Crispy Baked Chicken Nuggets

5 from 5 votes

These Homemade Chicken Nuggets are ultra crispy on the outside and juicy & tender on the inside. Here I share with you some tips and tricks to making the BEST baked chicken nuggets! (MAKES APPROX 24 NUGGETS)

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Total Time35

Course: Finger Food

Cuisine: Western

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £2 / £2.50

Equipment

Large Baking Tray & Wire Rack
3 Medium Shallow Bowls (for dredging)
Small Bowl (for spice mix)
Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Cling Film & Rolling Pin/Mallet
Large Frying Pan & Wooden Spoon
Fine Cheese Grater

Ingredients

1lb / 500g Chicken Breast (approx 3 medium sized)
1 1/4 cups / 75g Panko Breadcrumbs (see notes)
1/3 cup / 70g Plain/All Purpose Flour
1/3 cup / 30g freshly grated Parmesan
2 Eggs, beaten
1 heaped tbsp Butter
1 tsp EACH: Paprika, Salt
1/4 tsp EACH: Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
Oil Spray, as needed

Instructions

Spice Mix: In a small pot/bowl combine 1 tsp paprika & salt, 1/4 tsp onion powder, garlic powder & black pepper and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper. Place to one side.
Breadcrumbs: Melt 1 heaped tbsp butter into a pan over medium heat and stir in Panko breadcrumbs. Continue frying for 5 or so mins until the breadcrumbs turn golden. Remove from heat and leave to cool.
Chicken: Dice chicken breast into bite sized pieces. Spread out over a chopping board and lay over a sheet of cling film. Lightly bash each one until they're level flat. You want them fairly thin, but not so much they start breaking apart. Main thing is that they're all even sized thickness so they cook at the same rate.
Dredge: Set up 3 bowls - 1st with flour and 1 tsp of your spice mix, 2nd with beaten eggs and last with toasted breadcrumbs, parmesan and the rest of the spice mix. One by one take a piece of chicken and dredge through each bowl, finishing on an oiled wire rack above a baking tray. Really make sure you properly coat the chicken at each stage, namely breadcrumbs.
Bake: Lightly coat with oil spray then pop in the oven at 200C/390F for 15mins or until deep golden and crispy. Timings will depend on how big/thick your nuggets end up being so just be vigilant. When you slice through one it should be completely white and piping hot.
Serve: Take wire rack off tray and leave for a few mins to allow all the steam to escape. Serve up as finger food with dips or with a couple of sides as a meal (serve notes below for suggestions).

Video

Notes

a) Panko - Panko breadcrumbs are great because they're big and airy, meaning they come out crispy when baked. Toasting them in the butter is an essential step and really takes these nuggets to the next level. You'll find Panko in most supermarkets/grocery stores, usually in the Asian section.

b) Serving Suggestion - My favourite dips are BBQ Mayo and Sweet Chilli Mayo to serve with these (all my delicious dips here). If I want to make these nuggets into a meal I usually serve with Potato Wedges or French Fries.

c) Make Ahead - I definitely recommend making them fresh, just so the breading stays nice and crispy. If you want though you can prep them right until placing in the oven (leave off oil spray) and tightly cover in the fridge. From there bring back to room temp and bake at the above temp/times. You can also freeze them, just place them spread out on a tray in the freezer for a couple of hours, then transfer to a zip lock bag. Thaw in the fridge and continue recipe.

d) Leftovers - Keep tightly sealed in the fridge for 2-3days (or to your discretion), then reheat in the oven at 180C/356F until piping hot through the centre again.

e) Calories - assuming 24 nuggets then shared between 4 people.

Nutrition