Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets Recipe

This healthy baked chicken nuggets recipe is the perfect replacement as a KFC fakeaway or McDonald's chicken nuggets. They're breaded, delicious and much easier to make than you think and you know exactly what you've put in them!

If you can't order your favourite box of 20 piece chicken McNuggets, then here's a delicious replacement! And it's our healthy baked chicken nuggets recipe.

When I first made this a few years ago, it was a revelation on how easy these homemade chicken nuggets really are. They do take longer to cook than fried chicken nuggets, but I don't think I'll ever be compelled to buying a deep fat fryer.

And it'll be no surprise that we think these are the best chicken nuggets to eat as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Why You Try Breaded Chicken Nuggets?

• It's great for using old bread up.

• You can use any type of skinless chicken - although we used breast.

• The choice of whatever herbs and spices is up to you, such as chilli chicken nuggets etc.

• It works out cheaper to make than buying a 10 piece chicken McNuggets share box AND you'll get around 24!

• You're not forced to eat them just with chips.

• These chicken nuggets can be turned into popcorn chicken by chopping them small.

• They're healthier as there's no extra fat used in this recipe. Not even Frylight, making them perfect as an unofficial Slimming World fakeaway KFC or similar slimming club plan.

• Baking homemade feels safer than cooking with a deep fat fryer.

What Equipment Do I Need to Make This Baked Chicken Nuggets Recipe?

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• Weighing scales
• Chopping board
• Chopping knife
• food processor
• Measuring spoons
• baking tray
• silicone baking mat

Note, our favourite tool in the list above is our new silicone mat and have been using it since I originally created my how-to video.

It gives us even baking every time, meaning nothing sticks and we no longer have to turn our baked chicken nuggets halfway!

How to Make My Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets Recipe

First, you'll find the recipe with a list of chicken nuggets ingredients in a printable card at the bottom of this page. But here's a few steps on how to make chicken nuggets from scratch.

Also, don't forget, if you don't have these ingredients, just experiment with the ones you do have which is what I do every time I make them.

1. Preheat your oven at 190 degrees fan or gas mark and line a large baking tray with baking paper or a silicone mat.
2. We chop up our chicken into 1 to 2-inch chunks or smaller pieces. (Strips would work great too for chicken fingers or even Buffalo chicken fingers by drizzling Buffalo wing sauce after cooking).
3. Blitz wholemeal breadcrumbs with your herbs and spices in a food processor and place in a large bowl.
4. Whisk an egg or two in a bowl with a fork.
5. Then take a chicken chunk, dip in the egg, then roll in the crumbs and place on the tray.
6. Repeat until you have a tray full of breaded chicken.
7. Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Healthy Chicken Nuggets: Calories

When making this healthy baked chicken nuggets recipe, the calories roughly work out around 240 calories per 4 servings or 480 per 2. You may prefer them as a side of the main part of your meal.

How Are Chicken Nuggets Made Traditionally?

Traditionally, fried chicken nuggets, such as McNuggets and KFC popcorn chicken has a flour, spices and egg batter. Each chicken piece is coated, then deep fat fried quickly in oil.

And while homemade chicken nuggets baked in wholemeal breadcrumbs is a much longer process, we like the lower fat content. And that there's added fibre.

Carbs in Chicken Nuggets

As you can see in my chicken nuggets nutrition box, each portion between four people works out around 14g of carbohydrates each.

Other Ways To Make This Baked Chicken Nuggets Recipe

If you don't want to bake chicken nuggets using breadcrumbs, then there are alternative ways you could make them. For example:

• Blend oats into flour, mix with egg, then dip in your nuggets place on a baking tray and spray with frylight before baking.
• Swap the breadcrumbs for panko chicken nuggets, spray with frylight and bake.
• Make Kellogs cornflake chicken instead and gently blitz in a food processor or bash in a food bag with a rolling pin!

What To Have With Breaded Chicken

There are many things you can eat chicken pieces with, besides air fryer chips (as much as we love them that is) and tomato ketchup! So here's a few ideas you could try eating them with:

• Dirty fries
• Baked potatoes with beans and cheese
• Crushed new potatoes
• Hasselback garlic and cheese baby potatoes
• Vegetable rosti
• Buffalo chicken loaded potato skins
• Ratatouille with melted cheese
• Skinny skillet hash brown recipe
• Vegetable traybake (without the salmon)
• Potato kugel recipe
• Breaded pork chops

Tips for Making My Baked Chicken Nuggets Recipe

• Avoid cutting large chunks, otherwise, you'll struggle to cook your chicken pieces throughout.
• Try using 1 egg first incase you don't need 2.
• Remember, the smaller the chicken pieces, the more breadcrumbs you'll need.
• Try to avoid reheating them as they taste best freshly made.

How Do You Reheat Breaded Chicken Nuggets?

To reheat your chicken nuggets from the fridge, then place back on the baking tray and cook for 15-20 minutes at 190 degrees Celcius.

However, you will find them a little harder than when you first cooked them.

More Recipes You Might Like

• Chicken fajita recipe - tray bake style
• Chilli chicken tray bake
• Mediterranean chicken traybake
• How to Cook chargrilled chicken in the oven
• Healthy tandoori chicken
• Loaded potato skins with buffalo chicken
• Fakeaway chicken McNuggets with lime and chilli
• Chicken and chorizo gnocchi pasta
• Sticky chicken paella
• Fakeaway chicken korma

Looking for a copycat of KFC?

Update: It's now 2020, 5 years on since I first shared this recipe and there's talk of the secret KFC recipe leaked. After a quick google for spices, here's a list you may want to play around with.

• Garlic salt
• Celery salt
• Thyme
• Basil
• Oregano
• Ginger
• White and black pepper
• Mustard powder
• Paprika
• Flour

I have never tried this using blended oats as flour, but this would work out rather well if you want to use as your fibre allowance. Or mix in with your wholemeal breadcrumbs.

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Syns in these Unofficial Slimming World Chicken Nuggets

As Syn information is for paying Slimming World members, we've decided that going forward, we are no longer sharing this info in new recipes and when we update them.

You will, however, find many of my recipes are suitable for most slimming clubs. But, if in doubt, always ask your consultant. Or simply by checking the ingredients on your Slimming World app.