Chicken nuggets have been a staple in my kids’ lunches. They’re easy, and they’re tasty, and most of all, my picky toddler will eat them. I’m not such a huge fan of how greasy and processed they are though. Some brands have gross gray meat that barely resembles chicken. When we put my daughter Emma on a gluten free diet, chicken nuggets were a thing of the past. There’s no way I’m spending $8 for a tiny box for GF chicken nuggets! But then my mom brought to light a way around it. And thus became the baked chicken nugget.
If you look back in my blog, you can find the recipe for baked onion rings. This is pretty similar to that. You can make them either GF or regular, depending on your needs and what ingredients you have on hand.
What you’ll need:
3 chicken breasts (this will make enough for the entire family, or enough to throw in the freezer)
1 cup of milk
1-2 cups of GF flour, all purpose flour, or corn starch, seasoned with salt and pepper (and maybe garlic or other spices, use your imagination!)
3-4 eggs beaten
2-3 cups of chex (name brand is GF) crushed
2-4 Tbsp oil
Slice your chicken breasts to the desired size. I preferred to make nuggets, but you could also do strips (or if it’s more of a dinner type meal, you could do the entire breast). Throw the chicken pieces in a bowl with milk.
In another bowl, mix your flour or cornstarch and spices.
In another bowl, lightly beat your eggs.
In another bowl, crush your cereal.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Add 2-4 tablespoons of oil to a sheet pan (one that has sides!) and put it in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the oil is hot. You may want to wait until most of your chicken is prepped before putting your sheet pan in the oven, you don’t want the oil to smoke.
Drain the excess milk from your chicken pieces. Take each piece and roll it in your seasoned flour, dunk it in the eggs, and then roll it in the cereal. Place each finished piece in a bowl. Once all of the chicken is prepped, take your sheet pan out of the oven (the oil should be good and hot!). Coat the pan with oil by tipping it side to side. Lay the chicken nuggets evenly across the sheet pan. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees until cooked through, about 20-25 minutes. It will greatly depend on what size your chicken pieces are as to what amount of time it takes to cook them! So make sure you either temp them or cut one open to check for done-ness. Flip your nuggets halfway through cooking so they can get browned on both sides.
Store in the freezer in an airtight container.
I prefer these way over regular chicken nuggets! The chex give them a nice crunch, even if your reheat them via microwave. I made a large batch and stored them in the freezer, and it’s not more difficult than reheating some store bought nuggets. I love that they’re healthier, and much less processed! And if you’re not a fan of the oil, you can always make them without. Enjoy!
