Easy Chicken Nuggets deliver on the easy part of their name, but they’re insanely delicious too! These chicken nuggets taste just as good (if not better) than fast food or store bought frozen nuggets and are made with simple ingredients you can pronounce. Kid’s go crazy for these!

Easy Chicken Nuggets from weelicious.comPin

Homemade chicken nuggets is a recipe request that I received tons of emails and messages about from the time I started creating recipes for Weelicious. How often do you pull a box of frozen chicken nuggets from the freezer at lunch or dinner time to feed your crew? Once a week? Twice? If your kid really loves them, I’d wager the number might be even higher than that! I get it. Chicken Nuggets and French fries are convenient foods, and most kids crave them!

Easy Chicken Nuggets from weelicious.comPin

This homemade chicken nugget recipe is unbelievably easy to make. The nuggets are absolutely delicious and made from ingredients you can pronounce. The best part is that you can make a huge batch and freeze them for future meals, so not only do they save on the expense of boxed nuggets but also the time it takes to go to the grocery to buy them.

The Ingredients

  • boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • quick cooking oats
  • panko bread crumbs
  • grated parmesan cheese
  • seasonings: dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt
Easy Chicken Nuggets from weelicious.comPin

How to Make Easy Chicken Nuggets

  1. Prep Oven. Start off by preheating the oven to 375°F.
  2. Make chicken mixture: Place the chicken chunks, oats and seasonings in a food processor until chicken is finely chopped and ingredients are combined.
  3. Prep breading station: Place the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl or on a plate and stir to combine.
  4. Form the nuggets: With moistened hands, roll about 1 tablespoon of chicken mixture between your palms and flatten it into a nugget shape. Gently press nuggets into bread crumbs to evenly coat them.
  5. Bake: Place nuggets on a greased cooling rack and place cooling rack over a foil-lined baking sheet. Lightly spray nuggets with cooking spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden. If you want your nuggets to be even more golden brown, place under the broiler for 2 minutes after cooking.

Recipe Tip

If you don’t have a food processor, you can use ground chicken instead and combine the ingredients by hand in a bowl.

Can I Air Fry This Recipe?

Yep! To air fry these beauties, form the nuggets as instructed and spritz each one will cooking spray. Air fry at 400°F for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.

Easy Chicken Nuggets from weelicious.comPin

How to Freeze Chicken Nuggets

A kid that eats can make for a less stressed parent, so keeping several store bought boxes of these frozen handheld, breaded chicken saviors on hand in the freezer at all times is a strategy adopted by countless parents. However, are you familiar with the ingredients that make up your favorite chicken nugget brand? Are they pronounceable? Are they made from things you want your little one eating? I was shocked the first time I took a close look at what goes into many nugget brands. Now, I make extra to freeze when making this recipe so I have homemade chicken nuggets at the ready whenever the craving calls and can feel good about feeding them to my kids!

  1. Before cooking, place the coated, raw nuggets on a parchment-lined baking sheet, freeze them for an hour.
  2. Put frozen nuggets in labeled zip-top bags and freeze for up to 4 months.
  3. When ready to eat, cook as directed, adding 2 minutes to the cooking time.
Easy Chicken Nuggets from weelicious.comPin

Crispy on the outside, tender inside, freshly made easy chicken nuggets your kids will beg for everyday. What could be more simple, economical, nutritious and yummy than that?

More Kid-Approved Chicken Recipes

Images by Matt Armendariz

Pin

Easy Chicken Nuggets

There's no recipe more kid friendly than easy chicken nuggets. These nuggets are just as good (if not better) than fast food or store bought frozen nuggets and made with ingredients you can pronounce!
4.80 from 5 votes
Course: Appetizer, Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Catherine McCord
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes

Equipment

  • Food Processor

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375° F.
  • Place the first 6 ingredients in a food processor until chicken is finely chopped and ingredients are combined.
  • Place the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl or on a plate and stir to combine.
  • With moistened hands, roll 1 tablespoon of chicken mixture between your palms and flatten it into a “nugget” shape.
  • Gently press nuggets into bread crumbs to evenly coat them.
  • Place nuggets on a greased cooling rack. Place cooling rack over a foil-lined baking sheet.
  • Lightly spray nuggets with cooking spray.
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden and serve. If you want your nuggets to be more golden brown, place under the broiler for 2 minutes after cooking. Air frying instructions are in the notes below!

Video

Notes

To Freeze: Before cooking, place the coated, raw nuggets on a parchment-lined baking sheet, freeze them for an hour, then put them in labeled zip-top bags and freeze for up to 4 months. When ready to eat, cook as directed, adding 2 minutes to the cooking time.
To Air Fry: Form the nuggets as instructed and spritz each one will cooking spray. Air fry at 400°F for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. 

Nutrition

Calories: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 527mg | Potassium: 468mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @Weelicious or tag #weelicious!

About the Author

Catherine is a mama of three. A Kentucky girl living in California. Here’s what I know: all kids can be great eaters and mealtime must be easy. I create simple, healthy recipes the whole family will love.

Comments

  1. Can’t wait to try this recipe for my picky kids! I might throw them in the air fryer for extra crispiness!

  2. How did I not know about this sooner!!!! As someone who can’t have eggs or milk this recipe is fast, kid friendly, healthy! We love this! Thanks for sharing!

  3. I made a double recipe with the following changes and they were delicious! 1 lb of each of boneless skinless organic chicken breasts and thighs, blended with all ingredients except oats (completely ommitted) in food processor. Rolled in regular breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese and baked as instructed. I sprayed the tops of the nuggets with Pam cooking spray and they were amazing! 56% cheaper than store organic nuggets! Thank you!

  4. They are just two different ways of making the recipe. 🙂 There isn’t much difference, other than I think you can add a little more mashed potato to stretch the recipe further.

  5. Question to Weelicious: In you book the recipe calls for mashed potatos vs. oats. Why did you substitute this? What is the benefit?

    Thanks

  6. My “kids” are in their 20’s, but good memories of play dates with other kids/moms over those nostalgic nuggets! Can’t wait to try these, can one use already ground low fat chicken and get the same results?

  7. The parmesan cheese is just for flavor. You can leave it out if you need to, or nutritional yeast would be a great substitute!

  8. Oops,…… I scrolled down the comments and saw that there is such a thing as gluten free Panko! I didn’t know there is such a thing, I will have to look for it.

  9. My husband has to be gluten free, and he loves chicken nuggets right along with the kids. I only serve gluten free so I don’t run the risk of cross contamination, or him accidentally getting ‘glutened’. I know Panko make the chicken nuggets extra crispy, but do you happen to know of another alternative? Could you please advise? Thank you, I love your site and your recipes!

  10. Is there any reason one can’t just cut up the chicken into small pieces and roll into the crispy coating? RAther than pureeing it all and forming the nuggets? A little beaten egg or milk to adhere the coating to the chicken? Putting the chicken into the food processor just sounds like a big mess to me, plus the extra step of cleaning it all up….

  11. Love!!!, it was a complete hit! My three boys devoured it which is amazing as they (5, 2, and 1) never agree something is edible at the same time lol. My husband even wants to take it to work to share with a coworker. I love that these are freezable! Can’t wait to see more easy, healthy and freezable meals!

  12. I just made this recipe yesterday and it was AMAZING!!!! McDonald’s can’t even compare!!!!

  13. […] or better-quality versions your family’s favorite foods. Instead of buying chicken nuggets, make them at home. Replace the packaged granola bars with a homemade version (my favorite baked granola bar recipe […]

  14. […] Read the full instructions here. Chicken, Kid-Friendly, Recipes chicken nugget recipe, chicken nuggets, homemade chicken nuggets, weelicious permalink […]

  15. My son has a very short list of foods he likes. I made these last night and he loved them! I used gluten-free panko crumbs and they were delicious!

  16. […] Chicken NuggetsWeelicious has a healthy “copycat” recipe that will replace the chicken nuggets that fast food places […]

  17. […] in them. Chicken boobs, mashed potatoes, some seasonings, and panko bread crumbs. Here’s the recipe if anyone is interested. I used her recipe from the cookbook which calls for 1/2 cup mashed potato […]

  18. […] Weelicious Chicken Nuggets were a huge hit with O (my son).  The only change made to the recipe was using some Everyday […]

  19. The recipe says to freeze the nuggets raw but I think i just read a comment where you said to cook and then freeze. Might have misread the comment but which do you recommend?

  20. They were really good. I left out the oats, added an egg, and upped the seasonings a bit. Everyone loved them! Thanks for being awesome!

  21. I’m making these for the 1st time right now (they’re in the oven) and I think I way over processed them! It was like chicken pâté. We’ll see.

  22. […] spicy favorite that will get devoured. If you can’t handle the heat, you can always make the non-spicy version, […]

  23. I make these for my kiddies all the time. Love them and so easy. I have made them with ground chicken to skip the food processor step and have added veggies as well. Thanks for another great recipe!!

  24. I made the nuggets today but used the mashed potatoes you talked about in the video. I LOVE THEM !!!! I hope tiny will as well. I gave her a bite and she are them so well see at dinner time if she will continue. Thanks so much !!!!!

  25. Wow! These are super easy and with out all of that extra stuff like msg…my kids love chicken nuggets,I’m looking forward to make it for them. Btw my sister told my about your website, she cooks a lot from your recipes.

  26. Oh my goodness. These are good! My almost two year old loves them. I make the mashed potato version. Also, I’ve found that if you crank the oven to 450 they cook much faster and get a lot crunchier!

  27. […] going into your child’s food and their body. Some of my family’s favorites are: Chicken Nuggets, Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf Bites, Animal Crackers, Whole Wheat Cheddar […]

  28. I made these without the oats and they were good. The second time I made them with the mashed potatoes and they were so incredibly soft and moist. Thank you for the recipe.

  29. I boil 1/4 head of cauliflower in vegetable stock, blend and add to this recipe. They are always moist even when hubby clearly OVER cooks them. Plus the flavour from the veg stock reduces the need for more seasoning, although I do add parmesan to the chicken mixture as well. 🙂 Or you could try the mashed potato idea. Would work same to keep them moist. I just use the cauliflower to add nutrition as my little guy only eats a few veggies.

  30. We just made these for the first time! My kids are loving them. Im on the fence. I think i over cooked just a tad, as they are dry. but they are also a little bland. i think next time ill double up on seasonings. 🙂

  31. Do these come out ok if frozen and reheated? If so, how long would you recommend they be kept frozen?

  32. Well you’re going to be mixer everything together anyway and then cooking it so you’re not contaminating anything. Her fear might be related to the food processor itself becoming contaminated with stuck-on raw chicken. Make sure to wash your food processor well with hot soapy water after making this recipe! Take it all apart and wash each part individually!

  33. I want to inquire about using raw or cooked chicken in the food processor, I have a friend who cooks a great deal and she says that putting raw chicken in the food processor with other ingredients can contaminate the food? Comments? I am a novice cook even at my Grama years. 🙂

  34. love this!!!!!! now i dont need to buy the frozen boxed nuggets. and bye bye fast food nuggets! i cant thank you enough. it’s prefect timing with my little one getting a little order.. THANK YOU

  35. Hello! I know this is silly, but I do not have a food processor. Is it even possible to use a blender with this recipe? Or should I go buy a food processor? Is it worth it?

  36. That’s strange:( I’ve made these a few times and they always turn out awesome. Better than McD’s in my opinion. Maybe your oven cooks hot and they need to be cooked for less time?

  37. I was so excited to make these, wish I had looked at the comments first. These turned out really dry and hard. My 21 month rejected 🙁

  38. I just made these for the second time. So yummy! I actually was able to shape them using a star cookie cuter to mimic a certain fast food nugget (=

  39. These are amazing! I had never given my son chicken nuggets because I don’t give him junk food. Glad we can enjoy this healthy version! Thanks

  40. Hmmm that might work! I would be a little more gentle with the salmon, though. Maybe just flake it apart and mix with everything by hand before coating in breadcrumbs.

  41. […] I made mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, apple slices and Easy Chicken Nuggets. The woman who wrote the recipe promised these things would be similar to, but even better than the […]

  42. This recipe is GREAT! I wanted to try the version in the book but I didn’t have mashed potatoes so I’m glad I came to the website and found this. My very picky daughter is eating them as I type this. It’s so helpful that you include the freezer directions because I made a double batch. I used quality organic chicken so it really makes me wonder how companies are able to sell those huge bags of frozen chicken nuggets for only a few dollars. I’m sure they don’t use only quality ingredients.

  43. Thank you sooo much for all the great recipes. I have never written a review before. I just have to tell you these were a big hit with my daughter. She said ”
    Mom you rock”. She couldn’t stop eating them and exclaimed “please make these everyday”. They are so easy and quick I’m making them everyday. I’m grounding my own chicken or turkey. On a side note I just want to add I substituted quinoa for mashed potato(I didn’t have any) and added an egg to the mix.
    Thank you again I love your site and you inspire me

  44. I noticed the video recipe uses mashed potatoes but the written recipe mentions oats. Are the mashed potatoes as substitute for the oats? Does one work better than the other?

  45. I added thighs & a couple of livers – and cut out the oatmeal, because I was concerned they would be too dry. They were really good.

  46. I made a double recipe with the following changes and they were delicious! 1 lb of each of boneless skinless organic chicken breasts and thighs, blended with all ingredients except oats (completely ommitted) in food processor. Rolled in regular breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese and baked as instructed. I sprayed the tops of the nuggets with Pam cooking spray and they were amazing! 56% cheaper than store organic nuggets! Thank you!

  47. I made a double recipe with the following changes and they were delicious! 1 lb of each of boneless skinless organic chicken breasts and thighs, blended with all ingredients except oats (completely ommitted) in food processor. Rolled in regular breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese and baked as instructed. I sprayed the tops of the nuggets with Pam cooking spray and they were amazing! 56% cheaper than store organic nuggets! Thank you!

  48. I made a double recipe with the following changes and they were delicious! 1 lb of each of boneless skinless organic chicken breasts and thighs, blended with all ingredients except oats (completely ommitted) in food processor. Rolled in regular breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese and baked as instructed. I sprayed the tops of the nuggets with Pam cooking spray and they were amazing! 56% cheaper than store organic nuggets! Thank you!

  49. Yes you can! Lay them on a sheet tray in the freezer until they are frozen, about 30 minutes, then transfer to a ziploc bag or other freezer safe container!

  50. This may sound silly but do ou cook the chicken before starting or do you use raw chicken in the food processor?

  51. Just made these today and they were so easy! I put everything in my Vitamix and ground it all up. I agree that they were a little dry. I should have added the egg like others have suggested. But they look perfect (definitely put them under the broiler. Otherwise they’re white and look odd) and taste terrific. I’m dunking them in BBQ sauce as we speak!

  52. I haven’t tried that yet, but I think if you got a high enough lean percentage that would work!

  53. Made these last night to have for lunches this week, but couldn’t resist taste-testing a few! Delicious! I can see what other people mean about them being on the drier side, especially for little ones, but where it’s just my husband and I that doesn’t concern me much. These are super flavorful and easy ~ planning to make a big batch to freeze so I have them on hand for last-minute dinners.

    Side note — yes, it’s just my husband and I. No kiddos (yet) in our house, and yet several Weelicious recipes are in regular rotation here! Thanks, Catherine, for coming up with kid-friendly recipes that aren’t just for kids.

  54. […] Homemade Chicken Nuggets with baked sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli/ carrots (with butter) […]

  55. Aurora–

    I just made these tonight and I cut back on the oats a tiny bit and added an egg to the chicken mixture. I also used crushed corn flakes for the breading instead of panko (it’s what I had) and they turned out wonderful. I actually only cooked for 14 minutes also (they were definitely fully cooked at 14 min). My 13 month old that only has his top and bottom two front teeth ate them well after I broke them up a tiny bit. I think the egg and a little less oats helped them because I tasted them and thought they were moist. Delicious recipe! I love that you can freeze them!

  56. Thank you for posting this recipe. I have tried this recipe for my 22 month old toddler (20 month old at the time I made them). They were very good, however, they were a little dry and lacking moisture that would make them ‘soft’ /tender enough for my toddler to bite on them. My husband tried them and he really liked them and thought they were a little dry but he really liked the flavor. I really want to try and make them again but before I do I want to correct what may have went wrong. I followed the recipe exactly with the specified ingredients and baked them at the suggested time. I did some research on the internet and found out that one could marinate them in low fat buttermilk overnight. But if one is to place the chicken in a food processor; wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of marinating them? I wanted to ask you if you could kindly give me some suggestions on moisture and make them tender enough were my toddler could easily bite and chew the nuggets. I hope I do not come across as confusing, but, sincerely, overall they were really good and I have not come across other recipes that tops this one. thanks again.

  57. […] eat foods that do so. Replace items like frozen chicken nuggets with homemade nuggets, here and here are great recipes our family enjoys. Make homemade french fries in place of the ones you used to […]

  58. […] you to Sara from our Facebook community who shared this wonderful recipe for chicken nuggets from Weelicious that her son […]

  59. Can I substitute the oats for something else? We avoid oats due to them causing eczema flares in my little guy. Thanks!

  60. Once again, another Weelicious recipe that is a total hit in our house. My 4 year old and 2 year old devoured them!!! I did add a cup of spinach to my chicken mixture and pureed it all up together for an added veggie kick to the nuggets. Delish!

  61. Cook and then freeze! To defrost I put them directly onto a baking sheet in the oven until they’re defrosted and warmed through!

  62. These sound great I can’t wait to try them! For making a big batch & freezing do you cook them then freeze? Or freeze them raw? I couldn’t find the answer. Thank you!

    Ps. I just found your website today & there are so many recipes I can’t wait to try for my 1 yr old!

  63. I don’t have a real food processor, just a mini one. So I was concerned it wouldn’t grind the chicken good. But it did. The best part is, the kids liked them!! Hooray, no more store bought nuggets for us! The only thing I’m going to change for next time is to try grinding up the panko a bit. They didn’t like the “chunks” of crust.

  64. I tried these tonight but they didn’t turn out well, too dense. Disappointing! I added an egg as someone had suggested because I was worried they would be dry. But I was wondering if you can overprocess the chicken in the food processor – could that have been what I did wrong? Next time, I think I’ll just cut up the chicken into chunks and rub them in the spice/panko/parmesan mixture instead of using the food processor at all, see how that tastes.

  65. […] Weelicious Easy Chicken Nuggets Share this:TwitterFacebookPinterestLike this:LikeBe the first to like this. Categories: Animals, Family | Tags: chickens, farm family, food, recipes | Leave a comment […]

  66. Awesome recipe! I bought ground chicken and then used my blender(don’t have a food processor). I also added a small amount of mashed up carrots so they’d be moist.

  67. I do have a recipe for that type of chicken nugget! http://b12.ba4.myftpupload.com/2008/05/14/wee-nuggets/ In this recipe grinding the meat and mixing it with the other ingredients and then shaping into a nugget gives it that fast food nugget (or the ones that come frozen from the grocery) texture for those that prefer that texture to just chopped chicken! 🙂

  68. Kosher salt is not iodized so you could probably use the rock salt. You might need to grind it first!

  69. I live in Australia and we don’t get kosher salt… Is this just a form of non iodized rock salt? Could I use this instead of the kosher salt?

  70. I use whole wheat panko, its naturally golden in color and a little more healthy! Thank you for all your awesome recipes!

  71. […] pasta sauce, ripe fruit, raw vegetables, pesto, muffins, waffles, lasagna, pancakes, veggie or chicken nuggets and […]

  72. i had the same issue with the dryness. they were good and our two year old loved them; however, they were a little tough. have you had any luck tweaking the recipe a bit? i believe i stuck fairly close to cooking 15 minutes. i forgot to put the timer on (oops!) our oven is brand new, too. maybe it’s a bit hotter. i could try cooking for less time…

  73. Hi I made these and they tasted great but they came out a little dry and got even harder to eat after they got cold. No trouble for me to eat but more difficult for my little one. Any suggestions on how to make them more moist? perhaps add an egg?

  74. When I finally found the time to make these, they were super easy and my normally picky children both ate their fair share of chicken. I used organic ground chicken and some basil and oregano and mixed it by hand. I’ll have to try the food processor next time to see if there’s any difference.

  75. We did this with ground chicken form the butcher and also chicken breast in the food processor at home. Everyone chowed down the food processor version, but not the pre ground. It was much too dense. I highly recommend taking the time with the food processor. It really made a difference!

  76. Thank you! My children absolutely love this recipe. Do you think this recipe would also work with fish?

  77. Did you spray them with oil before baking them? That is how I got mine in the photo to brown. Some other readers have toasted the bread crumbs first before breading the chicken and that gets them brown and toasty without having to cook them longer!

  78. Made theses tonight the flavor is incredible!! I had a problem the Pablo bread crumbs would not brown the the oven and I way way way over cooked them because I was waiting for them to brown. Is there a better way to get brown color on them??? Thanks! Love ALL the recipes here!!

  79. Again with the food processer!
    Haha anything i can use to substitue it? (preferably hand mixer or blender :))

  80. You can leave it out altogether if you don’t want to use it. It adds flavor which is why I have it in there. The breadcrumbs are what really holds the nuggets together! You could also try nutritional yeast.

  81. Wanted to know if there were any other substitutes for the parmesan? Unfortunately, I dont like the taste of the non dairy cheeses. Wasnt sure if there wld be anything to help it bind without the cheese. Thank u!

  82. Would it work to bake these and then freeze them for later? Then defrost them when ready to eat?

  83. Thank you for such an easy and delicious recipe!
    I made it tonight and both the kids loved it.
    Out goes the store bought ones.. IN come’s these weelicious nuggets.

  84. These were so easy! I scooped the chicken mix out of the bowl with a cookie scoop (which got me thinking), so after I pressed them in the panko & parm and flattened them out a bit, I cut them into shapes with small cookie cutters! Super cute!

  85. These are so great! I just made a batch for my kids (3yo and 15mo). They both gobbled them up. I got a nice big batch from 1.5 lbs of chicken. The best part was that it only took me an hour to make them. This recipes a keeper for sure!

  86. Thank you for a great recipe!! As a pregnant lady craving the evil nuggets of McDonald’s (yes, I have seen the pink ooze chicken parts picture going around…) these have been wonderful to have on hand. I liked them so much that my mom and I experimented with hiding veggies in them for my super-picky nephew and it was a smashing success! We decided on cauliflower for the color and it’s ability to blend with other food items. We separately processed about 1/3 to 1/2 of a head raw (minus the larger stalk), added it to the mixture, processed it a little more and it was great. As an added bonus, the cauliflower seems to stretch the number of nuggets out more, so we typically get anywhere from 35-45 nuggets per batch. Again, thanks for the recipes – I look forward to trying them out on my own little bean who arrives this October 🙂

  87. Thank you so much for posting this!! I was just thinking today the “stuff” that is in chicken nuggets and how I wish my kids would like real chicken nuggets I can make but they don’t. This sounds perfect!!! I’m super stoked to try these! Again, thank you!!

  88. Thank you.. I have another question plz

    My son is still 14 months, lots of these recipes here are great but not yet for him, do u have a special category for younger toddlers??

  89. Wow, That is the best nuggets I’ve ever tasted… I didn’t add onion powder or oats because they weren’t available here. I also used grated cheddar but the result was perfect. So easy recipe.. I also added a zucchini to the mixture to get my baby eat it.

    I totally love it so much, thank you million times.

    I just have one question. I didn’t understand how to freeze them. Should I do it after quoting with crumbs or before that step

  90. Also “disgusting” is just a rude word to use about someone’s recipe, regardless of what precedes it.

  91. Catherine commented on this earlier… she said instant oats will cook too quickly and will become mushy. Better make a run to the grocery store!

    Btw I’m excited to try this recipe!

  92. Elizabeth, I thought the same thing! I have to cook steel cut oats OVER NIGHT in order for them to cook properly, lol. I’m going to try this recipe for the first time today but I have to use instant oats because it’s all I’ve got…hopefully it’ll work out.

  93. Fantastic! So similar to fast food yet so different. I’m going to make a double batch tomorrow. Thanks again for the great recipe.
    I am still chuckling that there seems to be confusion between steel cut and 5 minute oats. Not being mean, but come on!

  94. Hey another me!

    anyway I will have to try the veggie one! do you use raw veggies?

  95. I like to also add veggie puree to the mix since my 13 month old is not liking veggies right now. I’ll even make some nuggets that are ONLY veggies- spinach, carrots, brocc, celery, potato, etc.

  96. Ohmygoodness! I have been hoping to find a recipe like this. I had brain stormed ideas but I’m not much of an experienced cook and was too afraid to test my own recipe. I cannot wait to try this. I feel too guilty feeding my son the store bought chicken nuggets.

  97. Interesting idea! 1 pound is 16 ounces, so you could either cut this recipe into thirds, or use three cans of tuna! I’m not sure how it will come out, though. The tuna probably won’t hold together as well as the chicken does, and it might get dried out after cooking. Please let me know your results if you do try it! I’m intrigued!

  98. I was just wondering if canned tuna could be used? We are catholic so no meat on fridays during lent. I am just not sure how to reduce the amounts of the other ingredients for a 5 oz can of tuna lol. I am Math incompetent hehe.

  99. Can you do this with chicken thighs? My little guy needs the iron where he can get it! Thanks!

  100. Finally got my 17 month old to eat chicken! Thank you!

    They were easy enough for the husband to make (I’m a vegetarian). They didn’t brown well, but neither the husband nor son seemed to care.

  101. I made these this weekend; they looked so good I had to sneak a taste when they came out of the oven and they were delicious!

    Add another super-easy, delicious weelicious recipe to my regular rotation. Thank you Catherine!!

  102. Oh no! If they were hard your oven may run hotter than mine. Try cooking them for less time! Was it just the fact that they were hard (probably overcooked) or was there anything about the flavor you didn’t like?

  103. no offense but these were disgusting. 🙁

    I made them this weekend and the nuggets came out really hard and were just gross to eat.

  104. I made these tonight and they were FABULOUS and devoured by my 5yr old. Thanks for a quick easy recipe.

  105. Yes, quick oats cook faster and could get mushy in this recipe, so I would stick with the 5 minute oats!

  106. I am looking forward to trying this recipe. I was wondering if it is a problem to use quick oats, instead of the 5 minute oats indicated in the recipe? I thought quick oats were suppose to cook in 2 minutes, but I am not sure.

    Thanks!

  107. The raw chicken might get stuck under the blade in a regular blender, so for this recipe a food processor is better, but you could also use ground chicken or ask the butcher counter at your local grocery to grind the chicken for you. Regular bread crumbs will produce a different consistency coating, and I love the texture and flakiness of Panko! Use whatever you have and are comfortable with!

  108. Hello!

    Could a good blender work in place of a food processor? I am not that wise with kitchen appliances… Also, could you just use regular bread crumbs instead of Panko? The last few recipes I tried with Panko, dd didn’t love so much? Wondering if it was coincidence or the Panko!

    Thanks!

  109. What a great recipe! This sounds like the Big-M recipe. I like this because when my Granddaughter only wants two nuggets I can prepare them quicker than I can run to the Big-M, and save money! Thank you!

  110. Made these for lunch today and they were a big hit. I really enjoyed them too! Just wondering, if freezing some for later, when I go to cook them do I need to thaw them first or cook them longer?

  111. Thank you so much for this recipe! I have tried so many recipes and never thought to put the chicken in the food processor. I can say good bye to store bought nuggets for good!

  112. These were a HUGE hit with EVERYONE! Even my picky 2 yr old! I served with sweet potato oven fries and it was a well rounded healthy meal.

  113. I can’t wait to try this. My first two kids are great eaters, but my 18 month old is incredibly picky. He’s so bad that we practically threw a party a few days ago when he ate the apple slices I put on his tray instead of throwing it all on the floor. Fingers crossed he’ll eat these nuggets, it will be his first time eating chicken in months!

  114. […] Easy Chicken Nuggets | Weelicious ™ – Fast, Easy & Fresh Homemade Home Made Baby Food Babyfood… 1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt 3/4 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs 1/4 Tsp Onion Powder […]

  115. Hi,
    Do you freeze the nuggets once they have been baked, or are they unbaked? And how long for re -heating once frozen?

  116. I’m thinking about incorporating veggies to these nuggets like grated zucchini maybe….hopefully it won’t make them too wet..will report back

  117. Thank you for this recipe!!! I made it tonight, and it is a huge hit. They don’t like chicken nuggets from restaraunts or frozen, so I was skeptical, but they are devouring these! And I love the taste. I only had breadcrumbs on hand (and oddly no parm), but they are great. Will make huge batch for freezing next time.

  118. You can leave out the parmesan, I just love the flavor! Yes, cook them on the cooling rack, it helps them cook and brown evenly. If it is stainless steel it should be oven safe.

  119. 2 questions:

    1) Can I skip the parmesan to make it dairy free?
    2) Are we supposed to cook them on the cooling rack? I never knew if mine was oven safe?

  120. Here’s a tip for easier browning. I always toast the panko crumbs before I use them. They don’t brown well when I’ve used them for breading, but when toasted beforehand (250 degrees for about 5 minutes or so, just WATCH them) they look much more appetizing, no broiling required.

  121. I just made these and they turned out great! Thanks for posting. I did toast my panko in a pan beforehand to get a nice brown color. Also I had to cook these for about 25 minutes to get them up to temperature.

    Thanks again! Can’t wait for my little man to taste these tonight!

  122. Oh I love these!! Making these tonight for my little one. Love, love, love your recipes…so many great ideas 🙂

  123. If I freeze these, do I need to thaw them before baking or can I just put them in the oven still frozen?

  124. I never thought to grind up the chicken before. I usually do all this with just chicken cut into strips then freeze them. Hmm….kids might like this better, more like the fast food junk!! LOL.

  125. I’ve made baked chicken katsu in the past and to get the “golden” color, brown/toast the panko in the oven (or frying pan without oil) before coating the meat.

    Thank you for this wonderful recipe Katherine!

  126. Yes, pre-ground chicken works beautifully, and then there is no need to throw it in the food processor!

  127. Maybe buying fresh ground chicken as a substitute for the chicken breast that will be processed anyway. However, the oats may leave a chunkier consistency because it won’t be processed as well. It’s certainly worth a try.

  128. I have a Hamilton Beach 70670. It’s a pretty basic, middle-of-the-road one (about $45 on Amazon), but it’s been great. Does everything I need, and I make a TON of weelicious recipes!

  129. Oh wow! I gotta try this…most homemade nugget recipes include an egg coating so this is a must try since we have egg allergies. Now I just need a food processor…

  130. You can buy ground chicken, or ask at the butcher counter of your local grocery to grind it for you!

  131. If you don’t want to process the chicken, mix the spices in with the crumb and follow the same steps. My three don’t like the texture of the chicken once it’s been processed and it removes a step and clean up for me.

    I love the spice mix, thanks for a new flavor. Cheers.

  132. We’re a veggie family so if I wanted to make tofu (or seitan) nuggets, would I simply substitue out the protein or would I need egg to hold it together?
    Thanks!

  133. If you cook the chicken first it won’t hold together with all the other ingredients, and when you go to bake it the chicken will become overcooked and very rubbery.

  134. I know you mentioned the chicken should be raw and not to cook prior to putting in the processor, but would it make a difference if you did cook chicken first?

  135. Good recipe! I love making homemade chicken nuggets and strips and freezing them for quick dinners or lunches! (I love any recipe that I can make double and freeze to have a quick, healthy meal on another day!) I have a similar recipe that I use and love but it doesn’t have oatmeal so I will have to give this one a try! Thanks for sharing!!

  136. Wow! Super simple! We turn to nuggets on nights when my guy doesn’t like the family dinner. Sometimes I just get tired of making kid friendly food and want parent friendly stuff 🙂

  137. No, do not cook chicken before the processor. 375° F for 15 minutes should be enough time to cook nuggets

  138. Might be a stupid question but should the chicken Breast be cooked prior to puttIng in the food processor?

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