Baked Chicken Nuggets

Name: Baked Chicken Nuggets
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 large eggs; 2 teaspoons water; 1/2 cup all purpose flour; 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 3/4 teaspoon onion powder; 3/4 teaspoon paprika; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 1 cup bread crumbs; 1 lb skinless boneless chicken breast

Recipe Features

Super Simple Dinner: This is such a quick meal. Pair it with steamed veggies or baked tater tots for a delicious alternative to fast food.

Customizable: You can use your favorite seasonings, add parmesan cheese, and even use crushed crackers in place of breadcrumbs.

Freezer Friendly: We always double, and sometimes triple, this recipe to keep extras in the freezer. Perfect for a quick lunch or snack!

This recipe is a recipe of love. We have a slight nugget obsession here in the One Sweet Appetite household. Mc Donald’s, Chick Fil A, and Wendy’s are among some of our all-time favorites. That being said, we’re not always up for take out. Enter these delicious and Easy Baked Chicken Nuggets!

These come together incredibly quick and are loaded with flavor. Picky eater approved and one of the most requested dinners from our teen. He claims that these are almost better than fast food.

glass square bowl filled with flour and spices on a wooden tabletop

Homemade Chicken Nugget Ingredients

Egg: One egg that is whisked with water. This provides the perfect “glue” for the dry ingredients.

Flour: This is a key ingredient to making sure your chicken nuggets are crisp and perfect.

Seasonings: We have tried several different seasonings and have two that are our favorites. First, Dan O’s. It’s delicious all inclusive seasoning that tastes great on chicken. OR, as written in the recipe, you can use salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder, and paprika.

Breadcrumbs: I used plain breadcrumbs, but you can also tone down the added seasoning and opt for Italian seasoned.

Chicken: I have only made this with chicken breasts. Pounded to an even thickness and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes.

Cooking Spray: A quick mist of oil spray is perfect to help get that golden brown finish. I use avocado oil.

unbaked chicken nuggets covered in breadcrumbs sitting on a baking tray

Crispy Baked Chicken Nuggets

PREP: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place an oven safe cooking rack inside of a baking tray and set aside for later.

MIX: In one shallow bowl, whisk together 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of water. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and 3/4 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. In the last bowl, add 1 cup of breadcrumbs. Set these aside.

CUT: Pound the chicken breast to 1/2 inch thickness. I like to do this by placing the chicken into a ziptop bag and pounding with a meat tenderizer (affiliate). Cut each chicken breast into 1 1/2 inch pieces.

DIP: Dip each chicken piece in the prepared ingredients in this order: Egg , flour, egg, and breadcrumbs.

BAKE: Place in a single layer on the prepared baking tray. Mist with cooking spray and bake 10 minutes. Flip the chicken and bake 10 minutes more, or until lightly browned and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Helpful Tools

Cooking Rack: Using an oven safe cooking rack (affiliate) helps bake around the entire nugget. This gives you the perfect crisp finish!

Baking Tray: Not all baking trays are made equal. Using a quality tray (affiliate) is going to help give you a more even bake. Thinner trays will cook the outside too quickly leaving you with dry chicken.

Cutting Boards: Using a sharp chef knife and a good set of cutting boards (affiliate) will help this recipe come together quickly.

white plate topped with golden brown chicken nuggets and a small white bowl filled with ketchup

Recipe Notes:

How long do chicken nuggets go in the oven for?

I have found that 20 minutes of baking time, flipping one time halfway through, is the perfect amount for a 1 1/2 inch nugget.

Do you have to flip chicken nuggets in the oven?

Technically, no. However, flipping the chicken halfway through the baking time helps to give you an even crisp on both sides.

How long do these homemade nuggets last?

Store leftovers in an airtight container inside the refrigerator. This should keep them fresh for 1 to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes before eating.

Can you freeze this recipe?

Yes! Make the recipe. Once you have all of the baked nuggets, let them cool completely. Place in a single layer on a tray and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to one hour. This helps keep the chicken nuggets from sticking together later.
Once slightly frozen, transfer to a freezer safe bag and freeze fully.
When ready to enjoy, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Warm the nuggets for 10 minutes, or until heated through.

Can these be made in an air fryer?

Yes! In fact, we love to make this recipe in our air fryer. I have a post that walks you through how to make chicken nuggets in an air fryer.

single nugget being dunked into a white bowl filled with ketchup

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5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)