Baked Chicken Nuggets

It's recipe swap time again and you might be a bit surprised by the recipe I chose-I was given Jenni's blog-Doughseedough and decided to make these baked homemade chicken nuggets.  Jenni has a ton of fabulous recipes with gorgeous pictures on her blog and yup, I went with the chicken nuggets.  I did bookmark a ton of other recipes, but ultimately decided to go with the chicken nuggets because a)I thought they were cute and b)I have never made actual chicken nuggets before.  Sure I've made breaded chicken cutlets before, but never actual nuggets. This recipe sounded delicious-I was especially intrigued by the idea of marinating the chicken-I don't think most people would think to do that step for making chicken nuggets.  And did I mention the yummy dipping sauces? (hello sriracha ketchup!)

Matt and I both LOVED this meal!  Midway through our dinner, Matt asked me to make this again-that's how you know this recipe is a winner.  I served these with some oven fries and sauteed greens-it was like eating a grown-up version of chicken nuggets-but will still hit the spot if your craving drive-thru food.  And of course, the dipping sauces were delicious.  Next time, I think I will double the recipe and freeze a bunch-I think these would be great to have on hand for a quick dinner.

A special thank you to A Taste of Home Cooking for hosting another fun recipe swap!

Baked Chicken Nuggets

4 chicken breasts
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups panko bread crumbs (regular bread crumbs work as well)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3 large eggs, whisked

Lightly pound chicken breast to 1/2 inch thickness and cut into 1.5 – 2″ pieces. Set aside in a large bowl.

Stir lemon juice and milk together in a bowl, let sit for 15 minutes. Stir in garlic powder, Worcestershire, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour mixture over chicken and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 475°F. Spread panko on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes or until golden brown, being careful not to burn. If you are using regular breadcrumbs, skip this step.

Transfer panko to a shallow dish. Once cool, mix in grated Parmesan and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
Set out flour in a second shallow dish and whisked eggs into a third shallow dish.

Decrease the oven to 450. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Remove chicken from the fridge and discard marinade. Working a few pieces at a time, dredge chicken through flour and shake off excess. Dip in the egg, and then lastly coat with panko. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Continue until all chicken has been coated.

Bake for 12 minutes, turning halfway through, until panko is lightly browned and chicken has an internal temperature of 165°F.

Serve with spicy ketchup and honey mustard dipping sauces, recipes below.

Spicy Ketchup

1/4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons Sriracha
2 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise

Combine all ingredients and stir well to combine. Adjust ingredients to taste.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

4 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

Stir all ingredients together well to combine. Adjust ingredients to taste.

Source: Doughseedough, Honey Mustard Sauce inspired by TGIFridays.