How to make chicken nuggets crispy in oven

Crispy baked chicken nuggets made with Panko breadcrumbs, served with a 2-ingredient homemade honey mustard for dipping.

The best healthy chicken nuggets and back to school snack!

How to make crispy baked chicken nuggets

Ingredients

For the chicken nuggets:

• Chicken breasts. Boneless, skinless, and cubed.
• Flour. As part of the breading.
• Eggs. To hold the breadcrumbs on.
• Dijon mustard. To give a ton of flavor to our nuggs.
• Panko breadcrumbs. Panko makes for an extra crispy crunch.
• Spices. Salt, black pepper, onion and garlic powders.
• Cooking spray. To coat the tenders before they bake - crispiness!

For the honey mustard:

• Dijon mustard. Your favorite brand.
• Honey. You could also use maple syrup.

Equipment

• An oven for baking.
• A baking sheet with a fitted wire rack.
• A cutting board and chef's or boning knife to chop the chicken.
• Three mixing bowls for your breading ingredients (flour, eggs, breadcrumbs).
• A whisk or fork for beating the eggs and Dijon together and for mixing the spices into the bowls.
• Measuring cups and spoons.
• Tongs for dipping, unless you want to use your hands.
• A small bowl and whisk or fork for making the honey mustard.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Fit a wire rack inside a baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Next, set up 3 bowls: one with the flour, one with the beaten egg and Dijon and one with the panko breadcrumbs.
3. Sprinkle with chicken with salt and black pepper, then distribute the remaining salt and black pepper and onion and garlic powder into the bowls with the flour, egg mixture and breadcrumbs.
4. Whisk each to combine.
5. Dip the cubed chicken, one at a time, into the flour, then the egg mixture, then the breadcrumbs and line on the prepared wire rack an inch apart.
6. Repeat until ingredients are used up.
7. Coat the chicken nuggets with cooking spray.
8. Bake 13-16 minutes or until tender are firm and internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Let slightly cool.
9. In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon and honey until combined.
10. Serve with chicken nuggets for dipping.

Recipe Substitutions & Alterations

• Chicken: You could also try making these with turkey breast or even tofu.
• Flour: Use any all-purpose flour.
• Panko: Any breadcrumbs will work here.
• Mustard. I use Dijon, but you could also use yellow or stone ground mustard.
• Honey. Maple syrup is equally delicious!
• To make gluten free: Use gluten free all-purpose flour and gluten free panko or regular breadcrumbs.
• To make dairy free: This recipe is naturally dairy free!
• To make vegetarian: Use tofu cubes (thoroughly dried) instead of chicken.
• Make them into chicken tenders: Follow this same recipe using chicken breast tenders or cutting chicken breasts into strips instead of cubes.

Other fabulous chicken recipes:

• Instant Pot Chicken Vindaloo
• Cajun Air Fryer Chicken Strips
• Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• Chicken Parmesan Pasta Bake
• Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup

Print

Crispy baked chicken nuggets made with Panko breadcrumbs, served with a 2-ingredient homemade honey mustard for dipping. The best healthy chicken nuggets and back to school snack!

• Prep Time: 10-15 mins
• Cook Time: 13-16 mins
• Total Time: 23-31 mins
• Yield: Serves 6
• Category: Snack, Main Dish
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Chicken Nuggets:

• 1-pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher or sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon each onion and garlic powder
• Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Honey Mustard:

• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Fit a wire rack inside a baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Set up 3 bowls: one with the flour, one with the beaten egg and Dijon and one with the panko breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with chicken with salt and black pepper, then distribute the remaining salt and black pepper and onion and garlic powder and cayenne (if using) into the bowls with the flour, egg mixture and breadcrumbs. Whisk each to combine.
3. Dip the cubed chicken, one at a time, into the flour, then the egg mixture, then the breadcrumbs and line on the prepared wire rack an inch apart. Repeat until ingredients are used up.
4. Coat the chicken nuggets with cooking spray. Bake 13-16 minutes or until tender are firm and internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Let slightly cool.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon and honey until combined. Serve with chicken nuggets for dipping.

Notes

Cooking Tip: To reheat, place nuggets on a sheet pan under the broiler for about 2 minutes per side or until warmed through and crispy.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: ⅙ of recipe
• Calories: 286
• Sugar: 6g
• Sodium: 480mg
• Fat: 4g
• Saturated Fat: 1g
• Unsaturated Fat: 3g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 30g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 26g
• Cholesterol: 118mg

Keywords: chicken nuggets, chicken, chicken strips, snack, snacks