra crispy. If you don't the chicken will be done before the breadcrumbs are browned and crispy.
- Be consistent when cutting the chicken so they cook evenly.
- Place chicken on wire cooling rack which allows for all sides of the chicken to cook. If you skip this step, the bottom won't be crispy. The wire rack allows for hot air circulation to cook the chicken.
- You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear and there is no pink. Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn’t just cook slightly longer.
- Leftovers will store well in an airtight container for 1/2 days in the fridge. To reheat, place chicken on cooling rack and cover with aluminum foil. Cook at 300°F in the oven until the chicken is warmed through.
These look pretty tasty!