Healthy Chicken Nuggets

An overhead shot of a platter of chicken nuggets with a white bowl of honey mustard on a white background

Baked Chicken Nuggets are crispy, delicious and loved by kids & adults! Make our Healthy Chicken Nuggets recipe in only 35 minutes!

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Servings: servings

Calories: 335kcal

Ingredients

Chicken Nugget Ingredients

2 lbs chicken tenderloins
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk or milk alternative
2 tablespoons tapioca starch
½ cup whole wheat all-purpose flour 60 g
1 cup panko breadcrumbs toasted (60 g)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon paprika
avocado oil cooking spray I used Chosen Foods

Healthier Honey Mustard

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon avocado oil mayo
1 tablespoon honey

Instructions

For the Chicken Nuggets:

Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Spread the panko breadcrumbs evenly across a large sheet pan in a single layer and spray lightly with avocado oil cooking spray. Bake for 2 minutes, then stir breadcrumbs and bake for another 2 minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden brown. Watch carefully because they can burn easily. Transfer the breadcrumbs to a bowl to cool.
Keep the oven preheated and line a sheet pan with tin foil or parchment paper (optional but makes for easy clean up) and then fit with a wire baking rack and set aside. If you do not have a rack to fit your pan, you can also bake the nuggets directly on parchment paper (see post for further instructions).
Begin cutting the chicken tenderloins into quarters (or about 1 to 1 ½ inch pieces). Trim any large visible pieces of white tendon and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Place chicken in the bowl and stir until well coated. Sprinkle starch over the chicken and stir until it is no longer visible, and the chicken is fully coated with the thick starchy mixture.
In a separate bowl, mix the toasted breadcrumbs along with the whole wheat flour and the seasonings.
Using tongs, remove the chicken pieces and dip them in the breadcrumb mixture making sure each piece is thoroughly coated. Place on the baking rack and repeat until all the chicken is coated. Leave a little space between each piece of chicken to ensure it will cook evenly. If your pan is not large enough, you can work in batches or use an additional pan.
Lightly spray the nuggets with cooking oil spray and then flip using tongs, taking care to not remove the panko coating while flipping. Thoroughly coat the side that will be facing up with cooking spray. Place chicken in the oven and bake for 20-22 minutes or until the coating is crispy and golden brown and the chicken is cooked through (reaching an internal temperature of 165 F).
Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days.

For the Sauce:

Mix ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth
Taste the sauce and feel free to adjust the sweetness by adding a little more honey, add a little more mayo to make it creamier, or a dash of cayenne pepper for a little kick. Double or triple the recipe as needed.

Notes

Tips for the best chicken nuggets:

Toast the breadcrumbs. Spread the breadcrumbs on a sheet pan and spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake at 400°F. for 2 minutes, stir, and bake for another 2 minutes, or until golden brown.
Don't skip the starch! A little bit of tapioca or cornstarch makes a huge difference!
Leave space between the pieces and use a wire rack over the baking sheet. The hot air in the oven needs to circulate all around and under the chicken tenderloin nuggets. Otherwise, they'll be soggy!

Nutrition