These Baked Chicken Nuggets are coated in a mixture of Panko breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan, which makes them extra flavorful and crispy! Dunk them in homemade honey mustard or your dipping sauce of choice. You’ll definitely want to leave room for seconds!
Baked Chicken Nuggets Recipe
Chicken nuggets are the ultimate kid food. Or snacky food for grownups. Or easy impromptu dinner that everyone can agree on. And you can’t go wrong, especially with sweet-and-tangy honey mustard sauce for dipping!
These homemade chicken nuggets are baked rather than fried. Not only does baking keep them healthier, but there’s also less stovetop babysitting and the nuggets still turn out really nice and crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. You’d never guess they were baked.
Simply place chicken that’s been breaded with a mixture of Panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes. Panko and Parmesan are the two secret weapon ingredients for ensuring perfect crispiness.
Panko breadcrumbs are Japanese-style breadcrumbs, are sold near regular breadcrumbs, and are coarser in texture than regular breadcrumbs. They help add texture and crunch to the nuggets without having to fry them.
The Parmesan adds flavor and crisps up beautifully in the oven. I’ve used Panko-parmesan coatings on everything from chickpeas to edamame, and it’s always a winning combination. My family gobbled these up and said they taste way better than store-bought. Homemade always is!
Baked Chicken Nuggets Ingredients
For the baked chicken nuggets, you’ll need:
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
- Unsalted butter
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs
And for the homemade honey mustard dipping sauce, you’ll need:
- Honey
- Yellow mustard
- Dijon mustard
How to Make Baked Chicken Nuggets
To a large, shallow bowl, add the breadcrumbs, parmesan, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine, then set aside. Melt the butter in the microwave.
Dip chicken in butter, then in crumb mixture, patting to help the coating adhere. Place coated chicken on prepared baking sheet. If you have any crumb mixture leftover after all the chicken has been dunked, sprinkle it atop the uncooked chicken nuggets.
Bake the chicken nuggets at 400F until chicken is cooked through in the center and the exterior is lightly golden browned.
How to Make Honey Mustard Sauce
To a medium bowl, add the honey and two types of mustards. Whisk to combine, then taste and check for flavor balance, adding more honey or mustard to taste if necessary.
Tips for the Best Chicken Nuggets
This recipe calls for chicken thighs, but breasts may be substituted if that’s what you have on hand. Just make sure the chicken is boneless and skinless, whatever cut you use.
When making the homemade honey mustard dipping sauce, feel free to use different types of mustards than what I used. A grainy or spicy mustard would taste delicious here as well, or you can use just one type of mustard.
The honey mustard will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks. It tastes good with fries, on burgers, with chops — pretty much anything! Just keep the leftovers in an airtight container and it’ll stay fresh for a while.
More Healthy Chicken Recipes:
- Easy Honey Mustard Chicken — This Honey Mustard Chicken is ready in 20 minutes and features a homemade honey mustard sauce. A great recipe to have on hand for busy weeknights when you want a no-fuss, healthy dinner!
- Honey Barbecue Grilled Chicken — Tender, juicy, full of FLAVOR, and a great recipe to jazz up grilled bbq chicken. EASY, healthy, ready in 10 minutes, zero cleanup, perfect for backyard barbecues or easy weeknight dinners!
- Mandarin Orange Chicken Stir-Fry — An EASY Asian stir fry with tender chicken, juicy oranges, and veggies!! Skip takeout and make this ONE skillet recipe that’s ready in 15 minutes.
- Easy 30-Minute Chicken Fajitas — These Easy Chicken Fajitas take just 30 minutes to make and are the perfect weeknight dinner. Friends and family will go crazy for this recipe!
- 15-Minute Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe — This sweet and sour chicken recipe takes just 15 minutes to make and tastes way better than takeout. Perfect for a weeknight dinner!
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Baked Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- about 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch pieces*
- ½ cup honey, or to taste
- ¼ cup yellow mustard
- ¼ cup dijon mustard**
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easier cleanup), and spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- To a large, shallow bowl, add the breadcrumbs, parmesan, salt, pepper, and mix to combine; set aside.
- To a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 30 seconds on high power.
- Dip chicken in butter, then in crumb mixture, patting to help the coating adhere. Place coated chicken on prepared baking sheet.
- Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over chicken.
- Bake for about 30 to 33 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through in the center and exterior is lightly golden browned. The bottom sides will become browner than the tops. Cooking time will vary based on exact size of chicken pieces, how heavily the coating was applied, oven and climate variances, etc. Bake until done. While chicken bakes, make the honey mustard dipping sauce.
- To a medium bowl add the honey, mustards, whisk to combine, taste and check for flavor balance, adding more honey or mustard to taste if necessary; set aside until ready to serve with chicken.
- Nuggets are best warm and fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Honey mustard will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Even More Easy Chicken Recipes:
All my FAVORITE EASY CHICKEN RECIPES
Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken Kabobs – Juicy chicken and crisp vegetables coated in a sweet-and-tangy sauce! Great for parties or easy weeknight dinners! Everything tastes better grilled!
Slow Cooker Orange Chicken – The easiest orange chicken ever because your slow cooker does all the work! Super juicy, tender, and coated with a sweet-yet-tangy orange glaze that’s irresistible!
Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken – The easiest peanut chicken ever and your slow cooker does all the work! Topped with crunchy peanuts, cilantro, green onions, and the peanut sauce is irresistible!
One-Skillet Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables – A tangy-sweet balsamic glaze coats juicy chicken and crisp-tender veggies! Healthy, easy, ready in 15 minutes, and perfect for busy weeknights! It’s a keeper!