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Chicken nuggets are easy to make and packed with flavor! Much tastier than the frozen or fast-food options, these nuggets are baked making them not only delicious, but healthy too!

Chicken nuggets are coated with a seasoned, crispy exterior and baked to perfection with a tender bite on the inside. For more kid-approved lunch ideas try Baked Chicken Fingers, Flatbread Wrap Bites, and Ultimate Grilled Cheese.

Baked + Healthier

My kids LOVE to eat chicken nuggets!

There is something so fun about bite-size food. I guess it’s just that they are so dippable and cute! With this tasty and easy recipe you can make your kids their lunch-time fave and you know exactly what’s in that mini morsel.

These homemade chicken nuggets are made with real ingredients! They are a healthier oven-baked option and are much tastier than the frozen or fast-food options.

You only need a handful of ingredients…that’s how easy they are! Did I mention they are kid and adult approved? Don’t think for one minute that I don’t love a good nugget as well. I mean think of all of the tasty dipping sauces you could whip up?!

How to bake Chicken Nuggets

PREP. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

CUT. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces (about 1.5 inch).

MIX. Mix together bread crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, salt and spices in a shallow bowl. Add the flour to a second bowl. In a third bowl beat together the eggs and water.

COAT. Dip chicken into the flour, egg mixture and then into the crumb mixture. Place onto a wire rack on top of a foil-lined baking sheet. Spray the nuggets with olive oil.

BAKE. Bake for 10 minutes flip and spray the nuggets again and bake for 8 minutes more. Finally, broil on HIGH for 1-2 minutes. Flip the pieces and broil an additional couple minutes on the other side. Serve warm.

Recipe FAQ

What’s the best way to cube chicken? Cutting the chicken into even sizes helps ensure that they all cook at the same rate, but sometimes cutting chicken evenly can be tricky. One of the tricks I use is to cut the chicken breast when it is partially frozen, then allow the cubes to finish thawing.

How to make them crispier? Whether you use regular or Panko crumbs you can make them even crispier by toasting them:

Toss the bread crumbs with a bit of olive oil.
Spread your bread crumbs on a baking sheet then bake at 400°F for 3-5 minutes.
Cool and toss with seasoning before coating the chicken.

Don’t have a wire rack? The wire rack allows airflow around all sides of the nuggets. However, you can easily line a baking sheet with parchment paper and flip the nuggets halfway during the main bake time. You’ll still want to broil them on both sides to get them nice and cripsy. Watch carefully when broiling as nuggets can quickly go from crisp to burnt.

Cooking alternatives: I love baking these nuggets for two reasons: no added calories from frying in oil and I can stick them all in the oven at the same time instead of spending time cooking them in batches. Another way to cook them and save calories is to use an air fryer:

Air Fryer: Preheat air fryer to 400°F. Spray the basket with cooking spray. Arrange the nuggets in a single layer in the basket making sure the sides are not touching. Spray the top of the nuggets with olive oil. Cook for about 7 minutes. Repeat for remaining nuggets.

Best sauces? Store bought is always fine – ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce. We also have a few homemade sauces we love to serve with chicken nuggets.

Storing + Side Ideas

Whether you want to make these ahead of time or store them as leftovers you can choose to keep them in the fridge to use soon or in the freezer to be baked later.

Baked (Fridge): Place cooled baked nuggets in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 4-5 days. Reheat under the broiler until warm and crisp.
Unbaked (Fridge): After coating the chicken, place them in a single layer, cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 1-2 days before baking according to recipe.
Baked (Freezer): Flash freeze them by placing them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place the sheet in the oven and freeze until the nuggets are solid. Transfer the nuggets to a freezer safe container and freeze for 2-3 months. To reheat: place frozen nuggets on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 11-15 min or until warm. Crisp under broiler.
Unbaked (Freezer): Flash freeze and transfer to a freezer safe container. Freeze for 1-2 months. To bake, place frozen nuggets on a baking sheet with a wire rack. Bake at 400°F for 25-30 minutes. Crisp under broiler.

What to serve with chicken nuggets? Everything is great with chicken, but here are some of our favorites:

More Chicken Recipes:

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