These amazing Parmesan Crusted Chicken Nuggets are the chicken nugget recipe you love, all grown up. They are easy to make, full of flavor, and absolutely delicious. Parents and kids will devour this easy dinner recipe.
Our family can’t get over how much we love this recipe. My husband and I aren’t exactly chicken nugget fans, but it is always a home run for the kids. With these Parmesan Crusted Chicken Nuggets, we get the fun finger food my kids love, with the grown up taste that make us happy.
While we are working with really simple ingredients in this recipe, the flavor of the cheese, basil, and garlic combine perfectly. You are left with crispy and delicious little nuggets.
How to Make Chicken Nuggets
- Prepare the baking sheet: After you preheat the oven, line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean up) and then set a wire rack inside the baking sheet. You can see this pictured below.
- Make milk mixture: Combine vinegar, milk, and garlic together. Then top the diced chicken with the mixture in a bowl and let it sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Make the breading mixture: Combine panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Bread the chicken: Working in batches, take pieces of chicken out of the milk a few at a time and drop them into the breading. Toss lightly, and place them on the wire rack. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
- Bake: Take them out of the oven when they are golden brown and the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
What Type of Chicken to Use
For this recipe, I recommend chicken breasts. But you can also use chicken tenderloins. They are already strips, making for less dicing.
Baked Chicken Nuggets
Baking chicken nuggets instead of frying them is a great way to cut calories. And these nuggets are just as delicious baked. Baking them on the wire rack allows them to crisp up while still making them in the oven. It is a low maintenance way to ensure they are the texture you are looking for.
Sauce for Dipping Chicken Nuggets
These are great with ketchup, but I loved them the most with our homemade BBQ sauce . Two other great sauces for dipping are Chick Fil Sauce and Ranch Dressing .
How to Make Chicken Nuggets in the Air Fryer
While my wire rack method is pretty fool proof, I you want to make these in the air fryer you can! We love our Air Fryer Chicken Tenders.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Add the nuggets to a preheated air fryer in a single layer. (You will need to cook them in batches.)
- Cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until the nuggets reach 165 degrees.
The thing that adds gluten and carbs to this recipe is the bread crumbs. A great solution for this recipe is ground up pork rinds in place of the Panko. They have really similar texture and would work well here.
Yes! I like the crispiness of the Panko, but if you want to use bread crumbs instead that will work as well. Just replace them 1 for 1.
What to Serve with Chicken Nuggets
These would be great with a number of sides, here are some of our favorites:
Sweet Potato Fries
Roasted Cauliflower
Three Ingredient Potato Wedges
Honey Roasted Carrots
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vinegar
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place a wire rack (used for cooling cookies after baking) on a foil lined baking sheet. Set aside.
- Add the vinegar to the milk in a measuring cup, and then add in the garlic. Whisk to combine. Put the cut up chicken in a large bowl. Pour the milk mixture over the top and stir to combine. Set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, salt, and pepper.
- Working in batches, pull pieces of chicken out of the milk mixture and toss them in the bread crumbs. Then place on the wire rack.
- When all the chicken has been coated, bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until an intstant read thermometer registers 165 degrees.
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Chicken Nuggets
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Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vinegar
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place a wire rack (used for cooling cookies after baking) on a foil lined baking sheet. Set aside.
Add the vinegar to the milk in a measuring cup, and then add in the garlic. Whisk to combine. Put the cut up chicken in a large bowl. Pour the milk mixture over the top and stir to combine. Set aside.
In a bowl, whisk together the panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, salt, and pepper.
Working in batches, pull pieces of chicken out of the milk mixture and toss them in the bread crumbs. Then place on the wire rack.
When all the chicken has been coated, bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until an intstant read thermometer registers 165 degrees.
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