Let’s hear it for healthy, kid-friendly meals! I made these nuggets hoping my little nephew (and kids like him!) would love them. As a self-proclaimed nugget aficionado, I myself am partial to a well-seasoned and perfectly crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside chicken nugget. It also goes without saying that my preference is for nuggets made with real, recognizable chicken. But even the best drive-thru nuggets still give me guilt, so I decided to try my hand at making a healthy version at home, which of course means only the best quality ingredients. And since these are baked, not fried, they’re light and oil-free but still deliciously crispy. I adapted this recipe from Ali over at Gimme Some Oven ever so slightly. I scaled it up a bit and just couldn’t resist bumping up the flavor. They’re not at all spicy and still very much munchkin-approved, don’t you worry!
Yesterday we talked a little about the great reasons to let the kiddos help in the kitchen and how I’ve really come to love cooking with the original Munchkin (he’s quite excited to soon be a big cousin to a little munchkin!). It definitely gets a little messier and takes a little longer when he’s helping, but I just love to see the look on his face when he bites into something he made and really enjoys it. He’s such a diligent helper!
PS: Check the safety goggles! He found Uncle Tony’s old safety glasses in the car and decided they were absolutely necessary to protect from all the breading flying around! 😀
Let’s just say we had to keep a very close eye on him after these nuggets came out of the oven! Sauce or no sauce, they’re reeeeeeeally yummy. All the grown-ups in the house were just as pleased as this guy was.
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1½ cups seasoned panko breadcrumbs
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup powdered parmesan cheese
- 3 teaspoons cajun seasoning, divided
- 11/2 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and spread the breadcrumbs out on a large baking sheet. Toast about 3-5 minutes until just golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer into a medium bowl. Rinse off the baking sheet and line it with parchment paper, then set aside.
- Grab two small bowls. In the first, whisk together the flour, salt and pepper to taste, 1½ teaspoons of cajun seasoning and ½ teaspoon of garlic powder. In the second bowl, whisk the eggs with ½ teaspoon of garlic powder and ½ teaspoon of cajun seasoning. Set those bowls aside. Add the parmesan cheese to the bowl of breadcrumbs and stir to combine.
- Chop the chicken into bite-size pieces and season with the remaining garlic powder and cajun seasoning, plus salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Dredge each nugget first in flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumb mixture, patting the breadcrumbs onto each nugget to adhere. Remember to shake off any excess before moving on to the next bowl! Line up the breaded nuggets on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
- Bake for 5 minutes, flip, then bake 5 minutes more or until the nuggets are cooked through (internal temperature of 165 degrees F) and crispy. Serve warm with dipping sauces of your choice.