These Easy Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets are tender on the inside and all crunch on the outside, due to the crispy parmesan Panko breadcrumbs (plus a couple of insider tips!)
Delicious as a light meal with homemade fries and your favorite dipping sauce – you’ll never need to go to McDonalds again! My kids cannot get enough of these and, with no added nasties, I can serve them up guilt-free.
They’re also perfect as a protein-rich snack, as a party snack, picnic food and more!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THESE HOMEMADE BAKED CHICKEN NUGGETS
Ditch the unhealthy deep-fried fast food chicken nuggets and try these homemade baked chicken nuggets with Panko instead. You’ll only need a handful of budget-friendly and pantry-staple ingredients and less than 30 minutes to make these delicious and nutritious nuggets the whole family will love.
Even better is the fact that this recipe does away with the traditional egg mixture and flour. Instead, all you need is melted butter! To this you add simple seasoning and fresh parsley before dipping the chicken.
The melted butter adds flavor and moisture to the chicken pieces and helps the Panko breadcrumbs to stick without the mess of eggs and flour.
- This easy recipe doesn’t involve the use of eggs or flour as part of the coating process. This is great for those with allergies and also reduces mess in the kitchen. Say goodbye to sticky, eggy, floury hands!
- Preparing the chicken breasts with a meat mallet creates incredibly tender chicken nuggets.
- Baking the panko breadcrumbs first guarantees that golden and crispy, crunchy nugget found at fast food restaurants. It’s an extra step that is absolutely worth making.
- Easy to cook in the oven or air fryer – instructions for baking panko chicken nuggets in the oven or air fryer included below.
- Ditching the pan-fried method of traditional chicken nuggets makes these the best healthy Panko breadcrumb chicken nuggets out there. You don’t need to worry about excess oil – it’s the healthier alternative that benefits your whole family.
KEY INGREDIENTS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
- Chicken – Use boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded, sliced, and cubed.
- Butter – I prefer to use unsalted butter and season the chicken separately. This limits the salt in this homemade chicken nuggets recipe and avoids excess sodium in my family’s diet.
- Panko bread crumbs – for crisp and crunch, always use panko! However, you can make your own breadcrumb mixture from scratch if you don’t have panko breadcrumbs. Gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs or those made with gluten-free bread are also an option for those with allergies or intolerances.
- Parmesan cheese – use freshly grated parmesan cheese for best results, but other shredded cheeses are an option.
- Seasoning – I use a combination of garlic salt and ground black pepper to season these crispy chicken nuggets. Garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, or Italian seasoning are all great options for adding extra flavor to this homemade chicken nugget recipe.
- Parsley – Use freshly chopped parsley or dried parsley flakes. This is added to the melted butter mixture along with the seasoning, which the chicken pieces are dipped in.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BAKED CHICKEN NUGGETS WITH PANKO
- Preheat the oven and measure out all of the ingredients.
Preparing the chicken:
- Pounding the chicken breast with a meat mallet or rolling pin while it’s sandwiched between clingfilm.
- Then slice horizontally and cut into cubes.
Pre-baking the panko breadcrumbs:
- Spread the panko breadcrumbs over a large baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes in the preheated oven until golden brown.
- This is an optional step but if you want the best crispy, crunchy nuggets don’t skip it!
Preparing the dipping mixture:
- Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl with the seasoning and chopped parsley.
- Combine the pre-baked panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a separate bowl, and set aside.
Coating the chicken
- Add all of the cubed chicken to the butter mixture and coat well.
- Coat each piece of chicken with the Panko breadcrumb mixture.
To bake in oven:
- Place the panko breadcrumb chicken nuggets on a large wire rack, with plenty of space in between, over a baking sheet
- Position in the center of the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway
To bake in airfryer:
- Place breadcrumbed nuggets in a single layer in the air fryer basket (if you normally use cooking spray, spray some on first)
- Set air fryer at 375 degrees or the temperature you normally use for fries
- Cook for 10 minutes, toss the nuggets in the basket to shuffle, then cook for another 2 minutes
Rest and enjoy!
- Once baked, remove the chicken nuggets from the oven and let them rest for 2-3 minutes
- Serve along side your favorite dipping sauces and sides
TIPS FOR NUGGETS WITH CRISPINESS & CRUNCH
You want eat-your-heart-out-McDonalds or KFC-style chicken nuggets! So for super crispy chicken nuggets that are golden brown all around, these are a must:
- Use Panko breadcrumbs – they’re dryer than regular breadcrumbs which means they’re light, crispy and crunchy when baked.
- Space the nuggets well, 1-2 inches apart. This will allow hot air to circulate. Overcrowding the wire rack can result in the chicken steaming rather than baking. The Panko breadcrumb chicken nuggets will turn out soggy and soft instead.
- Use a large wire rack positioned over the baking sheet. This allows the air plenty of room to circulate under the individual chicken nuggets, helping them get crispy.
- For an even crispier finish, place the oven baking rack towards the top of the oven for the last 3 minutes of baking.
- Pre-bake the Panko breadcrumbs before combining with the parmesan cheese and coating the buttered chicken pieces. Simply place on a baking sheet in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes first.
MORE RECIPE TIPS
- It’s important to get uniform-sized pieces of chicken so the nuggets cook at the same rate.
- Discard any leftover butter that has been in contact with raw chicken as it will no longer be safe to use.
- You will need to work quickly to coat chicken cubes as the seasoned butter mixture will start to solidify. If it does, warm on a medium heat in the microwave to loosen.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BAKED PANKO CHICKEN NUGGETS
Enjoy these crispy baked chicken nuggets as a tasty snack or party appetizer with your favorite dips or favorite dipping sauce, such as BBQ sauce, honey mustard sauce or this simple marinara sauce.
These panko-crusted chicken nuggets also make a delicious lunch or light dinner when served with French fries, a side salad, or roasted vegetables.
Need more easy dinner ideas?
Try:
- Easy & Delicious Turkey Meatballs
- Simple Leftover Chicken Tacos Recipe With Mango Salsa
- Easy Italian Mozzarella & Ricotta Cheese Calzone Recipe
HOW TO STORE PANKO BREADCRUMB CHICKEN NUGGETS
Once completely cool, store leftover Panko breadcrumb chicken nuggets in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Keep in mind that the crispy breadcrumb coating will start to turn stale and soft the longer these nuggets are stored in the fridge.
You can also freeze these chicken nuggets for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or reheat in the oven or air fryer.
HOW TO REHEAT BAKED PANKO BREADCRUMB CHICKEN NUGGETS
Reheat these chicken nuggets in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes, flipping them halfway to ensure an even reheating on all sides. You could also reheat these Panko chicken nuggets in the air fryer at 375 degrees F for about 3 minutes.
CAN THESE EASY CHICKEN NUGGETS BE COOKED IN THE AIR FRYER?
Yes, absolutely! Baking homemade chicken nuggets in the air fryer is a no-brainer for me when I’m doing a smallish batch.
You can lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray or brush with olive oil, but I haven’t found this necessary as my air fryer basket has a really good non-stick surface.
Then place the assembled chicken nuggets in a single layer in the air fryer basket, as pictured, and cook at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.
Then flip or shake the basket to turn the chicken nuggets and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Looking for a delicious and healthy treat for afters?
Try these:
- Banana Chia Seed Pudding With Raspberry Sauce
- Grilled Peaches and Cream
- Cheats Sourdough Bread Blueberry French Toast Muffins
Delicious Baked Chicken Nuggets With Panko Breadcrumbs
Ingredients
Chicken Nugget Panko Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cubed
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley or 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
Chicken Nugget Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°, if using
Preparing The Chicken
- Place a piece of plastic wrap on the cutting board or mat. Then place the chicken onto the plastic wrap, and fold over the chicken so it’s enveloped in the plastic wrap.
- Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, lightly pound the chicken until it’s an even thickness of about 3/4”.
- Remove the plastic wrap, and cut the chicken into 1” strips, then pieces 1” cubed pieces.
Pre-Baking The Panko
- Bake panko breadcrumbs on a baking sheet in the preheated oven, or in your air fryer at 375F, for 5-7 minutes until golden brown.
Prepping The Dipping Mixture
- Pour the melted butter into a bowl, and add the garlic salt, black pepper, and parsley, and stir until well-mixed.
- In the other bowl combine the pre-baked Panko bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese and combine.
Coating The Chicken
- Add all the cubed chicken to the butter, and coat well. (Work fast, because the butter will start to solidify.)
- Then place the chicken into the Panko mix, coat well and add to the baking sheet leaving around 2” between each nugget.
To Bake In Oven
- Bake in the center of the oven for 12-15 minutes.
- For a crispier brown top, move them to the top rack in the oven for the last 3 minutes.
To Bake In Air Fryer
- Place nuggets in a single layer in the air fryer basket (if you normally use cooking spray, spray some on first) and set air fryer at 375 degrees or the temperature you normally use for fries.
- Cook for 10 minutes, toss the nuggets in the basket to shuffle, then cook for another 2 minutes
Rest & Serve
- Let them rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.
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