Yield: 24 nuggets | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes
There’s no need to buy chicken nuggets from the frozen food aisle or the fast food drive-through when it’s this easy to make them right at home! If you’d like, experiment with different dipping sauces to please everyone at the table.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional; see note)
¼ cup vegetable oil
Honey mustard or ranch dressing, for dipping
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, parchment paper, or a silicone mat.
2. If using whole chicken breasts, cut them crosswise into 6 strips, or approximately ½ × 2-inch pieces. (Tenders may be used without further cutting.) In a large zip-top bag, combine the flour, onion powder, salt, paprika, and cayenne pepper and drop the chicken into the bag. Seal the bag and shake well to completely coat the chicken with the flour mixture.
3. Arrange the coated chicken pieces 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to coat each piece of chicken with the vegetable oil. Bake for 15 minutes, turn over, and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Serve with honey mustard or ranch dressing for dipping.
NOTES
If you are making these for children, you may wish to omit the cayenne pepper; or increase the amount if you have a family who enjoys spicy dishes.