Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets with Crisp Paprika Breadcrumb Coating
By Emma Collins
Prep
15 min
Cook
20 min
Total
35 min
Servings
4
Choose a fresh‚ unfrozen‚ boneless‚ skinless chicken breast to make nutritious baked chicken nuggets that are firm and have a paprika-coated crust․ Bake the nuggets on a preheated pan and then broil to give them browned surfaces․
The breading consists of flour blended with paprika‚ garlic powder‚ onion powder‚ salt‚ and pepper‚ beaten eggs‚ and breadcrumbs․ To bread chicken breast without another dish‚ you can put the chicken in a zip-top bag and season it․ Bread individual chicken pieces with eggs and breadcrumbs‚ pressing the breadcrumbs firmly onto each chicken piece to make sure all chicken is evenly breaded․ Grease the pan with cooking spray‚ butter‚ or oil before baking․
At the baking stage‚ the crumb coating should be applied to all the chicken pieces before they are flipped during baking․ Baking under the broiler for a few minutes can help brown and crisp the chicken․ Mistakes to avoid when breading chicken include using wet chicken that has not been patted dry and dunking the chicken in the coatings rather than dredging it in separate layers of breading․ Both techniques can keep the crumb coating from adhering well to the chicken․ Check to make sure that all chicken pieces you are breading are evenly coated with crumb․
Serve immediately with ranch and ketchup‚ as suggested‚ or with other side dishes‚ including green beans and mashed potatoes‚ pumpkin cornbread and coleslaw‚ and corn and sweet potato fries․ The article suggests ways to freeze fully cooled cooked nuggets to feed on other days when you don't have time to prepare a meal․
Why you'll love this recipe
- Boneless‚ skinless chicken breast reduces other ingredients in the dish‚ and drying the chicken allows flour or other breading to adhere better‚ avoiding soggy breading․
- Paprika‚ garlic powder‚ onion powder‚ salt‚ and black pepper are mixed into the flour․ These spices help flavor the chicken pieces before they are breaded․
- One cup of flour and one cup of breadcrumbs make four servings from one pound of chicken․ Flour and breadcrumbs are pantry staples that can be mixed to create a complete coating for chicken․
- The hot‚ dark baking sheet gives additional bottom heat to help the bread crumbs brown more than they would without frying in some type of fat․
- Crushed cornflakes can be used as a replacement for breadcrumbs to provide a crunchy coating․
- Using crushed cornflakes as a replacement for breadcrumbs requires you to use only one replacement ingredient and cook the chicken in the same way․
- Homemade ranch dip and ketchup can be provided with the seasoned chicken nuggets․ Additional condiments can be provided with the cooked chicken to enhance‚ not mask‚ the paprika and garlic flavors․
Ingredients
- •1 pound chicken breast (boneless, skinless)
- •1 cup flour
- •2 teaspoons ground paprika (reduce or leave out for young children)
- •½ teaspoon garlic powder (reduce or leave out for young children)
- •¼ teaspoon onion powder (reduce or leave out for young children)
- •2 teaspoons salt (reduce or leave out for young children)
- •½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- •2 large eggs
- •1 cup bread crumbs
- •cooking spray, butter, or oil (for the baking pan)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and place a baking pan in the oven to preheat.
- 2
Add the eggs to a bowl and whisk until beaten.
- 3
Place the breadcrumbs in a separate shallow dish.
- 4
Pat the chicken dry and cut it into chunks or strips.
- 5
Place the chicken in a large zip-top bag with the flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
- 6
Close the bag, letting out as much air as possible, and shake very well to evenly coat the chicken.
- 7
Remove the chicken pieces from the bag, shaking off any excess flour.
- 8
Place all of the chicken in the beaten eggs and toss until all pieces are coated.
- 9
Dredge the chicken pieces through the breadcrumbs one by one, pressing down so the crumbs stick well.
- 10
Set the breaded chicken pieces aside on a plate.
- 11
Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and coat it with cooking spray, melted butter, or oil.
- 12
Place the nuggets on the hot pan and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
- 13
Carefully flip the nuggets and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes.
- 14
Finish under the broiler for a few minutes until golden-crispy.
- 15
Serve immediately with your favorite dips.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
386
Protein
34g
Fat
7g
Carbs
45g
Reviews
Pin this recipe
Tap an image to save it to Pinterest.
