With just a few simple ingredients, you can bake up moist and crispy Baked Chicken Nuggets with less added salt than store-bought. Your kids will love them!
Baked Chicken Nuggets
For the longest time, I didn’t even try to make homemade chicken nuggets because I didn’t think my kids would like them as much as the ones from the freezer aisle. Then I randomly made them one day and my older kiddo declared them to be the “best chicken ever!”. And they instantly went into regular dinner rotation in our house.
Easy Chicken Nuggets Recipe
I know that making a homemade chicken nugget recipe can feel daunting since sometimes the ingredients seem too complex, but this recipe is super simple. It has a very streamlined ingredient list and a straight forward process. It does require actually breading the chicken, but once you make this recipe once, you’ll totally get the hang of it!
Ingredients in Baked Chicken Nuggets
To make these baked chicken nuggets you’ll need chicken breast or chicken tenders (both work!), flour, panko breadcrumbs, egg, and salt. That’s it! Oh and nonstick spray to make sure that they don’t stick to the pan.
How to Make Baked Chicken Nuggets Step-by-Step
Here’s a look at the simple process involved in making these homemade chicken nuggets.
- Preheat the oven and prep your pan. Cut up the chicken into bite-size pieces. Place the egg, flour, and breadcrumbs into three shallow bowls.
- Coat the chicken pieces in the flour.
- Coat the chicken in the egg.
- Coat the chicken in the breadcrumbs.
- Place onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake!
Can I use regular breadcrumbs?
Sure thing! We like the extra crispy texture of the panko but regular breadcrumbs work really well too.
Why do you bake them on a wire rack?
Ah, this is the key to crispiness all over! This method of baking them on a rack placed on a rimmed baking sheet means you don’t have to flip them or worry about them sticking to the pan. And they won’t be mushy on the bottom. It’s super simple and makes them turn out so much better.
Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets
To make these chicken nuggets gluten-free, simply use gluten-free flour and gluten-free panko. They will bake up the same and no one will be able to taste the difference.
Egg-Free Chicken Nuggets
To make these baked chicken nuggets without egg, simply omit the egg and use 1/2 whole milk instead. This is an easy swap that works pretty well. The flavor is just slightly different but likely not noticeable!
How long can I store leftover chicken nuggets?
You can store these in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days. The coating will soften as they’re in there, so to serve them in their same crispy original form, warm them in a 375 degree F oven for 6-8 minutes.
What goes well with these Baked Chicken Nuggets?
We like these with simple sides like roasted potatoes or rice, broccoli or cauliflower, or biscuits. They really versatile, so see what you think your little ones will enjoy!
Tips for Making the Best Baked Chicken Nuggets
- Coat the wire rack well to ensure that the breading doesn’t stick.
- Use all-purpose or gluten-free flour as needed.
- Use panko breadcrumbs for a crunchier end result. (Regular ones will work fine too, but won’t be quite as crunchy.)
- Use kitchen shears to quickly cut up the chicken into smaller pieces.
- To reheat leftovers, place into the oven on a foil-lined baking sheet for 6-8 minutes at 375 degrees F.
- To make these baked chicken nuggets without egg, simply omit the egg and use 1/2 whole milk instead.
- To make these chicken nuggets gluten-free, simply use gluten-free flour and gluten-free panko.
I’d love to hear what you think of this recipe if you try it so please comment below with feedback!
Print
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:
Cuisine:
Print
PinDescription
These chicken nuggets have simple ingredients and a pleasantly crispy exterior. Aim to cut the chicken into similarly sized pieces so they bake evenly.
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast or tenders
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup all purpose or gluten-free flour
- 1 1/4 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and place a wire rack coated with nonstick spray on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Cut up the chicken into bite-size pieces. I like to use kitchen shears for this.
- Place the egg, flour, and breadcrumbs, mixed with the salt, into three shallow bowls.
- Coat the chicken pieces in the flour, egg, then the breadcrumbs and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 14-15 minutes or until completely cooked.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with ketchup, ranch or marinara.
Notes
TIPS
Coat the wire rack well with nonstick spray to ensure that the breading doesn’t stick.
Use all-purpose or gluten-free flour as needed.
Use panko breadcrumbs for a crunchier end result. (Regular ones will work fine too, but won’t be quite as crunchy.)
Use kitchen shears to quickly cut up the chicken into smaller pieces.
To reheat leftovers, place into the oven on a foil-lined baking sheet for 6-8 minutes at 375 degrees F.
To make these baked chicken nuggets without egg, simply omit the egg and use 1/2 whole milk instead.
To make these chicken nuggets gluten-free, simply use gluten-free flour and gluten-free panko.
Made them and they were a hit! I added more seasoning (black pepper to the flour and season salt instead of instead of normal salt) but that’s because our toddler is used to highly seasoned foods. Very easy, very quick, and I love knowing exactly what my daughter is eating. Thank you!
★★★★★
Yay! Thanks so much for letting me know!
Hi! Do you have any tips for freezing them? Thanks!
Once cooled, place into a zip top freezer bag and freeze in one layer (so flat in the freezer). Warm from frozen on a foil-lined baking sheet at 375 F for about 8 minutes. You could also warm them in the microwave though they won’t be crispy if that matters to your kiddo.