Easy Chicken Nuggets
Easy Chicken Nuggets deliver on the easy part of their name, but they’re insanely delicious too! These chicken nuggets taste just as good (if not better) than fast food or store bought frozen nuggets and are made with simple ingredients you can pronounce. Kid’s go crazy for these!
PinHomemade chicken nuggets is a recipe request that I received tons of emails and messages about from the time I started creating recipes for Weelicious. How often do you pull a box of frozen chicken nuggets from the freezer at lunch or dinner time to feed your crew? Once a week? Twice? If your kid really loves them, I’d wager the number might be even higher than that! I get it. Chicken Nuggets and French fries are convenient foods, and most kids crave them!
PinThis homemade chicken nugget recipe is unbelievably easy to make. The nuggets are absolutely delicious and made from ingredients you can pronounce. The best part is that you can make a huge batch and freeze them for future meals, so not only do they save on the expense of boxed nuggets but also the time it takes to go to the grocery to buy them.
The Ingredients
- boneless skinless chicken breasts
- quick cooking oats
- panko bread crumbs
- grated parmesan cheese
- seasonings: dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt
PinHow to Make Easy Chicken Nuggets
- Prep Oven. Start off by preheating the oven to 375°F.
- Make chicken mixture: Place the chicken chunks, oats and seasonings in a food processor until chicken is finely chopped and ingredients are combined.
- Prep breading station: Place the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl or on a plate and stir to combine.
- Form the nuggets: With moistened hands, roll about 1 tablespoon of chicken mixture between your palms and flatten it into a nugget shape. Gently press nuggets into bread crumbs to evenly coat them.
- Bake: Place nuggets on a greased cooling rack and place cooling rack over a foil-lined baking sheet. Lightly spray nuggets with cooking spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden. If you want your nuggets to be even more golden brown, place under the broiler for 2 minutes after cooking.
Recipe Tip
If you don’t have a food processor, you can use ground chicken instead and combine the ingredients by hand in a bowl.
Can I Air Fry This Recipe?
Yep! To air fry these beauties, form the nuggets as instructed and spritz each one will cooking spray. Air fry at 400°F for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
PinHow to Freeze Chicken Nuggets
A kid that eats can make for a less stressed parent, so keeping several store bought boxes of these frozen handheld, breaded chicken saviors on hand in the freezer at all times is a strategy adopted by countless parents. However, are you familiar with the ingredients that make up your favorite chicken nugget brand? Are they pronounceable? Are they made from things you want your little one eating? I was shocked the first time I took a close look at what goes into many nugget brands. Now, I make extra to freeze when making this recipe so I have homemade chicken nuggets at the ready whenever the craving calls and can feel good about feeding them to my kids!
- Before cooking, place the coated, raw nuggets on a parchment-lined baking sheet, freeze them for an hour.
- Put frozen nuggets in labeled zip-top bags and freeze for up to 4 months.
- When ready to eat, cook as directed, adding 2 minutes to the cooking time.
PinCrispy on the outside, tender inside, freshly made easy chicken nuggets your kids will beg for everyday. What could be more simple, economical, nutritious and yummy than that?
More Kid-Approved Chicken Recipes
- Baked Chicken Nuggets
- Chicken on a Stick
- Orange Chicken
- Pretzel Fried Chicken
- Chicken Tikka with Cucumber Mint Raita
Images by Matt Armendariz
Pin
Easy Chicken Nuggets
There’s no recipe more kid friendly than easy chicken nuggets. These nuggets are just as good (if not better) than fast food or store bought frozen nuggets and made with ingredients you can pronounce!
from votesSave RecipeSaved Recipe!Rate RecipePrint RecipeCourse: Appetizer, DinnerCuisine: AmericanServings: 4 servingsPrep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 12 minutes Total Time 27 minutes
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup old fashioned oats (also known as 5 minute oats)
- 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Place the first 6 ingredients in a food processor until chicken is finely chopped and ingredients are combined.
- Place the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl or on a plate and stir to combine.
- With moistened hands, roll 1 tablespoon of chicken mixture between your palms and flatten it into a “nugget” shape.
- Gently press nuggets into bread crumbs to evenly coat them.
- Place nuggets on a greased cooling rack. Place cooling rack over a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Lightly spray nuggets with cooking spray.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden and serve. If you want your nuggets to be more golden brown, place under the broiler for 2 minutes after cooking. Air frying instructions are in the notes below!
Video
Notes
To Freeze: Before cooking, place the coated, raw nuggets on a parchment-lined baking sheet, freeze them for an hour, then put them in labeled zip-top bags and freeze for up to 4 months. When ready to eat, cook as directed, adding 2 minutes to the cooking time.To Air Fry: Form the nuggets as instructed and spritz each one will cooking spray. Air fry at 400°F for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
Nutrition
Calories: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 527mg | Potassium: 468mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg Did you make this recipe?Mention @Weelicious or tag #weelicious!