Crunchy baked chicken nuggets are made with a cornflake coating for nuggets that are crispy outside and tender inside. This recipe is perfect for weeknights and can be made in just 30 minutes.
These crunchy baked chicken nuggets are crispy outside and tender inside. The cornflakes in the coating help to make the nuggets nice and crunchy.
This recipe is perfect for weeknights because it can be made in just 30 minutes. It’s also any easy recipe to customize and is a hit with adults and kids alike!
What you’ll need to make crunchy baked chicken nuggets
- Boneless skinless chicken breast: I recommend trimming of excess fat before using the chicken breast.
- Large eggs
- Cornstarch
- Cornflake cereal: The cornflakes help to give the nuggets their crunchy texture.
- Parmesan cheese: The cheese adds flavor, but you can omit it if you would like to make the nuggets dairy-free.
- Kosher salt: Use half of the amount of salt if using table salt.
- Italian seasoning
- Paprika: Paprika or smoked paprika work well.
- Garlic powder
- Ground black pepper
How to make homemade chicken nuggets
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400F and set a cooling rack in a large rimmed baking sheet.
Step 2: Place cornstarch in a shallow dish.
Step 3: Add the beaten eggs to a second shallow dish.
Step 4: Stir together crushed cornflakes, parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper in a third shallow dish.
Step 5: Coat chicken piece in cornstarch, then dip in egg, then coat in cornflake mixture. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Step 6: Place the coated pieces of chicken on the cooling rack atop the baking sheet.
Step 7: Lightly spray the top of the nuggets with canola oil spray.
Step 8: Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
Tips
- Crushing the cornflakes: When crushing cereal, I like to place the cereal in a rimmed baking sheet and crush with a rolling pin.
- Cornflake size matters! It’s important to finely crush the cereal so that you get a nice crunchy coating for the outside of the chicken nuggets.
- Seasonings: You can vary the seasonings in the coating. Feel free to add spices, like a pinch of cayenne pepper, or use spices to suit your tastes.
Recipe FAQs
You can! Since the parmesan cheese adds salt and flavor, I recommend increasing the seasonings if omitting the parmesan cheese.
Absolutely! Feel free to vary the seasonings to your liking.
Serving suggestions
Serve the chicken nuggets with dipping sauces like barbecue sauce, ketchup, honey mustard, sweet and sour, or other desired sauces.
The nuggets go well with sides like oven roasted potato wedges, fries, sweet potato fries, parmesan potatoes. Add some broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower to round out the meal.
Storage
Store any leftover chicken nuggets in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The nuggets will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored.
More easy chicken dinner recipes!
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Crunchy Baked Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 2 ½ cups cornflakes crushed
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1” pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F and set an oven-safe wire rack in a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Place cornstarch in a shallow dish.
- Add the beaten eggs to a second shallow dish.
- Stir together crushed cornflakes, parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper in a third shallow dish.
- Coat chicken piece in cornstarch, then dip in egg, then coat in cornflake mixture. Repeat with remaining chicken.
- Transfer to the cooling rack atop the baking sheet.
- Lightly spray the top of the nuggets with canola oil spray.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
Notes
- Boneless skinless chicken breast: I recommend trimming of excess fat before using the chicken breast.
- Parmesan cheese: The cheese adds flavor, but you can omit it if you would like to make the nuggets dairy-free.
- Kosher salt: Use half of the amount of salt if using table salt.
- You can vary the seasonings in the coating. Feel free to add or subtract spices to suit your tastes.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Martha says
I followed the recipe as written and the nuggets were fantastic! They were crispy outside and tender on the inside. The only downside is we had no leftovers. :)
Kate says
Thank you!