I didn’t grow up eating fast food, so I’ve never really been a chicken nugget person, but the other day, out of the blue, I got a massive craving for them. So I thought, “Challenge accepted! I’m going to make some homemade chicken nuggets.” Well, let me just say, I might be a chicken nugget person now because these Homemade Baked Chicken Nuggets are so flavorful and so juicy, that I just couldn’t stop. And the best part is, they’re actually quite easy to make! I made three batches this week and I’m not sick of them yet.
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How Many Chicken Nuggets Does This Recipe Make?
I used one (yes, one) boneless skinless chicken breast for this recipe, which made around 24 nuggets. My chicken breast weighed approximately 2/3 lb., so your yield may vary depending on the size of the breast. I’ve set the serving size at six nuggets per serving, assuming you’ll be eating something on the side (like the fresh vegetables in my photos).
Why is There YOGURT in Your Chicken Nuggets??
Weird, right? But it works. Buttermilk is a common ingredient used in baked and fried chicken, but I didn’t have any buttermilk, nor did I want to buy any just for this recipe (even though you can freeze extra buttermilk for use later). Instead, I chose to use an ingredient that is already in my refrigerator: plain Greek yogurt. Like buttermilk it is a cultured milk product that gives the nuggets extra flavor and helps keep them tender and moist. Trust me!
If you have plain regular-style yogurt (not Greek style), that can be used too. You’ll just need to add less water when thinning it out.
Can I Make Them Gluten Free?
If you can get gluten-free breadcrumbs, those should work fine in this recipe. That being said, I haven’t tested this with gluten-free breadcrumbs, but I don’t think the lack of gluten should affect the texture in this application.
How do Leftovers Hold Up?
I ate my leftover nuggets the day after I made them and enjoyed them quite a bit, but I will say that they are no longer crispy. They are every bit as tender, juicy, and flavorful though!
What is a “Neutral Oil”
A neutral oil is any cooking oil that does not carry a heavy flavor. You have the flexibility here to use the oil that best fits your diet or budget. I used Grapeseed oil today, but you could use canola, light olive oil, safflower, sesame, or any other light oil.
Pictured with my homemade Honey Mustard Sauce.
Homemade Baked Chicken Nuggets
Servings 4 6 nuggets eachIngredients
Breading
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs ($0.25)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- freshly cracked pepper ($0.02)
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil ($0.08)
Yogurt Slurry
- 1/3 cup Greek Yogurt ($0.29)
- 1/8 tsp salt ($0.01)
- 3 Tbsp water ($0.00)
Chicken
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 2/3 lb.) ($2.79)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Place a wire cooling rack, or two, over a baking sheet to hold the nuggets as they bake.
- In a wide shallow bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper (about 5 cranks of a pepper mill). Stir these ingredients together until evenly combined. Drizzle the oil over the breadcrumb mixture, then stir until the breadcrumbs are coated in oil. The breadcrumbs should look like damp sand.
- In a separate small bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, salt, and water until smooth. You want the yogurt to be a similar consistency to buttermilk or heavy cream. It should be thick enough to coat the chicken.
- Trim any excess fat from the chicken breast, then cut it into small, 3/4 to one-inch pieces. For a 2/3 lb. chicken breast you should get about 22-24 pieces.
- Dip each piece of chicken into the yogurt slurry, then roll it in the seasoned breadcrumb mixture until the chicken piece is fully coated. Place each coated nugget onto the wire cooling rack on the baking sheet.
- Once all of the chicken pieces are fully coated, transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 23-25 minutes, or until the breading is browned on the edges.
- Remove the chicken nuggets from the oven and let cool for 3-5 minutes, then serve with your favorite dip.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Color Cutting Boards
- Chef’s Knife
- Enamelware Sheet Pan
- Wire Cooling Racks
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Baked Chicken Nuggets – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. To make the breading for the chicken nuggets, combine 1 cup plain breadcrumbs, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper (about 5 cranks of a pepper mill) in a bowl. Stir these together well.
Then drizzle 2 Tbsp of any neutral oil over the breadcrumb mixture and stir until all the breadcrumbs are coated. It should look like damp sand.
In a separate bowl, combine 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt with 3 Tbsp water and 1/8 tsp salt. Stir until smooth. It should be about the consistency of buttermilk or heavy cream. You can use plain “regular” yogurt here, you’ll just add less water to thin it out just a tad.
Trim any excess fat from one boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 2/3 lb.). Cut the chicken breast into small 3/4 to one-inch pieces. You should get about 22-24 pieces.
Dip each piece of chicken into the yogurt slurry until it’s coated…
Then right after you dip it in the yogurt, roll it in the breading mixture until it’s completely coated. Once each piece is coated, place it onto a wire cooling rack that is sitting on top of a baking sheet.
Once they’re all coated and on the wire rack, they’re ready to bake! Throw away any leftover breading and yogurt because they are contaminated with raw chicken.
Bake the chicken nuggets in the preheated 425ºF oven for 23-25 minutes, or until the edges have turned golden brown. Let them cool for 3-5 minutes before serving.
Here’s a close-up of the baked nuggets so you can see their color. They don’t change a LOT, they just get slightly darker and a little more brown on the edges.
Serve the Homemade Baked Chicken Nuggets with your favorite dips! Ranch is always great, but I also made a homemade honey mustard sauce, which I’ll be sharing on the blog either tomorrow or the next day, so stay tuned! Fresh vegetables were also an awesome side because they were just as good dipped into the ranch and honey mustard sauce.
I seriously can’t get enough of these Homemade Nuggets!!
Perfect nugget recipe! I make batches of these for my toddler on a regular basis & they are always eaten. Quick, easy, & always turns out perfect.
I really like this recipe. I’m planning on making it. But I read on the internet in many places that you should not use olive oil anywhere in your breading because it will all break down. Is that true? Before I go through all the trouble making this.
We don’t find that at all! We often use this method to ensure crispiness in baked breaded dishes without frying.
Best baked nuggets I’ve made! I usually don’t want chicken nuggets enough to go to the trouble of making them but these were excellent. My kids all enjoyed them too, and they aren’t easy to please. I’ll definitely make again!
Could I have that recipe?
Thank you
Yes :)
Great advice about the buttermilk substitute.
The video is extremely helpful.
I will definitely make chicken nuggets in the future
I had this link bookmarked for your Tandoori Bites. Does that recipe still live around here somewhere? This recipe looks awesome but I’ve been craving the Tandoori:)
I will email it to you. :)
Could I get it too? I just went through my old link twice before I noticed this comment and realized I wasn’t going insane!
Sure thing! Just sent.
Hi Beth, could I get the Tandoori chicken bites recipe also? I was so excited to see the link from the raita page because I’ve been looking for that recipe! Thanks in advance, I appreciate your time!
Just emailed it to you!
Could these be baked on a BBQ?
No, that’s probably not a good idea.
Hi, i wanted to ask if I can keep them in the refrigerator and if yes, how long it takes to warm them up again?
I tried them and kids loved them!
They will last 1 to 2 days in the fridge. Unsure what temperature you keep your fridge at, so just warm them in a 350-degree oven or a microwave until they start to steam. XOXO -Monti
Made these tonight. They were excellent. Had some sauce ready for dipping but the flavor of the nuggets was so good I didn’t want to cover it up with sauce. Thanks for sharing.
What happened to your Tandoori Chicken Bites recipe? I loved that one. My saved link brought me to this recipe. While I love this recipe too, can you please bring the Tandoori recipe back please? : D
Hi Jane, I just emailed you a copy! :)
I was looking for the same!
Just sent it to you. :)
Me three please!!!
I’d love the tandoori chicken bites recipe too! Also, can you make a batch of these and freeze them?
As Beth mentions in the blog post, the leftovers were good but no longer crispy. Since we haven’t tried them from frozen, I don’t really know how they will end up! I guess it’s worth a shot, but I would suggest only freezing a small batch to see how you like them once reheated before committing a large amount to the freezer and ending up disappointed with the results. ~ Marion :)
Could you please also sens me the tandoori bites recipe?
Sent!
Another winner, winner chicken dinner from Beth at Budget Bytes, thank you! My husband really enjoyed this. I haven’t ever used plain greek yogurt to help bind bread crumbs to chicken, but it worked perfectly, nary a bread crumb fell off the chicken while it was baking or being removed from the the wire cooling rack. The only thing we did different was rather than using a chicken breast(s) and cutting it into pieces, we used a pack of chicken tenderloins — they were on sale at the store and made the prep even quicker. We just cooked the chicken for an extra 5 – 8 minutes.
Delicious! I often cheat and buy the frozen chicken tenders but find that they are more breading than chicken. These are so good! Thank you for a great recipe.
Oh. My. God. This was SO good! Crispy, light, simple, yet flavorful and crazy addictive!!
Your recipes never disappoint! These were so yummy and my kids LOVED them. They are so picky about food, but let me tell you, they have never turned their nose up at any of your recipes. I will absolutely be making this on a weekly basis for our dinner routine.
Turned out fabulous, I was very surprised how they hit the spot and you won’t even miss the deep fried versions. Deceptively healthy for how tasty they are! We used buttermilk because we had it but I can’t imagine they’d be different with yogurt and I will definitely try that version next. It’s a great pantry/staple meal I will make again.
Just wanted to leave a comment to say how much I love these nuggets. Great source of protein and store very well in the freezer. At 350° for about 20 minutes, these chicken nuggets reheat great. I make myself foil packets of 10-piece nuggets and usually meal prep about 70 nuggets at a time very easily. Thanks so much for the recipe!
We made this into two large servings and served with peas and roasted carrots. My only tip would be to add the water to the yogurt slurry slowly, I probably only needed 1 tbsp.
I didn’t have enough regular breadcrumbs so I used a mix of panko and regular and it worked out. I didn’t cook them on a wire rack and wished I had. They were a little too toasty on the side that was on the sheet pan. I served them with fries I made in the air fryer and the Budget Bytes coleslaw. My family said it was like a healthier version of KFC.
Curious about how long you would recommend cooking these if I wanted to use an air fryer? Recipe sounds great.
Unfortunately I’ve never used an air fryer, so I can’t offer any recommendations. :(
I used an air fryer- I set it at 400 and cooked the chicken for about 30 minutes. I cut the chicken into tenderloins, though, instead of nuggets, so if you do nuggets you might want to make the cook time shorter. I have a power air fryer, not the basket kind, so I switched out the bottom and top trays in the middle of cooking. It worked great!
Could I use sour cream here if I’m out of yogurt?
I haven’t tried that, but they are quite similar so it might work. Just make to thin it out enough so that it coats the chicken pieces correctly. :)
I have a similar recipe that uses mayonnaise, so that could be another option.
I’ve only used sour cream, they turn out great!
The texture was great–crunchy outside and tender inside. I’ve never been able to make home made chicken nuggets like this before. But for some reason for me, the flavor was lacking, even though I put a lot of pepper in. I will keep the method and try some different ingredients–maybe add some parmesan cheese to the coating or some butter to the yogurt. Giving 5 starts anyway because spices are personal preference but the method of making them is awesome.
I don’t eat dairy, but I know buttermilk and such is pretty fundamental for fried chicken. Is there something else I can use that isn’t dairy based?
Unfortunately the buttermilk really is key!
Could there be a non-dairy yogurt/sour cream alternative?
I have had luck with plain almond milk- I mix with a little vinegar and let sit at room temp for about 30 mins. It acts similar to buttermilk.
This recipe is great, I’ll keep it. One pet peeve: the breading is a lil’ crumbly after cooking. How about using aquafaba (canned chickpea broth) instead of water? Still, for all it’s worth, the recipe is fantastic. Beth really is a great cook.
My girlfriend approved and she’s a bit of a chicken nugget connoisseur. I learned in the second batch to not drench the nuggets in yogurt sauce so I didn’t run out of the sauce. I would definitely make this in a pinch and it’s surprising that you can feed two people with a single chicken breast.
These were a hit! Going to a great recipe for when I have kiddos one day. So easy and healthy! They came out surprisingly cripsy!
Hi!
Made these for my 1 year old twins and husband couldn’t stop picking at them! Huge hit.
Do these freeze and reheat well?
Yes they freeze great!
In case anyone was wondering, these turn out amazing in the air fryer! Had to do them in batches, but only took 8 min per batch at 375. :)
I thought these turned out awesome. I wasn’t thinking and cooked them on parchment paper which obviously got a little burnt ha. The nuggets were fine, nice and crunchy, but next time I’ll use foil sprayed with a little oil.
These were so easy, I’m wondering the best way to freeze a big batch. Thanks so much
I followed instructions to a T. It turned out very dry. As if there was not enough oil. They were not palatable or enjoyable.
Are you sure it only needs 2 tbsp of oil??
Is there something missing from this recipe?
Anyway, i gave 2 stars, for your effort.
If you’re out of yogurt, use mayo in it’s palce! these were so yummy :D
I used Italian breadcrumbs and buttermilk, as that’s what was on hand. Spouse and younger child loved them, super-picky elder child willingly tried them (a win all on it’s own) and wasn’t sure about the spices, however offered ideas to try a mark 2. May try them with matzoh meal in a few weeks, as Passover is coming up.
Most of my time was in prepping the chicken, so I’m also interested in trying the prep & freeze for a large batch, as kids are old enough to bake on their own.
I made these tonight for my very picky 11 year son, and he devoured them! Unbelievable. I have tried so many chicken nuggets recipe and nothing was good until this one. He told me could eat them everyday. Not happening, but definitely weekly now hat I have a solid recipe. Thanks so much!
First ever chicken nugget recipe that didn’t turn out dry or have most of the breading fall off. These are awesome. I tried one and immediately did not want to share anymore, but I had people over and it had to be done…….(Who needs sauce when these are so amazing? The chicken stayed moist because the breading stayed on. And I felt no need to improve the taste of the breading.)
Hooray! Happy to hear it Cheryl!
Do you think it would work with chicken thighs? I got a bunch on sale!
Hmm, it’s hard to say. The texture is so different and I worry that maybe they might render more fat and that could make the breadcrumbs a bit soggy.
I have only ever done this recipe with thighs and it’s fantastic. I’ll use panko sometimes too depending on what’s in the cupboard.
Hi, I wants to make these today but wondering if they can be frozen – either before or after baking? Thanks!
I would freeze them after baking so there’s less to worry about when you reheat?
Soooo good! I doubled the recipe and still there was not enough! I double the slur as well as the bread crumbs , but it was wayyyy too much! Also, I put all thé ingredient so for the bread crumbs in a ziplock bag, shake it all and then I added the chicken all at once in the bag. Turn out great! Next time, I’ll just make lots and lots and lots and freeze it. I was that good. The honey mustard sauce was super good as well! Thanks a lot Beth for this amazing recipe!
Stupid question? Does the chicken have to be cooked before breaking or is it all cooked together in oven. I’ve seen recipes where chicken is already done. I dont see it on this one.
Hi Dane, it cooks all together in the oven.
So good and crispy!! Gonna have to stop myself from eating the whole sheet pan’s worth in one night haha :)
Oh wow these were so good! We didn’t have to worry about what to do with leftovers because my kids and husband ate them all. My 3 year old is demanding I make more and soon! I didn’t have a properly sized wire rack so I put them right on a baking sheet and they turned out great.
That sheet pan looks awesome. What brand is it?
It’s an enamelware pan made by Crow Canyon. :) You can get them on Amazon or other online retailers.
Do you think you could use sour cream of you dont have Greek yogurt?
Thank you! Excited to try this out!
I just wanted to say that I made these with panko and they turned out amazing! I did have to add a bit more salt to the breadcrumbs but the whole family really enjoyed them. Will definitely make again.
Thank you so much for sharing how the panko version turned out! I had people asking, but wasn’t sure if the breading would stick as well due to the larger pieces. :)
No yogurt on hand, but I had ranch dressing. Just left out the salt and they turned out great.
Ok, I’ve never felt compelled to make chicken nuggets before but this sounded so good so I tried them yesterday and they were both easy and delicious. Even my husband who has never had nuggets before loved them, haha. This recipe is a winner!
I have never had luck making homemade baked chicken nuggets, but these were delicious! (esp. with the recommended honey mustard sauce).
I know some people are asking about freezing them.. I reheated (oven) mine from the fridge the next day, and they didn’t crisp up as much. They still tasted great, and I would eat them as leftovers again. Not sure if that means it would be the same/worse frozen, but thought I would throw my experience out there!
Do you know the calorie content in a serving?
No, I’m sorry. I do not have nutritional info.
Do you think you could use dairy free yogurt for this recipe? I only ever have plain coconut milk yogurt on hand but am not sure if it would have the same effect.
Unfortunately I’ve never worked with a dairy free yogurt so I’m not familiar with the physical properties, or if it will make a difference in this application.
I made these nuggets tonight using coconut milk yogurt, and they turned out awesome! I used less water to thin it out, since it was already a runnier texture than Greek yogurt to begin with.
can an air fryer be used to cook the nuggets? I just got one and want to yry it.
Unfortunately I’ve never used an air fryer, so I’m not sure how it would turn out.
Been making something similar for years now. Never tried baking them though. Will give this recipe a shot! Thanks.
I made this for dinner tonight, followed the recipe exactly (used 2 small chicken breasts, though) and my boyfriend and I devoured the whole thing!
Do you think this would work with firm tofu? I might try it and let you know how it turns out!
Let me know how it turns out, for sure! I don’t think I could predict if that would work or not. 😅
Ok I made these extra firm tofu and panko bread crumbs, turned out great!
Nice! Thanks for sharing how that turned out! Did you marinate the tofu in anything to add flavor?
Try medium tofu frozen, defrosted, and squeezed dry twice. It ends up having a very chicken-y texture!
Could you substitute egg for the yogurt to make this dairy free?
It might turn out slightly different in flavor and texture, but egg does work as a binder.
Great timing! I was looking for a recipe like this. Can these be made in an air fryer?
Thanks!
I’ve never used an air fryer, so I’m not sure, but it sounds like a good idea!
Can these be baked in a toaster oven or is the regular oven required?
If your toaster oven reaches the listed temperature, I would think it should be okay, although I’ve never actually tried it.
Sorry! These
Can tese be frozen or made ahead?
I’ve never tried freezing them, so unfortunately I’m not sure how they’d hold up. My only concern is that the breadcrumbs might begin to absorb moisture from the yogurt and chicken and not be quite as crispy.
What kind of dip are you using in these photos? Looks amazing!
One is a store bought ranch dressing (Ken’s Steakhouse brand), one is my Homemade Honey Mustard Sauce (linked in the blog post), and the third is a store bought BBQ sauce (I don’t remember what brand, ha!).
South Asian and Middle Eastern cooks marinate meats in yogurt for many recipes–seals in juices. What a perfect sub for buttermilk! Another thing I do whenever breading meats for pan frying or oven frying is add some grated Parmesan cheese to the breading, usually about 1/3 c to 1 cup of bread crumbs. You probably won’t taste the cheese although it does add subtle flavor. The main benefit is that the food will develop a very crispy coating–a result which you addressed by adding some oil to the crumbs. Food won’t brown without a little fat.. Thanks for another terrific idea! I always have chicken in my fridge, so this would also be a wonderful last minute snack idea if folks stop by unexpectedly. Kid friendly, too.
It’s funny you mention that, because I made one of my test batches with Parmesan in the breading and to my great surprise, I actually liked the non-Parm version better! And I like Parm on and in just about everything. Haha!
Just made these. We didn’t even bother to get sauce for them. Juicy and delicious!
How well do you think these would freeze prior to cooking? Would be a great snack food to have around the house vs pizza rolls or store bought popcorn chicken.
It’s really hard to say without testing it. I’d be afraid the breading might not stick as well or might get soggy from the moisture through the freeze/thaw process.