These healthy chicken nuggets have a light, crunchy, flavorful breading that envelopes the tender, juicy baked not fried, pieces of chicken.

Basically, to reiterate the compliments flying around the dinner table the night I served these, I would simply have to state:

Mom rules! McDonald’s drools!
{Insert fist pump}

A homemade crispy chicken nugget being dipped in barbecue sauce.

A light, crunchy, flavorful breading envelopes tender, juicy pieces of chicken, which are baked not fried. Dipped in this beloved BBQ sauce, even I was swooning over this humble meal.

From the children who aspire to live beneath the golden arches (despite their mother’s attempts to brainwash them otherwise), these chicken nuggets were so well-received that I nearly got contracts signed in blood that they will never ask to eat at you-know-where again. Nearly.

A white plate with homemade chicken nuggets in front of a white bowl of sauce.

What To Serve With This:

Sweet Potato Fries or Jo Jo Wedges
Green salad
Sliced fruit

One Year Ago: Lemon Berry Trifle
Two Years Ago: Slow Cooker Maple Brown Sugar Ham
Three Years Ago: Honey Mustard Chicken

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Healthy Chicken Nuggets {Baked}

4.43 stars (7 ratings)

Ingredients

  • 2-3 thick slices whole wheat bread, for about 1 cup of crumbs
  • ½ teaspoon basil
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup panko crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch or so sized pieces

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
  • In a food processor or blender, place the slices of whole wheat bread and pulse until crumbs form. Add the basil, oregano and Parmesan cheese and pulse until combined. Pour the bread crumbs into a shallow dish (like a pie plate) and mix in the panko crumbs.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, egg whites and water until well combined. Pat the chicken cubes dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Toss the chicken cubes in the egg white/olive oil mixture before taking a few of them at a time and rolling them in the bread crumb mixture to coat evenly.
  • Place the coated chicken nuggets on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Using a pair of tongs, carefully flip the nuggets over (taking care not to remove the breading) and bake for 5 minutes longer, or until cooked through (the exact time will depend on the size of the chicken pieces). Serve immediately.
Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 150kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 51mg, Sodium: 211mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g
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Recipe Source: inspired by a recipe at Skinny Taste