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Even before we started eating real food I always thought that homemade chicken nuggets tasted much better than what you can get at most restaurants and grocery stores. And the best part is…you can freeze the leftovers!
How to Make Homemade Chicken Nuggets
So if you are in a rush simply pull a few pre-made nuggets out of the freezer and microwave them for 30 – 60 seconds for a quick and guilt-free dinner. In our house, this is the kind of “kids’ meal” that is so good the whole family eats it together.
This recipe is also fairly easy once you have the breadcrumbs made. I find that I need whole-wheat breadcrumbs on hand for all sorts of reasons so be sure to make those in advance on a rainy day and store them in the freezer as well. That way they are there and ready when you need them.
Chicken Nuggets With Whole Wheat Breading
To make a more nutritious chicken nugget for your family, we’ve decided to use whole wheat breadcrumbs for this recipe! Not only does it give the chicken a nice crispy texture, but a little more added protein to satisfy your hungriest eaters.
They’re also made a little healthier, (and easier!) by pan-frying in a skillet as opposed to deep frying. This cooking method also helps the chicken nuggets keep their crunchy and crispy breading even after freezing.
Can you Make These Nuggets in the Air Fryer?
Absolutely! Breaded foods like these do incredibly well in the air fryer, so you shouldn’t need to adapt it too much. You will however want to make sure that you line the bottom of the air fryer basket to prevent pieces of breading from falling through. If you’d like to be sure, the inside of the chicken nuggets should temp at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
How to Freeze This Chicken Nuggets Recipe
To freeze the leftover chicken nuggets make sure they are cooked first then layer them between sheets of wax paper in a Tupperware or other freezer-safe container. Enjoy!
Homemade Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 1 egg
- 1 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese (grated)
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- olive oil (for cooking)
Instructions
- Chop the chicken into small chunks and sprinkle them with salt and pepper (if desired).
- Lightly beat the egg in a shallow bowl.
- In another shallow bowl mix together the breadcrumbs, cheese, paprika, and garlic powder with a fork.
- Now you are ready to bread the chicken. There is a simple technique that will make this part very easy. Make one of your hands the “wet hand” and the other one the “dry hand”. With your wet hand toss some of the chicken chunks into the egg mixture until they are coated on all sides. Then with your wet hand drop them on top of the bread crumb mixture. With your dry hand sprinkle some breadcrumbs on top of the chicken and then flip them over a few times until the pieces are coated. Put the coated pieces on a plate while you work on the rest of the chicken.
- Heat a thin layer of oil in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat.
- Cook the chicken nuggets for several minutes on each side until they are golden brown. You want the nuggets to be cooked all the way through by the time they get brown on the outside. Cut one down the middle to make sure it is fully cooked.
- Transfer the nuggets to a plate lined with paper towels to help drain off any excess oil.
- Serve with organic ketchup or homemade honey mustard sauce (equal parts honey, mustard, and mayo).
And don’t forget to freeze the leftovers!
Ann Thomas says
Saw this recipe today and tried it tonight. I have four kids and they were a real hit. I was out of eggs, so I created a batter out of flour and water and they came out golden brown and delicious. I think I will try to bake them next time. I had to cook the nuggets in batches tonight. I'd rather just throw them in the oven and be done. I would also be able to do a double batch that way for freezing. Thanks so much for the post.
Stacy says
I have made these several times and my family loves them! I made a double batch tonight and plan to freeze the leftovers for lunches. I fried them in coconut oil and they tasted great:) Thanks Lisa!!
MothyrGrimm says
I made these last night although changed it a bit since I can't have any fats/oils/cheeses (I have gallstones...) and my husband loved them! Usually half the time he eats pizza and fatty foods since he hates my "rabbit" food, it's amazing he's skinny, but he really liked them, and he's said "Now these are healthy too? And real chicken?". lol They're a keeper!
andrea says
This is the exact same recipe I use. LOVE it! We even make the honey mustard dipping sauce but we use cream cheese instead of the mayo. YUM
jennifer says
Just made these for dinner and they were a huge hit! My buys devoured them, even the "non-meat-eater!" Thanks for sharing!
Shannon B says
I have made these twice now and they are SO delicious. This time around I made it with my Nutiva coconut oil - didn't smell as great cooking but tasted just as phenomenal. Paired it with some oven-fried french fries...YUM! The best chicken nuggets I've ever tasted! I used store-bought [processed, preservative-packed] breadcrumbs but now that I have used them up, I plan to make my own next time :) I'm learning so much from your website, thanks for the amazing resource!
Erin Franklin says
My husband and I love these! I actually used the breading recipe on some tilapia last night and it was really good, too. Thanks!
Maura says
These are fantastic! Love the recipe! Thanks!!
Ali O. says
I'll start by saying these were a huge hit with my kids and my husband. I baked them at 375 for 20 minutes instead of frying and they turned out great. I did find the flavor to be a little bland, though. Have you ever experimented with marinading the chicken first? I may try that next time. Regardless, I'm so excited to have a freezer bag full (I tripled the recipe) of REAL chicken nuggets that I'll be able to serve up quickly. Thanks for everything you're doing here--HUGE fan of the site.
Kate says
Just made these for my 3 year old. He gobbled them up! So easy and so good for you!
Bev says
Incredible! I would say this is my first major success with homemade chicken nuggets. I have 5 children and one of my more picky ones, a 9 yr. old girl, loved them! Now for the big WOW! My husband who was working late ate them COLD AND WITHOUT KETCHUP (he's a ketchup man). I quote him "these are so good they don't even need ketchup!" Then he told me to put these on the menu every other week. Thank you so much! They take some work but it was all worth it knowing that my family was enjoying real food, they liked it and I got thanks. What more can a mom ask for!
Jen says
My kids for some reason prefer strips over nuggets so I make them as strips. I fry them in coconut oil. I have made these for years and it is always a hit. I have never thought of making extra to freeze for those nights when we are in a rush!
Liz says
My son is addicted to chicken nuggets and anything chicken. I am going to try your version, hoping I can slip in a vegetable purée! Thanks for sharing!
Amy @ A Little Nosh says
These are delicious!! I made them tonight and they were really really good. I'm so used to baking my chicken nuggets, but using just that little bit of oil made such a huge difference. And the flavor from the parmesan was wonderful.
Shannon says
These look really good and super easy to make! I had one question though, doesn't Organic Ketchup still have added sugar to it? So wouldn't that be against THE RULES? If it doesn't have added sugar, please share where you have gotten the Kethcup.
100 Days of Real Food says
Yes, ketchup does have sugar (unless you make it yourself) so if you are on the 10-day pledge I would recommend homemade honey mustard for your dipping sauce!
cindy says
Awesome!! My kids LOVED them! nice to find one more thing to make dinner peaceful... Thanks
Shannon Sparks says
I tried these tonight for my very picky 3 and 4 year olds and they asked for seconds! Thank you so much!!! My 3 YO even asked me to make this again.....I was so excited!
Trish says
Tried this recipe and my tasters(my daughters)LOVED THEM!! Thanks!
Donna says
Sounds like a tasty recipe. I was, however, surprised to see you recommending that they be cooked in a microwave (the frozen ones). Microwaves produce anything but real food. Studies show they destroy the molecular structure of food and cause malnutrition in those who use them. They are banned in many countries and should be in ours also. Love your site and love your heart. Just wanted to give a heads up on the downside of Microwaves.
100 Days of Real Food says
Yes, we occasionally use our microwave, although several people have left similar comments. Can you please share the resource where you got your information from?
Thanks!
Lisa
bridget says
I do almost the same BUT add sweet potato puree to the eggs! It adds just enough extra YUMMMMMM:)
bob says
Shake ~N~ Bake was good
Maurine says
Just tried these tonight and was so impressed with the results! I have to say that any time you fry up something it is time-consuming, but at least the nuggets taste delicious! My son actually said "hey mom, chicken nuggets are made from chicken!?!" Um, yeah, they are. He really did not know that before tonight.
100 Days of Real Food says
Oh my gosh...so glad he is learning where his food comes from! :)
erin says
are you able to freeze these and then reheat them without loosing the taste??
LOVE your blog!!!! Thanks for all the tips!!!
100 Days of Real Food says
Yes...they are great out of the freezer!
Erika says
My family is vegetarian, and we absolutely love the Morningstar veggie/soy nuggets, but I hate how processed they are. Any suggestions to make whole-food substitute? Ideally, I can put them in my freezer like the Morningstar ones and pull them out when needed for a quick meal.
Thanks!
Erika
Stacie says
Have you tried pressing some tofu and cutting it into nugget shapes? Maybe you could also try marinating the tofu in a sauce of your choice before you bread it.
100 Days of Real Food says
I know some people do that, but I am personally not a fan of tofu (b/c of the texture)!
100 Days of Real Food says
here you go (they can be frozen)! https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/05/31/recipe-veggie-burgers-another-meal-you-can-freeze-including-homemade-breadcrumbs/
Megan Robinson says
I've been eyeing this recipe and I finally made these tonight for dinner with a side of fresh zucchini. Delicious. My 6 and 8 year olds loved them and asked for them in their lunch tomorrow - hooray! I'm wishing I would have made much more than I did. Next time for sure! Thank you!
Melissa says
I made this tonight and my family (husband included) loved it! I could not find whole wheat bread crumbs at my local grocery store so I bought a whole wheat loaf of bread to make my own. I toasted about 6 pieces of bread, cut them up and put them in my blender- I wasn't sure how it would work out but it made perfect bread crumbs. Thanks for the great recipe!
Heather says
I always make a giant batch about every 6 weeks.. we all love them and so easy to grab. I use the added step of dredging the chicken in brown rice/buckwheat flour first and the into the egg. Then into gluten free (natures path) honey'd cornflakes ground in the processor plus 1/4 (or so) of ground flax. A messy job for sure but I pack them on wax paper in a tupperware a few layer thick. I bake them right from the freezer about 10-12 minutes per side in a 375 oven. Kids (2 and 4) scarf them down. Only meat the 2 year old would eat for quite a while.
Kelley says
These were so good! I made them tonight and my family loved them. I didn't quite follow the recipe. But I never do. I think recipes are more or less guidelines. I baked mine to keep the fat count low. They were crispy. I sprayed them with evoo to help crisp them up. Cooked them at 425 for about 15 minutes and flipped them half way through. Yummy!
We haven't had chicken nuggets for a long time because my husband has high blood pressure and the processed ones have way to much sodium. These were great because I didn't add any salt and they still tasted good.
I love your blog. It is definitely helping me figure out how to do all this. Thanks and keep it up!
Janet says
I just read on my flaxseed bag that you can mix it with water and use as replacement for egg.
Mary says
Has anyone tried making these without eggs? I use applesauce in place of eggs for many recipes but not sure how it would work with this. (one of our sons is allergic to eggs)
Trina says
When I make mine, I bake them (425, 8-10 minutes on side one and then 4-5 on the other -- misted with olive oil) using either buttermilk or plain yogurt in place of the eggs.
Marlin Fessler says
My chicken nugget is almost the same as yours. My two grand daughter doesn't like the chicken nugget in any restaurant or store. They said it taste different. They want to taste the real chicken.
Lori DePriest says
Our family is just now starting this "real food" journey so I hope that I don't sound stupid when I ask this. I am going to make these nuggets, but wanted to clarify what kind of oil to use. I clicked to the page and I see which ones to use and not use, but which one is best for this recipe? Thank you for putting all of your heart and knowledge into this blog. It has been a lifesaver!!
Lori
100 Days of Real Food says
Not a stupid question at all...oils were something we struggled with for a long time (and still do on occasion!). Ideally you would cook these nuggets in lard or tallow, but since most people don't have that on hand you could try olive oil at a lower temperature (like medium) or clarified butter (sold in stores as ghee). The clarified butter can be cooked at a higher temp than regular butter. I hope that helps!
Janice says
I made these tonight and they were amazing! My only variation was that I added finely shredded carrots to the breading. Served with homemade honey mustard and organic ketchup, with a side of potato skins (also from this website) and a salad. Unbelievably delicious and satisfying! Thank you for the recipe!
Jennifer says
Cannot wait to try today! I am cooking them this morning and freezing a batch. I will let you know how it goes. I also have a question for Carly, what is "chicken mince"?
Katherine says
I make a recipe similar to this, and I do bake it. I just use a misto sprayer and give them a light coat of olive oil spray before they go in to the oven. Golden and yummy. I'm a touch embarrassed to admit I make my own chicken nuggets even though there are no kids in the house. I usually make "fries" to go with them by cutting a potato into wedges and then brushing on a bit of pesto. I put both in to bake and YUMMY!
100 Days of Real Food says
I am definitely going to try a baked version soon...and no one is ever too old to enjoy some good ol' chicken nuggets! :)
Tania says
I make it in the oven as well, 15 minutes on each side at 375 or 400 degrees. I've also been adding a little flax meal to my panko-parmesan-herbs plate.
Amanda says
This are great, and very similar to the recipe on the back of the Bisquick box, except substituting whole wheat breadcrumbs of course. The bisquick recipe calls for baking them after drizzling with melted butter, which is how I've always done it. But I will try pan-frying next time. I'm sure they will get browner/crispier that way. I agree that these are way better than any store bought/frozen nuggets! Thanks!!
100 Days of Real Food says
Next time I'll have to play around with an oven baked version too...good idea!
Allison says
My daughter would no doubt love them, but what about a nugget that you can bake instead of frying? Do you think that would change it too radically?
100 Days of Real Food says
You could definitely try it my only thought is that they might not become as golden brown if you bake them. Let me know how it turns out though! Since we use the oil to fry them this meal is a special treat in our house. :)
Renae says
I tried these and LOVED them!
100 Days of Real Food says
I am so glad to hear that...and thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Lauren says
Mmmmm. . . we love homemade chicken nuggets. We get a lot of ideas from Jessica Seinfeld's book "Deceptively Delicious," although we modify them quite a bit because IMO she uses way too much sugar & oils. Good ideas though. Anyways, in it she suggests adding some pureed green beans in the batter that you dip the chicken in before coating it with crumbs. A fun way to sneak a little bit of extra veggies into your family :)
Carly says
Great recipe! I make chicken nuggets similar to this except I use chicken mince instead as it is usually cheaper. This is basically the recipe I use: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/17472/chicken+and+vegie+nuggets. I don't add the corn, and I usually add grated onion and carrot also, as well as a bit of garlic. The recipe says to cook them in the oven but I fry them first to get them golden brown and then cook them in the oven. I like your idea of including parmesan cheese in the crust, yum!