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WeeNuggets

May 14, 2008

chicken-nuggets.jpg

When I was little and my Mother couldn't deal with making us dinner, we would head to McDonald's. I was never a burger girl. No, I loved 
chicken nuggets with all the sticky, sugary sauces. When I think about 
all the artificial fillers that go into them and how many boxes I ate 
over the years, it makes me want to gag. 
I still love chicken nuggets, and didn't want to deprive Kenya of the pleasure of them, but I wanted to make a healthier version 
that everyone in our family would love.
 I had a ton of fun testing this to find the perfect easy recipe. I 
wanted them to have tons of flavor without being fried or packed with 
salt.
By buying organic, free range chicken (Rosie's is my favorite), 
you're making a gourmet nugget for the family. 
My husband doesn't eat chicken, but he's also my most honest tester. 
When I tell you he scarfed these up at dinner last night, I could only 
smile to myself in delight. Between him and Kenya, they disappeared 
immediately.

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WeeNuggets  (make 20 nuggets)

  • Prep Time:5 minutes,
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes,
  • Total Time: 25 minutes,

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup whole wheat panko*
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon italian herbs

  • 1 chicken breast, boneless and skinless, cut into chunks

  • 1 egg
  • olive or canola oil spray

Preparation

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. 2. Place the panko, garlic powder and herbs in a food processor and blend until 
fine.
  3. 3. Place the crumbs in a bowl.
  4. 4. Beat the egg in a separate bowl.
  5. 5. Dip the chicken chunks in the eggs and then in the breadcrumbs. Keep one hand clean for rolling in the breadcrumbs. Make sure the 
chicken chunks are completely covered.
  6. 6. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  7. 7. Spray each piece with oil.
  8. 8. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
  9. 9. Cool and serve.
  10. *I got the whole wheat panko and Spectrum Canola and Olive Oil spray 
at Wholefoods. Most health food stores carry these ingredients. You could substitute breadcrumbs and oil in a spray canister if needed.


  12. *To Freeze: For best results, bread nuggets, place on a cookie sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, place par-frozen nuggets in a ziploc bag and freeze up to 4 months. When ready, continue to follow steps 6-9 adding at least 5 minutes cooking time.
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Comments






  1. Tayra

    June 5, 2013 at 7:03 pm

    Reply

    Made this today and they turned out great and delicious! My 3 1/2 y.o. loved them!! Thank you!

  2. Rebecca

    December 29, 2012 at 2:59 pm

    Reply

    I kniw this is an older post, but IjJust tried these last night for myself and 2yo. Delicious! I used some multigrain bread since I didn’t have breadcrumbs/panko. I had this exact idea in mind of what I wanted, but I’m not really an experimenter and get hung up on details (how long to cook, what kind of seasonings, etc). So thank you for doing all the testing, writing & sharing! Definitely a keeper.

  3. Kristin

    September 23, 2012 at 3:07 pm

    Reply

    Is there a way to fully cook these and then bring out of the freezer for a quick microwave to heat up? I’d like to make them and use them instead of the process precooked ones you can buy for quick meals, but want to do it so that I don’t dry them out or overcook them. What is the best way?

    • catherine

      September 24, 2012 at 11:38 am

      Reply

      Hmmm maybe fully cook them then freeze them. When ready to eat let them thaw completely in the fridge and then quickly reheat.

  4. Shannon

    August 23, 2012 at 7:32 pm

    Reply

    My daughter and husband loved these! I don’t eat meat and want her to be able to try chicken nuggets without all the extra gross stuff they put into them! I love love your website. Thanks for sharing these amazing recipes!

  5. Pingback: Easy Chicken Nuggets « The Mommy Method

  6. Pingback: Easy Chicken Nuggets | My Family Blog

  7. Sarah

    March 23, 2012 at 3:46 pm

    Reply

    Hey! I am just trying these nuggets tonight! Mine just never seem to turn out like the picture (meaning, as dark). I don’t want to overcook them, but I am just wondering if you have any ideas why they aren’t as dark or crunchy?

    Love your site!!

  8. Ruth Katz

    January 15, 2012 at 4:18 pm

    Reply

    I was thinking about making these for a new mom who just gave birth. She has 2 other kids and specifically asked for kid friendly meals. Can you suggest what to make with them to create a whole meal?

    Thanks!

  9. Pingback: Expert Interview: Catherine from Weelicious.com

  10. Yolanda

    March 26, 2011 at 2:58 pm

    Reply

    Just made them. Absolutly delicious and juicy!

  11. Cathy

    February 7, 2011 at 5:45 pm

    Reply

    We just made these for dinner and they are so tasty!! My question is … the meat is done, but the breading didn’t get ask crisp looking as your picture. Is there anything I can do to make it crisp a little better? Thank you!

  12. LauraH

    November 23, 2010 at 6:40 pm

    Reply

    Making these for the second time in 4 days… Didn’t make enough the first time! I had to shoo the grown-ups out of the kitchen so they didn’t eat them all before the kids got to them!
    I love this recipe!

  13. Amanda

    September 23, 2010 at 10:54 pm

    Reply

    Good tip on freezing. I love having healthy and fast meals for my girls, who are 17 months and 3 years. My sister just shared this site with me today, and I am so excited to start making some of these tomorrow – especially to have for later when life gets busy! Thank you!

  14. Hanne

    September 18, 2010 at 1:57 pm

    Reply

    I live in Denmark and some of the ingredients can be really hard to come by here. Could you please let me know what the ‘Italian Herbs’ consist of? Then I can mix them myself.

    Thanks for a great site – know that you have fans on the other side of the planet:)

  15. Carey

    August 20, 2010 at 7:21 am

    Reply

    Hi! My son has an egg allergy. What can I substitue? Or can I just skip the step?

    • catherine

      August 20, 2010 at 5:08 pm

      Reply

      You can use buttermilk :)

  16. Charlotte

    August 2, 2010 at 1:59 pm

    Reply

    Can you use this same recipe for making “fish Sticks” as far as freezing goes?

    • catherine

      August 2, 2010 at 2:49 pm

      Reply

      Yes you can :)

  17. Michelle

    June 29, 2010 at 7:46 am

    Reply

    Can you freeze these before baking? I’m a little unsure about freezing the raw chicken and raw egg? Also, with the zucchini coins, is it best to freeze them before baking?

    • catherine

      June 29, 2010 at 2:40 pm

      Reply

      Zucchini Coins are best frozen before baking. Also, with the chicken, you can freeze them after baking if you are unsure and pop them back in the oven when you are ready to eat them!

      • Michelle

        June 29, 2010 at 3:51 pm

        Reply

        Thank you Catherine!! BTW, I just found this site a couple weeks ago, and I think I’ve already made 10 of your recipes for my 16 month old (and my husband- he won’t leave the “O” cookies alone). Loooove your website and videos ;-)

  18. Fenella

    March 15, 2010 at 8:47 pm

    Reply

    Have you ever frozen these? I am looking for a healthy chicken nugget recipe that can be cooked and frozen, and then brought out for a quick lunch as a better alternative to the frozen boxed kind.
    Also just wanted to add I LOVE your website!! I’ve tried many recipes and they have all been great!

    Thanks

  19. Kate

    March 1, 2010 at 11:37 am

    Reply

    I made these for my daughter and they came out really dry. Could I soak the nuggets in stock before and then batter?

    Thanks

    • catherine

      May 4, 2010 at 3:20 pm

      Reply

      Really? They are supposed to moist and juicy. You may have over cooked them. How long did you cook them for?

  20. MIchelle

    January 11, 2009 at 9:05 pm

    Reply

    OMG these are so good

  21. Amy

    January 6, 2009 at 7:23 pm

    Reply

    These sound absolutely perfect! I bet they freeze up nice for quick dinners later too.

  22. Susan

    May 27, 2008 at 10:00 pm

    Reply

    Thanks Catherine! Definitely making the wee nuggets-this will keep us away from the drive thru :)



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