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Kid-Friendly Baked Chicken Nuggets

Kid-Friendly baked chicken nuggets with a crisp panko-Parmesan coating and juicy chicken baked instead of fried. Oven-baked at 425°F with a quick halfway flip for golden, crunchy texture.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken nuggets
  • 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1½-inch pieces
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cooking spray
For Serving (Optional)
  • 1 ketchup
  • 1 honey mustard
  • 1 ranch dressing

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the nuggets
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly coat it with cooking spray.
  2. Toss the chicken pieces with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
  3. Place the all-purpose flour in one shallow area, the beaten large eggs in a second area, and combine the panko breadcrumbs with grated Parmesan cheese in a third area.
  4. Coat each chicken piece in the all-purpose flour.
  5. Dip each floured chicken piece into the beaten large eggs.
  6. Press each egg-coated chicken piece into the panko breadcrumbs-Parmesan mixture until completely coated.
  7. Arrange the coated nuggets in a single layer on the prepared sheet pan, leaving a little space between each. Lightly spray the tops with cooking spray.
  8. Bake for 18–22 minutes at 425°F, flipping halfway through, until golden brown, crispy, and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Serve
  1. Serve immediately with ketchup, honey mustard, or ranch dressing.

Notes

For the crispiest bite, make sure each nugget is fully pressed into the panko-Parmesan coating and don’t overcrowd the sheet pan. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat on a sheet pan in a 400°F oven until hot and re-crisped. Freeze yes—freeze cooked nuggets in a single layer, then bag and reheat from frozen. For a lower-carb swap, replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs.