Homemade Dino Nuggets

on Jun 10, 2024

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These homemade dino nuggets are made with a few simple ingredients that are crisp on the outside and moist and tender on the inside. They are baked, not fried, pair great with a dip, and will be loved so much more than store-bought!

Dino nuggets served with broccoli and ketchup.

I grew up loving dino nuggets and looking back, I realized it was much more about the shape than anything else. Something about dipping a T-rex-shaped nugget into some ketchup felt so exciting, so it’s no surprise that my boys love them as well. I will say, that the taste of store-bought nuggets was never anything special to me, so I set out to try to make my own version. Turns out, all you need is a simple ground chicken mixture and some dino-shaped cutters to make this classic meal! And if you don’t feel like taking the extra step of cutting out dino shapes, you can definitely shape the mixture in normal round-shaped nuggets that I’m sure your little ones will love as well!

If you love these nuggets, be sure to also try out these chicken nuggets with veggies for a fun way to incorporate veggies into a favorite meal! Looking for more chicken recipes? You’ll love these chicken and broccoli meatballs and easy crispy chicken parmesan recipe as well!

What You’ll Need
Recipe Substitutions & Additions
Step By Step Instructions
Storage Instructions
Tips For Success
Recipe FAQs
Other Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
Homemade Dino Nuggets Recipe

What You’ll Need

Here is what you’ll need to make these homemade dino nuggets:

Ingredients to make homemade dino nuggets.

Ground Chicken Breast: The main ingredient for these nuggets. Ground chicken breast is best to use for these nuggets.
Panko Breadcrumbs: I used plain panko breadcrumbs, but you can also use Italian seasoned panko breadcrumbs for added flavor. Panko breadcrumbs will be used both in the chicken mixture and to coat the nuggets. I prefer panko breadcrumbs to regular breadcrumbs because they help the nuggets get a really crispy coating when baked.
Parmesan Cheese: Used to add flavor to the breading mixture.
Flour: Added to the breading mixture to help the egg stick to the chicken nuggets.
Milk: Mixed together with the panko breadcrumbs and seasonings to form something called a panade. A panade will help prevent the protein fibers from the meat from getting too tough to keep the nuggets moist.
Seasonings: I used a combination of paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt in these nuggets.
Oil Spray Used to spray the nuggets prior to baking or air frying. This helps the nuggets obtain a golden brown color and crisp up while cooking.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Recipe Substitutions & Additions

Chicken Breast: The ground chicken may be replaced with ground turkey.
Breadcrumbs: I use panko breadcrumbs in this recipe, but you may also swap it with a slice of bread).
Parmesan Cheese: You can swap the parmesan cheese with 2 to 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast.
Milk: The milk may be replaced with a dairy-free alternative like oat milk.
Egg: The egg may be replaced with heavy cream, oil, or melted butter. If it is difficult for the breading mixture to stick, gently pat the breadcrumbs into the nuggets.

Step By Step Instructions

STEP 1: Add 1/4 cup of panko breadcrumbs, milk, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika to a small bowl and mix it together until combined. Let it sit for about 1 minute so that the breadcrumbs can absorb the liquid (Images 1 & 2). This mixture is called a panade.

STEP 2: Add the soaked breadcrumb mixture (panade) to a large bowl along with the ground chicken breast and mix until well combined. Use your hands as needed to make sure everything is well incorporated, but try not to overmix (Images 3 & 4).

STEP 3: Place the chicken mixture on a parchment paper lined baking pan (I used a 9-inch by 13-inch baking sheet) and smooth it out into an even layer that is about 1/2 inch thick (Images 5 & 6).

STEP 4: Place another sheet of parchment paper on top of the chicken layer and gently smooth it with your hands. Place this sheet pan in the freezer for 60 to 90 minutes to allow the chicken to firm up (Image 7).

STEP 5: Once the chicken layer is firm, peel away the top parchment paper layer and use dinosaur-shaped cutters to cut out dino shapes from the chicken (Image 8). Cut out as many shapes as you can and place the dino cutouts aside on a separate parchment paper-lined pan. You can either repeat the process of smoothing out the scraps into an even layer to cut out more dino shapes, or you can use the scraps to form normal round chicken nuggets.

STEP 6: If your dino chicken cutouts seem soft, place them back in the freezer to firm up for a few minutes before you start coating them. You want the chicken pieces to be firm so that the shape isn’t distorted when dipping (Image 9).

STEP 7: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix together 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, flour, and 1/2 teaspoon of paprika together in a medium bowl until combined to form the breading mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk the two eggs (Image 10).

STEP 8: Dip each dino nugget cut out into the breading mixture, then into the whisked egg, and then back into the breading mixture to fully coat (Image 10). There won’t be much coating that sticks to the nuggets during the first dip, and that is perfectly fine! The first dip is to help the egg stick to the nuggets and the remaining breading will stick during the next pass. Repeat for the remaining nuggets and place them back onto the parchment paper-lined pan (Image 11).

STEP 9: Spray a generous amount of cooking oil on top of the nuggets (don’t forget this step because this is what helps the nuggets get nice and crispy)! Bake the nuggets for 15 to 18 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until the nuggets are crispy and golden (Image 12). Let them fully cool before serving.

Storage Instructions

Once cooled, the homemade dino nuggets can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. The nuggets can also be frozen for up to 3 months. You can reheat them in an air fryer for a few minutes, or in the oven for the best crisp texture.

Tips For Success

If you prefer to use this recipe to make normal-shaped circular nuggets, you can skip the step of freezing and jump straight into shaping nuggets right away! Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions of the ground chicken mixture, dip this directly into the breading mixture, then into the whisked egg, and then back into the breading mixture. Form into nuggets and place them on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet to bake.
If your dino shapes seem a little distorted after dipping them into the breading mixture, you can use your dino cutters to make a slight indent on the shapes to help that dino shape shine through!
These chicken nuggets can also be made into patties! You can scoop out larger portions of the chicken mixture and use the same method to make patties which are great to serve in sandwiches!

Recipe FAQs

Can I Use this recipe to make normal-shaped circular nuggets?

Yes! If you prefer to use this recipe to make normal-shaped circular nuggets, you can skip the step of freezing and jump straight into shaping nuggets right away! Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions of the ground chicken mixture, dip this directly into the breading mixture, then into the whisked egg, and then back into the breading mixture. Form into nuggets and place them on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet to bake.

Can these nuggets be made in the air fryer?

Yes! Spray the air fryer basket with an oil spray and place the nuggets in a single layer in the basket. Air-fry the nuggets at 390 F for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until golden. Cook in batches as needed.

Can I pan-fry these nuggets?

For sure! To pan-fry, heat oil in a pan over medium heat and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Place the nuggets on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil.