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!
Can you bake these nuggets in the oven vs. cooking on the stove top?
Hi Teresa. Other readers have.
I made these last night and they were a big hit with my family…there weren’t any leftovers! I don’t do dairy, so I substituted the parmesan cheese with about a tablespoon of nutritional yeast. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I have 2 questions.
1. What kind of oil do you use?
2. Can they be baked in the oven instead (oven fried)?
Hi Allison. I think Lisa uses ghee here: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/05/14/mini-pledge-week-10-no-refined-oils/. I typically choose avocado oil. And, other readers have baked this successfully.
I have a kiddo with an egg allergy. And substitution recommendations for the egg in this recipe?
Hi Rachel. I think you could use flax eggs. this might help: http://www.thekitchn.com/ideas-for-breading-that-doesnt-use-eggsrecipe-questions-167823. :)
I just made this for my family and they went wild over it. They kept telling me how good it was. I made the chicken nuggets with “french fries” using your Homemade Dried Onion Soup Mix and olive oil. And I also made steamed organic green beans with almond slivers and lemon butter sauce.
I just bought your book and working on changing the family’s eating habits. Thank you so much for all your research and forging the way for us to healthfully follow in your footsteps.
Hi, I’ve made quite a few recipes from this site and they’ve been delicious. This one won over my family. I was eating it as I was cooking it, my husband ate it when he came home. I managed to save a few nuggets for my son after school. I made it just like the recipe other than doing two eggs because our chickens lay small ones. Thank you! ~Tia
Thank you for this recipe. I was curious how you reheat it. Also, how long have you stored them? I’m trying to fill my freezer in an attempt to help simplify my families life. Best wishes for you.
Hi Lindsay. Thaw them in the fridge overnight and heat through in the oven or toaster oven. ~Amy
Do you think I could replace the bread crumbs with almond meal? I have a bunch frozen from making almond milk.
Hi Jessie. I use almond meal as a “breading” for fish all the time. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work here, too. :)
Ahhh…spell check. TUMERIC!
I added Time rich to the recipe…good for you and nobody’s the wiser :)
Hi. Just wondering how to reheat them in the oven once they’re frozen, without over cooking?
Hi Jen. I usually thaw them overnight, cover or wrap them in foil and bake them at 350-375 until heated through(7-10 minutes) in an oven or toaster oven. ~Amy
Awesome receipe and so simple.Been telling my daughters family and allmy friends on the facebook about the dangers of the Nuggets since couple. Of years at the time Ifound out from a meat packer friend. Got positive feedback from all.
I use this same recipe minus the paprika as my boyfriend has an allergy to it. I also bake not fry….I try not to add oils where they aren’t needed.
Hi There,
I am allergic to egg and I see you use a lot of egg in your recipes and menu options. Can you recommend a good substitute? Also if I am making chicken nuggets can I use yogurt to coat instead of the egg?
Thanks
KarenC
Hi Karen. Baking with flax eggs: http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/2011/10/how-to-make-a-flax-egg-for-vegan-baking-the-right-way/ is a good alternative. I haven’t tried the nuggets with yogurt but I think it will work. ~Amy
I have a recipe that uses tapioca flour and avocado oil for frying. They turn out crispy without the heavy breading. Kids love them.
I am wondering if theses can be done without egg and dairy?
Michele Thornton
Hi Michele. You could try coating with coconut or olive oil, though it might not stick as well. And here is an easy recipe for a vegan Parmesan cheese: http://www.veggieful.com/2012/08/vegan-parmesan-cheese-recipe.html. ~Amy
I make these except I use almond flour and also add a tsp. of Italian seasoning. So yummy!
I use a very similar recipe all the time. It is great. And healthy. Instead of egg, I dunk the chicken in buttermilk. Also, I bake them in the oven, rather than fry.
Kelleys, you can leave the cheese out or substitute with a little grated cheddar.
Susan, What temperature and how long for baking?
I bake mine at 350 for 30-35 min. Yum! Even my husband loves them! :)
Hi there, this is a great recipe, but I wondered if there was a substitute for the parmesan cheese, for those who cannot eat it?
I added Nutritional Yeast to mine this evening and it worked beautifully
And here is a recipe I use: http://www.veggieful.com/2012/08/vegan-parmesan-cheese-recipe.html. :)
My daughter is allergic to eggs. Any suggestions for a substitute that will work for breading? I’ve tried buttermilk for other similar recipes with mixed results.
Hi Melissa. You could use butter or melted coconut oil to coat. ~Amy
These look so good! I am having a hard time finding good chicken they isn’t insanely expensive. Any tips?! Thank you! Love your
Hi Christina. It is true that you will pay more for organic and pastured chickens. There is not really a way around that but you can search for the best price. What we’ve done is focus more on the quality of the animal products we consume but eat less of them. ~Amy
How do you typically reheat these once they are frozen?
Hi Sumer. I thaw them overnight and then reheat them in the microwave or in the oven covered at 350 for about 12 minutes. ~Amy
Have you tried prepping then freezing versus pre-cooking?
Hi Kristina. Sure, you can do that though you might lose a little of the bread crumbs. ~Amy
I just made these for the first time, for my very picky toddler. BIG HIT (with the entire family)! They are AMAZING! Thank you!
I bake and they turn out great! I use a Misto to mist coat with olive oil. bake 350* for 15-20 mins turning over once midway. I also freeze cooked nuggets in portion size for my 2yo and take out as needed.
Could you bake these nuggets instead of cooking in the oil?
Hi Jordan. Yes, other readers have done so. ~Amy
Hi! I’d love to try these they look amazing! How long would you say the frozen ones will be good? I definitely want to make a bunch and freeze some to have on lazy nights instead of buying the unhealthy bags at the store.
Hi Cara. I try to rotate things out by three months but they would be fine up to 6. :)
Made these tonite, my kids devoured them and asked me to put on the “make again list” :) My husband and I agreed! Thanks for the recipe!
Can i frozen the nuggets before cooking it? Im gonna try it thank u for sharing
Hi Eman. We’ve not tried freezing these prior to cooking. ~Amy
I just made a double batch and froze half. My picky 6 year old eats them hot or cold dipped in honey. My husband travels daily and takes them on the road with him. I have cut them up and put them in pasta salad. They are a great alternative to all the precooked packaged chicken out there. Thanks for the recipe!
Delicious! I cooked them in olive oil on medium heat
I didn’t have paprika so added cayenne pepper instead into the breadcrumbs with a little salt, and I forgot to add the cheese but they came out absolutely delicious anyway, and served with a green salad… a huge hit with the family!
There were no left overs in our house (2 adults and 3 teens)and everyone asked if there were more, so I will to increase the quantity next time, and I will try them in the oven as per other comments left here.
Have you ever added veggies to the nuggets?
Hi Linda. We have not. Let us know how they turn out if you do. :) ~Amy
How do you reheat after freezing?
Hi Zandra. Thaw them overnight and reheat them through in the oven, toaster oven, or microwave. ~Amy
Thanks!
Oh my goodness! I made these tonight for dinner and they were a HIT!!!
I went ahead and added salt and pepper to the dry bowl and left out the parmesan-didn’t want to take the extra 3 minutes it would have taken to grate some ;)
Baked at 400 degrees for 20 mins and they came out crispy and perfect with such a yummy flavor!
Thanks for the recipe!!!
I’m a super noob at this, so I just wanted to leave extra advice if there are other noobs like me :)
And now that I’m here, I realize maybe the advice would have been in the other pages of comments. Oh well.
1) it could just be my over, so…I baked my nuggets at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. I found that my bigger pieces dried out, while my smaller ones are just perfectly. Next time I won’t be so lazy and I’ll cut those bigger pieces down.
2) I made a big batch for freezing, so I doubled the recipe. Just for messiness’ sake, next time I’ll mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl–and then in another bowl pour iit for dipping as needed. Even if I was careful at making sure there wasn’t too much egg getting into my dry bowl, by the end of my 4 lbs of chicken, my dry bowl was gross. Haha
The recipe itself tasted great! Will do it again. And for personal preference, I will add some cayenne for a kick.
I’ve made these delicious nuggets several times, and my family lives them! The only problem I have is with them sticking to the pan. Has anyone else had this problem? Any tips?
Just made this for dinner tonight! Came out great! I forget to salt and pepper the chicken for the first batch and I have to say it made a big difference taste wise. I used whole wheat panko crumbs and some whole wheat matza meal. I was out of Parmesan so I just omitted them.
Oil question. Is organic expeller pressed canola oil too processed??
Hi Franki. Yes, as a rule we use no refined oils. This will explain: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/05/14/mini-pledge-week-10-no-refined-oils/. ~Amy
I can’t wait to try these…2014 is the year I’m starting my family to eat REAL FOOD! I tried the baked beans & whole wheat mac & cheese and they were AMAZING! I’m so glad a found this site!!!
okay great thank you!