I was never a chicken nugget obsessed kid. I liked them good enough I suppose, but growing up we didn’t really eat out much. Fast-forward 20-ish years and I find myself married to a hard-core chicken lover. He’s an equal opportunity chicken lover, thankfully, but even so sometimes it’s hard to keep our dinner routine fresh. It’s so easy for me to get in a dinner rut. (Am I the only one??)
We had Panko Crusted Baked Fish one night last week and I thought, “Hey, I could do the same thing with chicken!”. And so I did. The very next night =). Except, I decided to cut the chicken into smaller peices and make nuggets. Best. Idea. Ever. They were a million times better than any processed chicken nuggets I’ve ever had and so much healthier. Dipping all those pieces of chicken into flour, then egg, then panko may seem daunting at first but it only takes about 15 minutes. That’s not too bad, right?! I mean, it would take you longer than that to drive to your favorite fast-food place, wait in line, and drive back home. And you can feel good about eating these! Enjoy!
Panko Crusted Baked Chicken Nuggets
2 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs, toasted
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Set up your dredging station by getting 3 small bowls. Place flour, salt, and pepper in one bowl. In second bowl, place egg. Beat lightly. In third bowl, place toasted panko.
3. Working with 3-4 pieces of chicken at a time, coat in flour, then egg, then panko. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, flipping half-way through, or until chicken is lightly browned and fully cooked (bake time will vary slightly depending on the thickness and size of your chicken pieces).
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