If you are what you eat was really a thing, my son would be a chicken nugget. I have told him countless times over the years that he was going to turn into a chicken nugget because of the frequency of his nugget consumption. To say that he loves them is an understatement. So what are the chicken nugget options then- fast food or bagged, frozen nuggets from the grocery. Neither are great options, in my opinion. These options are basically the choice between deep-fried and unhealthy or really not that tasty and questionable ingredients. But there is a third option. Make your own! So I came up with these nuggets and I decided to call them The Best Crispy, Baked Chicken Nuggets. Because that’s what they are!
I worked on this nugget recipe for a while. I wanted to love them. I wanted my son to love them. Because if we don’t love them, then what’s the point? Also, I wanted them healthier, so I knew that I wanted a recipe that was baked and not fried. But it’s not always easy to get a baked nugget that is perfectly crispy AND baked. But, oh my goodness, these nuggets are so crispy and delicious. They take a little time to bread, but they are (otherwise) easy to make and so worth your time!
Let me show you how I made The Best Crispy, Baked Chicken Nuggets 👇🏻
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray (if you don’t have a spray, lightly grease with olive oil).
To a large plastic bag, add 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp salt. Shake the bag a little to mix the spices and then add 2 lbs of chicken breast that has been cut up into nugget-sized pieces.
Close the plastic bag and shake the chicken around until well coated in the flour and spices.
Grab 2 shallow bowls. To the first one, add 3 eggs and whisk them up. To the second bowl, add 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs and 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese and stir.
Dip each chicken nugget into the egg wash, turning it to coat.
Shake off the excess egg and then dredge the nugget into the breadcrumb-parmesan mixture. Pack the crumbs onto the nugget until the nugget is well coated.
Place the breaded nugget onto the prepared baking sheet and then repeat until all of the nuggets are breaded. Space them out a little bit to allow the air to circulate so your nuggets can crisp up. Use 2 baking sheets if you need to.
Lightly spray the nuggets with the olive oil spray. This will help the nuggets to get their golden color. If you don’t have an olive oil spray, lightly drizzle oil over the nuggets.
Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, flip the nuggets. I lightly spray the nuggets with olive oil one last time. Then return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
Cooking Note: the baking sheet that I am using is a heavy, stainless steel, commercial baking sheet. The cooking times that I am quoting are based on using this baking sheet. If your baking sheet is on the thin side, you may need to adjust (lower) your cooking times.
After 10 minutes, you can remove your nuggets from the oven. The nuggets are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
I like mine crispy and golden, so I turned the oven broil to low and let them crisp up for a couple of minutes before removing. Watch carefully so they don’t burn.
Serve the nuggets with your favorite dipping sauces.
Enjoy!!
Reheating: Store any leftovers in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. To reheat, pop the nuggets into a preheated oven at 375 degrees until hot and crispy. You can also store leftovers in an air-tight bag (or container) in the freezer. I’d recommend flash-freezing the nuggets on a baking sheet for a half hour first and then placing into a bag (that way they won’t stick when frozen). To reheat from frozen, put into a preheated oven at 375 degrees and cook until hot and crispy.
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The Best, Crispy, Baked Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
- 2 Lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast, cut into nugget-sized pieces
- 1/2 Cup Flour
- 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 Tsp Paprika
- 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 1/2 Cups Panko Breadcrumbs
- 3/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
- Olive Oil Spray
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and spray a large baking sheet with olive oil spray.
- To a large plastic bag, add the flour, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, pepper, and salt. Shake the bag up a little to stir everything up and then add the chicken to the bag. Seal up the bag and then give it a good shake to evenly coat the nuggets in the flour and spices.
- Grab 2 shallow bowls. In the first bowl, add the 3 eggs and whisk them up. In the second bowl, stir together the panko breadcrumbs and the parmesan cheese.
- One at a time, remove a nugget from the bag and dip into the egg, coating all sides. Shake off the excess egg and then place into the breadcrumb-cheese mixture. Press the crumbs onto the nugget so that it’s well coated.
- Place breaded nugget onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all of the nuggets are breaded. Space them out on the baking sheet so that the air can circulate and the nuggets can crisp up. Use 2 baking sheets if you have to.
- Lightly spray the tops of the nuggets with the olive oil spray (or lightly drizzle with olive oil). Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, flip the nuggets and lightly spray with the olive oil one last time. Return to the oven and cook for another 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, your nuggets should be fully cooked (should have an internal temp of 165 degrees). OPTIONAL: before removing, I’d highly recommend setting your oven broiler to low and letting the nuggets crisp up for a couple minutes. Watch carefully so they don’t burn.
- Remove from the oven and serve with your favorite sauces. Enjoy!!
- Reheating: Store any leftovers in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. To reheat, pop the nuggets into a preheated oven at 375 degrees until hot and crispy. You can also store leftovers in an air-tight bag (or container) in the freezer. I’d recommend flash-freezing the nuggets on a baking sheet for a half hour first and then placing into a bag (that way they won’t stick when frozen). To reheat from frozen, put into a preheated oven at 375 degrees and cook until hot and crispy.
Welcome to Cupcakes and Sarcasm! My name is Maggie and I am the creator of C & S. I am a wife and mom of two beautiful kiddos. I grew up in Columbus, Ohio and now live in Northeast Ohio with my family. I have been cooking and baking since I was a kid. I decided in 2017 that I wanted to share my passion (and recipes) with all of you! On this site, you’ll find easy and delicious recipes- both savory and sweet. I’ll also sprinkle in some stories of parenting and our adventures along the way.