Crispy Chicken Nuggets

Okay, what kid (or adult for that matter), doesn't love chicken nuggets?! This family-friendly recipe is so easy to make, AND it keeps the nutritional value strong. The prep time is about 10-15 minutes and the bake time is 14 minutes. By making your own chicken nuggets you can reduce the fat and sodium content by about 3 times compared to a fast food or frozen product. Throw some raw veggies on the side and dipping sauce for the chicken, and you've got a quick and balanced meal.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup all purpose flour (or gluten free all purpose flour)

1 egg, whisked in a bowl

1 1/2 cups Panko (or gluten free corn flake crumbs) + a few pinches of salt mixed in with the Panko

2 large freezer bags (1 for flour, 1 for Panko)

Parchment paper to line a cookie sheet

Directions

1) Only partially thaw your chicken breast to make it easier to cut. Cut each chicken breast lengthwise in 1/2, then cut each half into ~6 pieces. Cut the thicker pieces in 1/2 again to reduce thickness

2) Put all the chicken pieces into the flour bag and shake to dredge (to take the moisture out of the chicken)

3) Then dip each chicken piece into the egg bowl to coat, adding each piece to the Panko bag as you go

4) Once all all the chicken pieces are added into the Panko bag, shake well to coat each piece

5) Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and place each chicken piece onto the sheet. Bake 6 minutes, flip and bake another 6 minutes . Broil on both sides for ~45 seconds for extra crisp (ensure the internal temperature is cooked to >165 degrees F).

Makes ~24 nuggets

Nutrition Profile per 6 nuggets: ~ 10 g protein, 3 g fat and 8% sodium. (A fast food or frozen comparison = ~ 16 g fat and > 20% sodium).

Submitted by Brooke Bulloch, RD