Our homemade chicken nuggets are one of our favourite food additions to dinner time. My son has been eating them since he was small and experimenting with different tastes. He has never been a big fan of store bought nuggets.
Now he is older and wanting to bake with me more, we thought we would share our easy recipe that is not only healthy but super delicious too.
With just a few ingredients, these nuggets don’t take very long at all. I prepared some small nugget size pieces of chicken so they were ready for my son to make.
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Hands On Baking!
The best way to make homemade chicken nuggets is to get messy, and I mean literally! Because you are dealing with raw meat, it’s important that your kids know to wash their hands straight after making these.
I honestly don’t think my daughter would like the messy hands part (some kids don’t) But if your kids are okay with it, then get them involved!
There is a process when dipping in the nuggets, almost like a conveyor belt lol! In order for the nuggets to hold their breadcrumbs, they have to be coated in flour and egg first. Like I said, messy!
Breadcrumbs!
For our breadcrumbs we used a well known cereal brand that are now doing breadcrumbs. They make the nuggets so delicious.
If you can’t find them in your local grocery store, you can easily grind some to make your breadcrumbs.
Of course any sort of breadcrumbs will work too.
We also added some parmesan cheese to the breadcrumbs for extra yumminess.
There isn’t a right way or a wrong way to do the dipping. I know family members who dip in egg first then flour. I prefer to do it the other way around. It’s how I was taught, but it is personal preference.
Once the nuggets are covered we placed them onto a baking tray. Unless you are baking them straight away they will need to go into the freezer separated slightly so that they don’t stick together. We put some aside to have for dinner.
Preparing To Bake
Set the oven to 375F whilst preparing the nuggets. Finally brush them with some vegetable oil. They can sometimes look a bit dry if not brushed with oil. The oil will make them go slightly brown and crispy.
The nuggets take about 22 minutes in the oven. I always check the temperature inside the nugget using a thermometer. They should be at a temperature of 165F or over.
Delicious Nuggets
As I mentioned earlier, these homemade chicken nuggets are a favourite in our house. You can pretty much pair them with anything. My son enjoys having rice, cous cous or pasta with a side of veggies. But you can even just eat them as a side or slice them up and put them in a wrap.
TIPS!
*You can add spices or herbs to the breadcrumbs in you wanted to make an adult batch. I haven’t tried the spicy suggestion yet but it sounds very appealing lol!
*If you wanted smaller size nuggets, just cut the chicken breasts into smaller pieces. They do take longer to coat when there are more, but little ones might be able to eat them easier if they are smaller. Saves cutting them up when cooked.
*Just add breadcrumbs as you need them. Ive found in the past when Ive put too much breadcrumb mix in for coating there is always lots left over and you can’t reuse it after it’s been dipped into raw chicken. Don’t make the same mistake I did!!
*These nuggets can also be used in other dishes once they are cooked. How about a yummy sweet & sour sauce? Or perhaps a pasta dish.
*Cooked nuggets that are stored in the fridge can be reheated in foil, in a toaster oven or regular oven until temp reaches 165F
ENJOY!! 😋
Homemade Chicken Nuggets
Equipment
- 3-4 Containers/Plates
- Spoons
- A Fork/Whisk
- Sharp Knife (for cutting chicken)
- Baking Tray
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 2-3 Chicken Breasts
- 2-3 Tbsp Flour
- 2 Eggs
- 1/3 Cup Cornflake Breadcrumbs Extra if needed
- 1-2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil For brushing nuggets
Instructions
- Set oven to 375F
- Slice chicken breasts into small pieces.
- Place flour into a container.
- Crack eggs into another container & whisk.
- Place breadcrumbs into another container. Add extras such as parmesan. Any additional herbs and spices you want to add should be among breadcrumbs.
- Evenly coat the nuggets starting with the flour, then egg, followed by breadcrumbs.
- Place nuggets onto a baking tray and brush with vegetable oil.
- Place nuggets into a preheated oven for 22 minutes, or until they are cooked through to 165F or over.
- Serve with rice, pasta or veggies and enjoy!
- ** Place uncooked prepared nuggets in the freezer seperated until frozen. Nuggets can be stored in the freezer indefinetly but are at their best if used within 9 months.
Notes
More Dinner Inspiration?
Looking for more ideas for kids dinners? Try out these homemade burgers the kids and I made. Or how about DIY pizzas that are easy for kids to put together themselves.
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