Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets
You probably already know and enjoy them, but these are considerably healthier and created from scratch with some unnoticed extra nutrients! Everything you could possibly desire in a handmade chicken nugget, plus so much more, are these nutritious baked chicken nuggets! They're crispy and tasty, but they're not deep-fried, so they're still excellent for freezing!
Yield: 20
Materials
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1/2 cup mashed sweet potato
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese divided
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Cut the sweet potato into 1-inch pieces after peeling. Transfer to a bowl after adding to a small saucepan of water. Boil until the sweet potato is fork-tender, about ten minutes. Mash and reserve half a cup.
- Preheat the oven to 400° and place parchment paper on a baking pan.
- Cover the parchment paper with panko bread crumbs and lightly spritz with misto or another type of olive oil spray.
- Bake for three minutes, then flip the tray and continue baking for an additional two to three minutes, or until the bread crumbs are browned.
- In the meantime, combine 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, sweet potato, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder with the ground chicken in a medium-sized bowl. Blend well.
- After the bread crumbs are toasted, combine them with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, Parmesan cheese, and a medium-sized bowl.
- Using your hands, gather a little bit of the ground chicken mixture and form it into an oval shape. Gently dip the object into the dish of panko bread crumbs, covering it completely. Arrange them on baking pans covered with parchment paper.
- Bake the nuggets for 25 minutes, or until they are at least 165 degrees within.
- Accompany with your preferred dipping sauce!
Notes
Nutritional Value: about for every nugget
Keepsake
Refrigerator: Keep chilled for two to three days.
Freezer: Bake on a baking sheet, then allow to cool. To prevent them from freezing together, make sure they are absolutely cold before combining them. For up to three months, store in a freezer-safe container.
Sculpted Pieces
Make your own shapes with your own cookie cutters. To do this, lightly spritz the sides of a cookie cutter with Misto, then fill it with ground chicken. Carefully transfer the filled cookie cutter to the bowl of bread crumbs, coating it gently before placing it on the baking sheet. Replacements
Sweet Potato: Two eggs can be substituted for the sweet potatoes.
Seasonings: We also enjoy using paprika, cayenne, mustard powder, and oregano.
Warming Up After Freezing
Set oven temperature to 400 degrees. Place the frozen nuggets in a single layer on a wire rack, and bake for 20 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked.
Keepsake
Refrigerator: Keep chilled for two to three days.
Freezer: Bake on a baking sheet, then allow to cool. To prevent them from freezing together, make sure they are absolutely cold before combining them. For up to three months, store in a freezer-safe container.
Sculpted Pieces
Make your own shapes with your own cookie cutters. To do this, lightly spritz the sides of a cookie cutter with Misto, then fill it with ground chicken. Carefully transfer the filled cookie cutter to the bowl of bread crumbs, coating it gently before placing it on the baking sheet. Replacements
Sweet Potato: Two eggs can be substituted for the sweet potatoes.
Seasonings: We also enjoy using paprika, cayenne, mustard powder, and oregano.
Warming Up After Freezing
Set oven temperature to 400 degrees. Place the frozen nuggets in a single layer on a wire rack, and bake for 20 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked.