Baked Chicken Nuggets
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 414kcal
These Baked Chicken Nuggets are crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and made with simple, real ingredients. They’re freezer-friendly, kid-approved, and bake straight from frozen – no frying or flour-egg-crumb mess. Serve with homemade sweet and sour dipping sauce for the ultimate fakeaway dinner.
Ingredients
SWEET AND SOUR DIPPING SAUCE
- 125 ml pineapple juice
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 2 tsp all-purpose soy sauce
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ tsp mustard powder
- 1½ tsp cornflour (cornstarch), combined with 2 tsp water
COATING
- 75 g panko breadcrumbs
- 20 g finely grated parmesan
- 1 tsp sweet paprika –don’t skip this as it adds a beautiful colour!
- ½ tsp sea salt flakes
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
CHICKEN
- 500 g minced (ground) chicken
- 1 egg
- 30 g panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 tsp all-purpose soy sauce
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp freshly grated garlic (can be substituted with garlic powder)
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ tsp sea salt flakes
- Olive oil spray
Instructions
- Make the sweet and sour sauce – Place the pineapple juice, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar and mustard powder into a small saucepan with the heat off (this stops the ingredients from splattering). Turn the heat to medium and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and add the cornflour and water mixture.
- Simmer, stirring often, for 2–3 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken slightly. Remove from the heat. Set aside to cool completely and thicken.
- Make the coating – Combine all the coating ingredients in a large bowl.
- Preheat – Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) (170°C/350°F fan-forced). (See note 1 for pan-frying and air fryer methods.)
- Prepare the chicken – Place the chicken mince, egg, breadcrumbs, flour, soy sauce, onion powder, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl. Using clean hands, mix until well combined.
- Coat the nuggets – Toss 1 level tablespoon of the chicken mixture into the breadcrumb mixture, shaping into a nugget as you turn it in the crumbs to coat. Press gently to help the crumbs stick. Place on a baking tray lined with baking (parchment) paper.
- Bake – Spray the nuggets liberally with oil. Bake for 15–18 minutes or until golden and cooked through, turning once halfway through and spraying with more oil.
- Serve – Serve the chicken nuggets with the sweet and sour dipping sauce.
Notes
Note 1 – Pan-frying and air fryer cooking methods
Pan-fry – Heat 60 ml (¼ cup) of light olive oil (or avocado oil, canola/rapeseed oil or vegetable oil) in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the nuggets in a single layer and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel. Repeat with the remaining nuggets.
Air fry – Preheat the air fryer to 190°C (375°F) for 5 minutes. Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil. Arrange the nuggets in a single layer, spray generously with oil and air fry for 8 minutes. Turn the nuggets, spray again and air fry for a further 5–7 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
MAKE AHEAD
Raw chicken nuggets – Chicken nuggets can be made ahead of time and frozen raw. Layer in an airtight container between sheets of baking (parchment) paper, finishing with a layer of baking paper. Freeze for up to 2 months. To cook from (raw) frozen:- Air fryer – 190°C (375°F) for 18–20 minutes or until golden and cooked through, turning halfway through cooking.
- Oven – 190°C (375°F) (170°C/350°F fan-forced) for 20–25 minutes or until golden and cooked through, turning halfway through cooking.
LEFTOVERS
Cooked chicken nuggets Fridge – Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat (cooked, refrigerated):- Air fryer – 180°C (350°F) for 5–7 minutes or until hot and crisp.
- Oven – 190°C (375°F) (170°C/350°F fan-forced) for 8–10 minutes or until heated through.
- Pan-fry – Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat and cook the nuggets for 2–3 minutes on each side until warmed through and crisp..
- Air fryer – 180°C (350°F) for 10–12 minutes or until hot and crisp, turning halfway through.
- Oven – 190°C (375°F) (170°C/350°F fan-forced) for 15–18 minutes or until heated through.
Nutrition Facts
Baked Chicken Nuggets
Amount per Serving
Calories
414
% Daily Value*
Fat
14
g
22
%
Saturated Fat
4
g
25
%
Trans Fat
0.1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
3
g
Monounsaturated Fat
6
g
Cholesterol
153
mg
51
%
Sodium
1263
mg
55
%
Potassium
830
mg
24
%
Carbohydrates
43
g
14
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
18
g
20
%
Protein
30
g
60
%
Vitamin A
382
IU
8
%
Vitamin C
4
mg
5
%
Calcium
119
mg
12
%
Iron
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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