Homemade Dino Nuggets
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!
Servings: 30 nuggets
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken Mixture
- 1 lb ground chicken breast
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
Breading & Coating
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ½ tsp paprika
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- 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. This mixture is called a panade.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. 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.
- 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. Let them fully cool before serving.
Notes
- 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!
Nutrition
Calories: 26kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 91mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 39IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 0.2mg
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