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These Easy Chicken Nuggets not only deliver on the easy part of their name, but they’re insanely delicious too! They taste just as good (if not better) than fast food or store bought frozen nuggets and are made with simple ingredients. Kid’s go crazy for these!
Why I Love This Recipe
Homemade chicken nuggets are one of the most requested recipes I’ve received since I started creating family-friendly meals for Weelicious. While I’ve made Baked Chicken Nuggets before, I wanted to create a version that closely resembles the fast food nuggets everyone loves. And so, this recipe was born! Chicken nuggets and french fries are convenient and undeniably loved by kids, so naturally have I several recipes for each.
This homemade chicken nugget recipe is incredibly easy to make and offers the same crispy, delicious taste as fast food—but with healthier ingredients! It comes together in under 30 minutes using ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. Plus, you can make a large batch and freeze them for later, making these nuggets not only a budget-friendly recipe but also a huge time-saver when you need a quick meal.
The Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts: The star of the show! We use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, a great protein source!
- Old Fashioned Oats: Also known as rolled oats, this ingredient helps bind the chicken nuggets together. Plus, oats are high in fiber which adds some extra nutritional benefits.
- Panko breadcrumbs: Panko is what gives these nuggets that irresistible crispy, crunchy exterior!
- Grated parmesan cheese: Parmesan adds flavor to the nuggets, but if you need these to be dairy free you can omit it.
- Seasonings: Dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and kosher salt add tons of flavor to this recipe!
Variations and Substitutions
- Ground Chicken: If you don’t have a food processor, you can use ground chicken in this recipe. To do so, you’ll need to blend the oats into a finer consistency and then combine them with the ground chicken and remaining ingredients as instructed.
- Seasonings: Feel free to customize the seasonings to your taste preferences!
- Gluten Free: Use certified gluten free oats and gluten free panko to make this recipe suitable for people with gluten sensitivities.
How to Make Easy Chicken Nuggets
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the chicken chunks, oats and seasonings in a food processor until chicken is finely chopped and ingredients are combined.
Step 2: Place the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl or on a plate and stir to combine.
Step 3: With moistened hands, roll about 1 tablespoon of chicken mixture between your palms and flatten it into a nugget shape.
Step 4: Gently press nuggets into bread crumbs to evenly coat them. Place nuggets on a parchment lined baking sheet. Lightly spray nuggets with cooking spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden.
Recipe Tip
If you want your nuggets to be even more golden brown, place under the broiler for 2 minutes after cooking.
How to Air Fry Homemade Chicken Nuggets
Making these homemade chicken nuggets in the air fryer is super easy! Simply form the nuggets as directed, spray each one with cooking spray, and place them in your air fryer basket. Cook at 375°F for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Since every air fryer can vary, keep an eye on your nuggets while they cook to ensure perfect results!
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How to Freeze Homemade Chicken Nuggets
Many parents keep frozen chicken nuggets on hand as a quick meal solution, but have you ever looked closely at the ingredients in your favorite brand? Are they pronounceable? Are they things you want your kids eating? I was shocked when I first checked the labels, which is why I now make extra homemade chicken nuggets to freeze. This way, I always have a batch ready for when the craving hits, and I feel good knowing exactly what’s in them!
- 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 1-2 minutes to the cooking time.
Tips and Tricks
- Use Wet Hands for Shaping: Keep your hands slightly damp while shaping the nuggets to prevent the chicken mixture from sticking to your fingers.
- Chill the Mixture: If the chicken mixture feels too soft to handle, place it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to firm up. This makes shaping the nuggets easier and helps them hold their form while cooking.
- Coat Nuggets Evenly: To get an even coating, press the nuggets gently into the breadcrumb mixture, turning them a few times. This ensures a crispy coating all over.
More Kid-Approved Chicken Recipes
Crispy 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?
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Easy Chicken Nuggets
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 parchment lined baking sheet and 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!
Yes you can! Lay them on a sheet tray in the freezer until they are frozen, about 30 minutes, then transfer to a ziploc bag or other freezer safe container!
Can I cook these and then freeze them?
Raw chicken! 🙂
This may sound silly but do ou cook the chicken before starting or do you use raw chicken in the food processor?
Just made these today and they were so easy! I put everything in my Vitamix and ground it all up. I agree that they were a little dry. I should have added the egg like others have suggested. But they look perfect (definitely put them under the broiler. Otherwise they’re white and look odd) and taste terrific. I’m dunking them in BBQ sauce as we speak!
I can’t wait to learn more!
Sounds great, I wold love to learn more recipes good for my little boy!!
I haven’t tried that yet, but I think if you got a high enough lean percentage that would work!
Can you make these with ground beef? Looking for more ways to get iron in my baby 🙂
Made these last night to have for lunches this week, but couldn’t resist taste-testing a few! Delicious! I can see what other people mean about them being on the drier side, especially for little ones, but where it’s just my husband and I that doesn’t concern me much. These are super flavorful and easy ~ planning to make a big batch to freeze so I have them on hand for last-minute dinners.
Side note — yes, it’s just my husband and I. No kiddos (yet) in our house, and yet several Weelicious recipes are in regular rotation here! Thanks, Catherine, for coming up with kid-friendly recipes that aren’t just for kids.
[…] Homemade Chicken Nuggets with baked sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli/ carrots (with butter) […]
Aurora–
I just made these tonight and I cut back on the oats a tiny bit and added an egg to the chicken mixture. I also used crushed corn flakes for the breading instead of panko (it’s what I had) and they turned out wonderful. I actually only cooked for 14 minutes also (they were definitely fully cooked at 14 min). My 13 month old that only has his top and bottom two front teeth ate them well after I broke them up a tiny bit. I think the egg and a little less oats helped them because I tasted them and thought they were moist. Delicious recipe! I love that you can freeze them!
Thank you for posting this recipe. I have tried this recipe for my 22 month old toddler (20 month old at the time I made them). They were very good, however, they were a little dry and lacking moisture that would make them ‘soft’ /tender enough for my toddler to bite on them. My husband tried them and he really liked them and thought they were a little dry but he really liked the flavor. I really want to try and make them again but before I do I want to correct what may have went wrong. I followed the recipe exactly with the specified ingredients and baked them at the suggested time. I did some research on the internet and found out that one could marinate them in low fat buttermilk overnight. But if one is to place the chicken in a food processor; wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of marinating them? I wanted to ask you if you could kindly give me some suggestions on moisture and make them tender enough were my toddler could easily bite and chew the nuggets. I hope I do not come across as confusing, but, sincerely, overall they were really good and I have not come across other recipes that tops this one. thanks again.
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I used quinoa flakes and they worked great!