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Baked Chicken Nuggets

By Kathleen Flinn

4.89 from 9 votes

Last Updated October 3, 2017 · First Published October 10, 2011

My sister and I developed this recipe as an alternative to the ubiquitous, ultra-processed fried chicken nuggets for my niece, Sarah, nearly two decades ago when she was about three-years-old.

It all started one afternoon after I gave in to Sarah’s plea to go to McDonald’s. She ran around the colorful play area with the other kids, taking a break every so often to return to the table for a bite of food. During one of her absences, I reached over for one of her chicken nuggets. Breaking it in half to observe it, I contemplated the texture. “White meat?Dark meat?” No way to tell. Then, I took a nibble. It had a flat, yet salty flavor and that enhanced chicken flavor associated with powdered bouillon cubes, what people in the restaurant industry refer to as “chicken base.”

I remember wondering, “What’s actually in these nuggets?” I had never heard of mechanically separated poultry (MSP), the pink paste-like goo that Jamie Oliver famously recreated in his Food Revolution show. I didn’t know as much about the complexities of industrial poultry farming in America. But it bothered me so much that I couldn’t identify whether it was dark or white meat that I started to make them myself and took Sarah to the park instead of McDonald’s to play.

Store-bought bread crumbs can be stale and loaded with sodium. They’re not only easy to make, but also a great way to use up leftover bread and crackers. I’m baffled people will spend up to $2.50 a pound for breadcrumbs. For each cup, simply toast two slices of whole grain bread, let them cool, and process them into crumbs in a small food processor.

4.89 from 9 votes

Baked Chicken Nuggets

By: Kathleen Flinn

Cooking the chicken on a cooling rack allows the dry heat to crisp both sides, but if you don’t have one, simply coat a parchment or foil-lined cookie sheet with cooking spray, and turn the chicken pieces over after ten minutes. In place of cooking spray, I use a bit of olive oil in a spray-pump or mister. If you don’t have this, fear not, they will still turn out fine. Makes about 2 dozen nuggets

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 35 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless Chicken Breasts (preferably pastured and organic)
• ▢ 1 cup 100% Whole Grain Bread Crumbs
• ▢ 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• ▢ 1/3 tsp. Sea Salt
• ▢ 1 tsp. dried Thyme or Mixed Herbs
• ▢ Pinch Cayenne, optional
• ▢ Freshly ground Black Pepper
• ▢ 1 Egg
• ▢ 1/4 cup Yogurt, Coconut Milk, or Soy Milk
• ▢ Olive Oil from a mister, see note above

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a cooling rack in the center of a cookie sheet. Set aside.
• Cut the chicken breasts into 1½-inch pieces.
• In a shallow bowl or a large plastic bag, mix together the bread crumbs,cheese, salt, dried herbs, cayenne (if using), and a few grinds of black pepper.
• Combine the egg and milk in a small bowl.
• Dip the chicken into the milk mixture and then coat it well with the bread crumb mixture, either in a bowl or by tossing it inside the bag.
• Place the coated chicken pieces on the cooling rack and put the cookie sheet into the oven.
• Depending on your oven and the size and thickness of the chicken, the pieces will take 15 to 20 minutes until firm and cooked through.
• Spritz the chicken lightly with cooking spray and then place the cookie sheet under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, until a bit browned, if desired, but keep a vigilant gaze on them lest they burn.

Notes

Reprinted with permission from The Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn, Viking/Penguin 2011.

Nutrition

Calories: 298kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 141mg, Sodium: 517mg, Potassium: 317mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 155IU, Vitamin C: 8.3mg, Calcium: 104mg, Iron: 4.9mg

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