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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!
This is a good recipe but might I suggest a different technique which may please the toddler and younger kids out there. Don’t just bread chicken chunks, many kids won’t eat that, especially those who are used to store bought nuggets. What I do is put the uncooked chicken in the food processor and then make tiny patties (into nugget shapes) out of them and then bread those and cook/bake. Even picky eaters will gobble them with the texture they know and love.
Have made these twice now with slight changes each time due to what we had on hand…they were a hit each time…
what kind of cooking oil would you use since we are in need of more now :)
Hi Maggie. Glad they’ve been a hit! I almost always use olive oil or coconut oil. Jill
which do you find is less expensive and does boil off as fast? cost does play a big role here…
How many does it make?
depends on how much chicken you use and how big you slice the pieces…I needed more bread crumbs using 12 chicken tenders cut into 1 inch slices…
Hi John. It will depend on how big or small you cut your pieces, but, probably about 20-24. Jill
I didn’t have any eggs, so I coated mine in yogurt before covering with the flour mixture. I did half in the oven at 425 for 25 minutes, and half sauteed in oil on the stove. Both turned out great, and my 3 year old is eating them up as I type!
We all loved these, especially the honey mustard sauce! So nice to have a healthier chicken nugget recipe for the kids. It did take me awhile to make them, but perhaps I’ll get faster the more times I try it. I might try another reviewer’s suggestion of spraying with oil and roasting in 425 degree oven. Next time I will make a double batch to try freezing, they were great!
Hi,
I’m going to try these tonight, so excited! What do people suggest serving with them? I don’t want to use potatoes but stuck for other filling, tasty ideas!
Hi Niamh. You could just do some steamed broccoli or sugar snap peas. Jill
Oops just read above that you microwave them! Sorry about that. I’m wondering though if in the oven it will keep them crispy without over cooking them. I’ll will have to try it. Thanks again for everything you do.
This might sound elementary but how how do you warm them up after you freeze them? Do you stick them frozen in the oven? Microwave? Thanks by the way for the great recipes. This one I was hoping to have some leftovers but it was too good and my family ate them all. :)
Hi Kris. I heat mine in the oven or toaster oven on 350. Glad you enjoyed them. Jill
I have made these several times without the paprika and they are delish. Sometimes I use garlic powder or thyme or italian seasoning. My kids love them.
Has anyone tried this without paprika? I don’t have any now and want to make them today. I would prefer to not take 3 kids to the store for some paprika. :)
I use whatever seasoning I feel like grabbing…last night was just garlic pepper
Yum. These were great. I wasn’t really in the mood to pan fry all of them, so I just put them on a baking sheet, sprayed them with a bit of oil, and put them in a 425 degree oven, stirring every once in a while. They turned out great. :)
Thanks, Mallorie for the comment about using almond flour. I was hoping I could make a gluten-free version!
What could I use besides egg due to an egg allergy?
Hi Jessica. I know flaxseed mixed with I believe water is a common substitute. You could search online to find the exact measurements. Jill
I made these tonight and my husband and daughters absolutely loved them. Thanks for the great recipe
Wouldn’t some coconut tossed in the breading be wonderful? It would get all toasted –like coconut shrimp.
Made this successfully with almond meal/flour instead of breadcrumbs – absolutely delicious(and MUCH easier)!!! :)
Two thumbs up from my boys and me! Yeah, healthier ways to make them I’m sure ie: bake instead of fry BUT, they are still a real food AND you gotta splurge once in a while! No more “no’s” to chicken nuggets…hip hip hooray!!!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit! My husband said they were the best nuggets he ever had. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you so much for this recipe! Just made it for my kids. Looking forward to freezing some nuggets and pulling them out when we are in a hurry and need to fix something quick! I haven’t checked through all the comments, but how do you recommend freezing these?
Katie
Hi Katie. I freeze mine in individual portions in baggies, that way I can pull out exactly what I need for a meal. Jill
Hi Lisa,
I make these but use whole wheat panko crumbs and bake them in the oven: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2010/10/homemade-whole-wheat-panko-breadcrumbs/.
I also marinate the chicken beforehand in a mixture of eggs, plain greek yogurt, and dijon mustard (courtesy of Ellie Krieger). The chicken comes out tender every time. I mix the breadcrumbs with sesame seeds and garlic powder, coat them and then spray them with EVOO (make sure it’s the real deal: http://truthinoliveoil.com) to give it that golden brown look. The kids gobble them up – even my 3-year old who otherwise gags on chicken. Enjoy!
Just made these tonight and they were great! Almost never made it to the dinner table, because my husband kept walking by to eat them.
I make a similar recipe but instead of frying them, I bake them on my pizza stone in the oven. Am sure you could use a cookie sheet lightly sprayed with oil if you don’t have stone(no need for oil on pizza stone since they are typically well seasoned).
What’s the best way to reheat them after you freeze them? Nuke em or oven? What temp and how long? I’ve been looking for something like this for my son, he will love them! Love your stuff! Can’t wait to start the new foods. Thank you.
Hi Jenny. I usually heat them up in the oven, I find they don’t get soggy that way. Jill
Hey Jill–sorry, I’m not good at reheating frozen items…what temperature do reheat them at,and about how long does it take? Thanks so much–new to “real food” last week, and I’m loving it!
Hi Emily. I usually just do them on 325 for about 20 minutes (if I’ve defrosted them previously). It will take a little longer if they are frozen. Jill
Oh my goodness. My kids are SO picky. Especially my 10 year old who must have exclaimed a million times during dinner, “these are AWESOME!!” I toasted some leftover french bread and ground it up for the breadcrumbs. Freezing now for lunch later this week. Thank you!!!
Can anyone tell me how many calories are in these?!! I have searched and searched and cannot figure it out. These look so yummy & I am eating clean so this would be a perfect thing to try, I am getting tired of grilled chicken breasts! Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me!
Hi Penelope. I don’t know the exact calories for these…we don’t really track them. Sorry I can’t be of more help. Jill
This recipe is one of my favorites from your site. Simple and tasty! Since starting our real food journey, my husband votes this recipe as his favorite so far. I used safflower oil and it tasted great.
Amazing dish! Super easy- my 4 yr old helped. And we both at it and loved it! Thank u!!
What oil should I use? I have olive oil and coconut oil (and vegetable oil which I’m staying away from). I don’t want the oil to alter the taste of the nuggets.
Hi Michelle. I have used the olive oil and I think they come out great. Hope that helps.
Jill
Thanks! I used olive oil and they were great! My family ate them all!
These are delicious, thank you! We try to feed our kids healthy, organic foods yet they still seem to ask for things like chicken nuggets. It’s nice to be able to please mom, dad, and three boys without compromising anyone’s principals or health.
These are so good! I didn’t have Parmesan on hand so I made them without and they where still tasty.. can’t wait to try them with the parm! My daughter, who doesn’t even like the fast food chicken nuggets and is super picky even loved them! Thanks!
I made these last night and WOW are they good! My husband and son both loved them and they were without question better than processed, unhealthy chicken nuggets. Far superior! This is definitely my new go-to chicken nugget recipe!
We tried these tonight and they were a big hit! Next time I’ll make a bunch a freeze for evenings when we need something quick (or lunches with summer coming up). Thanks!
Made the chicken nuggets both in oil and baked in the oven…Both tasted good! The oil cooking way made the nuggets taste a little of oil, so I kind of like the oven baked better. And both my kids (ages 7 and 2) loved them. Made well over a pound of chicken nuggets for 3 people, and only have a few left. Can’t wait to make them again, definitely a weekly meal
Love this website. Found it off pinterest. I have made these nuggets, (I also baked mine because I don’t like my house smelling like grease) made the whole wheat and honey waffles, and several more….I have LOVED every single recipe!! Thank you for helping our family becoming healthIer!!
Ok…never have frozen food before. I just cooked them but they didn’t have enough time to cool down before I had to leave to pick up the kids. I just put them in a freezer bag and put them in the refrigerator, I will move them to the freezer when I get home. Is this ok??
You might have some ice crystals since they were hot when they went in the freezer, but they will still be fine!
Quick question, might be a dumb one, but…
for those of you who have frozen big batches of these chicken nuggets, do you fully cook them and then freeze them?
thanks!
Yes, you cook them first and then freeze them.
Did this not go against the no deep frying pledge?
Nope because it’s made with an unrefined oil and not actually submerged.
Tried these for the first time tonight. Loved them, but they turned out pretty greasy. Has anyone tried baking them instead? Just trying to solve the grease problem :)
Did you put them on paper towels to drain a little afterward? And yes, some have baked them successfully (I believe it’s detailed in the older comments).
I thought I was becoming a vegetarian until I tried these! Great combo of ingredients! I baked mine atop of a cooling rack and a cookie sheet. If you spray the nuggets with an oil mister before baking it will “air fry” them. 400 degrees for 20-25 min
I cannot find whole wheat breadcrumbs! UGH!
If you go back to the recipe, you can click on “whole-wheat breadcrumbs” and it’s linked to the recipe for the breadcrumbs… ;)