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Yield: 4
Ready In: 35 minutes
I love making kid favorites like baked chicken nuggets at home. I know what the ingredients are, the kids get to help in the kitchen – and it usually tastes better than getting take out or buying frozen, too! Crispy breaded chicken pieces like these homemade chicken nuggets are a huge favorite with my kids – sometimes I switch it up and make Crispy Oven Fried Chicken, but they love it all!If your kids enjoy fast food, surprise them with this homemade baked chicken nuggets recipe! You'll get some big smiles around the table for sure. I serve these with my homemade ranch dip and with ketchup, because a nugget without a dip is only half the fun.
Recommended Equipment:
- Sheet Pan
- Ziploc Bag
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast (I use boneless skinless)
- 1 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons ground paprika (reduce or leave out for young children)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (reduce or leave out for young children)
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder (reduce or leave out for young children)
- 2 teaspoons salt (reduce or leave out for young children)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- cooking spray (OR butter OR oil)
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place a baking pan in the oven to preheat (a black pan works best).Add the eggs to a bowl and whisk until beaten.Place the breadcrumbs in a seperate shallow dish.
- Prepare chicken: Pat your chicken dry and cut into chunks or strips, then place it in a large ziploc bag. Add the flour and all seasoning including the salt and pepper in the bag with the chicken. Close the bag, letting out as much air as possible. Shake very well to evenly coat the chicken.
- Bread chicken: Open the ziploc bag and remove the chicken pieces, shaking off any excess flour. Place all of the chicken in the bowl with the eggs and toss well until all of the pieces are coated with egg. One by one, remove the chicken pieces from the bag and dredge them through the breadcrumbs, pushing down on the chicken to make sure the crumbs stick well. Set breaded chicken pieces aside on a plate.
- Bake the chicken nuggets: Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. Spray with cooking spray (or melt butter/oil all over the pan). Place the nuggets on the pan, then bake in the hot oven for 8-10 minutes. Carefully flip, then finish baking for another 8-10 minutes. Finish under the broiler for a few minutes, until colden-crispy. Serve immediately with your favorite dips.
Step by Step Recipe Video
Nora’s Tips
Please note: I changed and updated this recipe once in 2017 to address concerns about it tasting bland. I updated it again to make the cooking process easier on Dec 12, 2019.
Breading the Chicken: The one thing you mustn’t do is putting any combination of flour, eggs and breadcrumbs together in the same dish/bag.
If you follow the instructions correctly you will end up with a deliciously crispy coating around the entire chicken and not just with a few bread crumbs stuck to it here and there – your kids (and any chicken nuggets loving adults in your life) will love you for it!
The beautiful thing about this?
You can’t only bread chicken but pretty much anything using this method! I even use a similar method for my Crispy Oven Fried Coconut Chicken, my Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken. Uhm, and my Garlic Parmesan Crispy Oven Fried Chicken ? But that’s how well it works!
Flipping the chicken: Be careful when flipping the chicken nuggets, if the breading sticks to the pan don’t jus rip it off but carefully slide a blunt knife or a metal spatula underneath to losen it.
Make sure to use enough cooking spray/oil/butter on the sheet pan to prevent the sticking issue!
Make the seasoning your own: I purposefully seasoned these to make them flavorful, but not spicy or overwhelmingly spiced.
This is the way I often make them for my kids, sometimes I add a little garlic and onion powder.
You can definitely switch up the seasoning though – you can add ranch seasoning, cajun seasoning or chili powder to add some heat, you can even add grated parmesan to the breadcrumbs.
Ingredient Notes:
- gluten free: readers have successfully reported making the chicken nuggets with gluten free flour and gluten free breadcrumbs for a gluten free version
- breadcrumbs: use crushed cornflakes in place of the breadcrumbs for extra crunch!
- seasoning: switch up the seasoning to fit your taste – see cooking tips for ideas.
- note about young kids: I reduce or leave out the seasoning for toddlers and very young children!
Cooking Tips:
Prepping the chicken: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels before breading for the best results. Chicken that is too wet (from prior freezing etc) tends to turn out soggy.Note: Why use a dark sheet pan?
I always use a dark sheet pan (vs a silver one or a white enameled one) when I want to get something crispy out of the oven. It reflects the heat better and really helps crisping up the coating of the nuggets better than any other color. If you don’t have one, you can find one here on Amazon (this link is an affiliate link, if you click through and make a purchase, I earn a commission).CAN YOU FREEZE THESE HOMEMADE CHICKEN NUGGETS?
Can you freeze them, ha! YES you can.NORA’S TIPS TO FREEZE CHICKEN NUGGETS:
- Wait for the nuggets to cool completely before freezing them (otherwise your freezer could heat up too much and affect the other frozen goods in there).
- Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
- Label the bag or container with the contents, today’s date AND the use-by time (the chicken nuggets are best eaten within 3 months).
- Make sure the nuggets are piping hot and steaming all the way through before serving.
WHAT CAN YOU SERVE WITH CHICKEN NUGGETS?
Chicken nuggets aren’t just a drive-through finger food! With the right sides, you can turn them into a healthy and satisfying meal. Some of our favorites:- Green beans and mashed potatoes
- Pumpkin Cornbread and a nice coleslaw
- Corn on the cob and sweet potato fries
Nutrition
Calories: 386kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 154mg | Sodium: 1525mg | Potassium: 559mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 645IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 4mg
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Eileen says
Wow! I made it with my grandkids. great recipe to she with the kids and it was delicious! We are scarfed it!
Ashley Carter says
Made these in the air fryer at 400 for about 11 minutes! Turned out super crispy. Don’t shy away from seasoning for toddlers! (Except limiting salt). It’s great for them to have! I will definitely be trying out different seasonings next time. I like the ranch idea.
Katie Mac says
What is the serving size? I love that you included the nutritional facts since we count our calories and macros but I didn’t see the serving size 🙂 thanks!
Nora says
The serving size is 1/4 of the recipe for the estimated nutrition facts. Hope this helps, Katie!
Lyndsay says
Can you freeze these? I’d like to make ahead and have some to reheat for my kids. I’m a full time working mom of 3 trying to find healthier easy things for my kids to eat 🙂
Nora says
Lyndsay, if you check the recipe notes, I have included the freezer instructions there. Hope this helps!
Judy says
Came out very crispy. I used cooking spray on both sides. Since I have no little ones at home anymore I did use more pepper and dash of cayenne.
Rachael says
Can I use parchment paper with this recipe?
Nora Rusev says
Rachael, you can, but the nuggets won’t be quite as crispy because the parchment paper tends to make them soggy on the bottom. Hope that helps!
Carla says
I had been craving chicken nuggets for a while, and your recipe was the perfect no guilt solution a definite keeper!
Heather M. Whipple says
Can I make baked chicken strips instead out of this recipe?
Nora says
Hi Heather, yes you absolutely can! Baking time may be a couple of minutes longer, but otherwise the recipe works the same.
Lori says
These are so easy and OMG so so good. The first time I made these I didn’t have any bread crumbs and I substituted crushed Frosted Flakes cereal which gave them a subtle sweetness and we could not stop eating them. Love this recipe!
Nora says
So glad to hear it, Lori!
Kathie Kalanick says
My son loves these chicken nuggets so much he would eat them for every meal. No more will
drive-through nuggets for our family. I make extra and freeze. When we need a quick meal or my son wants a healthy snack “he” can reheat and enjoy.
Nora says
That’s so great how much your son loves the nuggets! My kids do, too ☺️ Thanks for coming back to leave a review, I appreciate it!
Hope says
great, easy recipe! really enjoyed this! thanks
Nora says
Glad to hear it, Hope! Thanks for coming back to leave a review – I appreciate your time very much.