Description
Baked Chicken Nuggets hit the spot when your dinner needs a quick, crowd-pleasing protein that’s way healthier than fast food. Crispy golden coating and tender chicken make this recipe a total weeknight winner that delivers maximum flavor with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Coating and Seasoning:
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
Spices and Seasonings:
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Submerge 1.5 lbs chicken breast pieces in a mixture of 1 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon onion powder. Refrigerate for 30-120 minutes to infuse flavor.
- Heat your oven to 400F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and a light olive oil spray.
- Create a crispy coating by mixing 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup flour, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon thyme, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper in a shallow dish.
- Drain chicken pieces from marinade, allowing excess liquid to drip off. Roll each piece thoroughly in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently to ensure complete coverage.
- Arrange coated chicken pieces on the prepared baking sheet, keeping space between each nugget. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil across the nuggets.
- Bake at 400F for 10-12 minutes. Carefully flip each nugget to ensure even browning.
- Continue baking another 10-12 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165F and exterior looks golden and crisp.
- Switch oven to broil for 1-2 minutes to enhance crunchiness. Watch closely to prevent burning.
- Remove from oven and let nuggets rest 3-4 minutes before serving with preferred dipping sauces.
Notes
- Marinating the chicken in buttermilk helps tenderize and add flavor, so don’t skip this step for the juiciest nuggets.
- Pressing the breadcrumb coating firmly ensures a crispy, even layer that sticks well to the chicken pieces.
- Using a wire rack on the baking sheet can help air circulate and create an extra crispy bottom for the nuggets.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular flour and panko with almond flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs to maintain the same crunchy texture.
- Prep Time: 35-125 minutes
- Cook Time: 21-26 minutes
- Category: Baked
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 330 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg