Baked Chicken Nuggets
I’m always looking at making ‘multi-purpose’ meals for dinner
Meals that can be eaten for dinner straight out of the oven, or which are just as delicious eaten cold for those nights when one child is starving at 6pm and the other not home from training until after 8pm, meals which can double up for lunch boxes the next day (and day after that).
Chicken nuggets are a perfect solution. And let’s be honest, what kid doesn’t love them?!
My recipe is super easy to make with just a handful of ingredients. I make a big batch for our big eating family , and it a makes enough for lunch boxes the next day or two. I just throw them straight into the lunchbox as is, or wrap them up in some Mountain Bread with some mayo and lettuce.
If you’re looking for more lunchbox recipes, check out my recipe ebook, Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes.
It’s packed with 40 delicious nut-free, refined sugar free sweet and savoury recipes which have all been kid-tested and approved! It’s packed with 40 delicious nut-free, refined sugar free sweet and savoury recipes which have all been kid-tested and approved!
I’m not one for batch frying anything, I just don’t have the patience for it and I can’t bare the mess. These baked versions are just as good as the fried ones, but without the mess and they take a fraction of your time.
The seasoning can be left out of the breadcrumb mix if you prefer, or you can use any alternatives which you family prefers. I often do a version with a Tex-Mex flavour which the kids just love. Or you can add in some parmesan cheese or lemon rind.
I like to serve the nuggets with oven-baked potato and sweet potato fries and a nice crispy garden salad and a squeeze of lemon over the lot.
Many of the ingredients in this recipe can be sourced from my one-stop-favourite, organic wholefoods online store, The Wholefood Collective. They go to great lengths to ensure everything they source is amazing quality, they stock all my favorite products and I don’t even have to leave the house! Oh and the cherry on the cake is they donate profits to improve food security for vulnerable Aussies.
Here are some of the ingredients you’ll need:
Dulse flakes
Sweet Paprika
Smoked Paprika
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Dried thyme
Dried basil
Himalayan rock salt
Spelt flour
Extra virgin olive oil
Baked Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups breadcrumbs I just popped 2-3 pieces sourdough bread into the food processor
- ½ cup ghee or butter or mix of both
- 8 chicken thighs approx. 900 gms
- 2 teaspoons dulse flakes
- I teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Sea salt or Himalayan rock salt
- 1 cup spelt flour
- 3 eggs lightly beaten
- extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175 degrees C
- Spread breadcrumbs on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 10 minutes, stirring breadcrumbs a couple of times to ensure they golden evenly
- Towards the end of breadcrumb cooking time pop the ghee and/or butter into a ramekin into the oven to allow to melt.
- While breadcrumbs are in the oven, cut chicken thighs into quarters
- Once lightly golden place breadcrumbs on dinner plate, allow to cool then mix through the dulse flakes, paprika, garlic and onion powder, thyme, basil, salt and slightly cooled ghee or butter
- Place flour on a dinner plate
- Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and lightly brush some olive oil onto the rack. Or you can just line a couple of baking trays with baking paper
- Set up an assembly line of chicken, flour, egg, breadcrumbs and proceed to dip the chicken into the flour (shake off excess), egg (allow excess to drip off) and finally the breadcrumbs and place on the wire rack
- Drizzle chicken with olive oil and bake until the chicken is cooked through, approx. 15 – 20 minutes, flipping half way through the cooking time
If you make this recipe let me know if your family loves it as much as we do, and please take photos and send them to me via Facebook, or if you share them on instagram, remember to tag me @brendajanschek
You might also like these other family-friendly dinner ideas Tex Mex Burrito Bowls or Chicken Leek and Mushroom Pie
Bren x
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Packed with 40 delicious nut-free, sweet and savoury wholefood recipes your kids will love!Add to cart $14.95
Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes eBook
Packed with 40 delicious nut-free, sweet and savoury wholefood recipes your kids will love!Add to cart $14.95
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Tanua
Omg! These are amazing. Double the batch as there won’t be enough.
Brenda Janschek
So glad to hear Tanua!
Narelle
I don’t normally “do” crumbed food but I made these tonight – theu are absolutely delicious! Really glad I bought the smoked paprika too. I have only ever used the sweet paprika. The smoky one really adds a nice touch.
Top recipe, thanks Brenda 🙂
Brenda Janschek
I know, I avoid the crumb too believe me, but gosh the kids love it and I made the crumb suit my cooking style in this recipe ; ) So glad you loved it too and that you’ve discovered the deliciousness of smoked paprika!
Amber
Hi Brenda,
I’ve made these before and they’ve worked a treat. I’ve recently had to cut some things from my diet… Do you have a dairy free alternative for the butter & do you think quinoa flakes would work in place of breadcrumbs?
Brenda Janschek
So glad they worked! You could use ghee which has a minute amount of butter, or try with melted coconut oil or olive oil. I think quiona flakes would definitely work, or almond meal.
Amber Baker
Amazing, thank you!! I’m trying it tonight 🙂
Brenda Janschek
Hope you enjoyed it Amber!