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Perfectly crunchy and full of flavor, these baked chicken nuggets are a hit with both kids and adults!

These nuggets can be ready from start to finish in just 30 minutes! Perfect for lunch or dinner.

Crispy nuggets - baked, not fried

There's just something about a chicken nugget that everyone loves. My kiddos still order nuggets from time to time and they love them when I make them at home.

These baked chicken nuggets have a lovely crispy coating and the inside is nice and juicy.

There are a couple of tricks you need to do in order to bake these in the oven and still get the texture you get from a fried nugget.

My two main tricks are browning the breadcrumbs first to get a nice color and baking the nuggets on a cooling rack and a baking sheet. The rack sits on the baking sheet and allows the bottom of the nuggets to crisp up too.

Key ingredients

This section reviews the best ingredients and substitutions for this recipe. For an exact list of ingredients and quantities, check the recipe card below.

Chicken - Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. For thick pieces of chicken, I slice them in half first, making two smaller cutlets. Then I cut them into nugget-size pieces.
Breadcrumbs - I use plain panko breadcrumbs. You could use Italian style as well, just omit the garlic powder and Italian seasoning in the recipe.
Eggs - the eggs act as a binder and help the bread crumbs stick to the chicken

Step-by-step directions

In this section, I share step-by-step photos, cooking methods, techniques, and a general overview. For detailed instructions, temperatures, and timing, check the printable recipe card below.

Brown the breadcrumbs in a dry skillet over medium heat. Shake or stir the pan often to keep the breadcrumbs moving. You want them browned, but not burnt. Remove breadcrumbs from pan to stop the cooking process.

Set up your dipping station. Place flour in one bowl, eggs in another bowl, and breadcrumbs along with seasoning in a third bowl
Lightly salt chicken
Dredge chicken in flour, then egg and then the breadcrumbs

Place chicken on a lightly greased baking rack
Bake in 400°F oven until chicken has cooked through and has reached an internal temperature of 165°F

An raw piece of chicken in a bowl of breadcrumbs.

Unbaked chicken nuggets on a baking rack.

Tips for making chicken nuggets

Brown breadcrumbs first - You don't want to skip this step. The breadcrumbs need to be browned first, or they will look underbaked when they come out of the oven.
Use a baking rack - Place the baking rack over a cookie sheet. Lightly spray the baking rack so the chicken doesn't stick. The baking rack allows air to circulate on both sides of the chicken which helps promote crispy chicken!
Uniform pieces - Try to keep the nuggets about the same size. This can be challenging because the chicken isn't even all over. Just do the best you can. This helps ensure all the pieces are done at the same time.
Leave some space - Don't overcrowd the baking rack. You don't want the pieces of chicken touching each other.
For younger children - Or others not wanting the big crunch you get from the panko breadcrumbs, use a regular dried breadcrumb instead.
Check the temperature - Check the temperature on one of your thickest nuggets with an instant-read thermometer. Chicken needs to re

Dipping sauces

Chicken nuggets are great dipped into your favorite sauce. Some favorites include

More delicious chicken recipes

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop

Check out all my main dish recipes!

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