Healthy Chicken Nuggets

 

Pub grub brought to your table! Now we’re talking… I mean, who doesn’t appreciate a chicken schnitty from time to time, and what kiddos don’t love chicken nuggets?! Or fish fingers for that matter - if seafood is more of a popular menu option then use the same crumbing ingredients and technique as below, just crumb wild-caught flathead, sliced into bite-size pieces, which you can buy from any supermarket like Coles/Woolies!), instead of chicken.

When you get a good homemade chicken nuggets, schnitzel (or fish fingers) recipe, save it somewhere. This recipe will make you think you’re sitting at your favourite pub or restaurant. And it’s MUCH better than the typical store-bought or frozen ones, which often have over TWELVE preservatives in the ingredients list, including added colours and flavours!

Now, there’s two ways to cook chicken nuggets/schnitzel in this recipe- in the oven or in the frying pan. The oven is easier and mess-free, which is always a plus. Or the more traditional way, which is in the frying pan, gives you a more typical schnitzel flavour, like you’d get at the pub. We use olive oil, which is one of the best oils to cook with because it’s full of healthy fats and vitamins, and has a high smoke point.

This is a popular recipe from my Eat. Move. Live. eBook and eCourse.

Serves 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 500 grams chicken thighs, sliced into large bite sized pieces

  • 1/2 cup spelt flour (or flour of your choice such as white flour, wholemeal flour or gluten-free flour)

  • 2 eggs, whisked

  • 6 slices sourdough bread (or bread of your choice such as white bread, wholemeal bread or gluten-free bread)

  • 2 tablespoons seeds of your choice (such as sesame seeds or sunflower seeds)

  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

  • 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary, finely chopped

  • Optional - 1/2 cup olive oil (for those who prefer to cook it in the frying pan)

Note: If you’d prefer to make chicken schnitzels, instead of thighs use chicken breasts and be sure to slice them thinly, horizontally. You should get three long slices per chicken breast.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

2. Make breadcrumbs by removing the crust and breaking the bread into smaller pieces and putting it into a high powered blend. Blitz the bread for 20-30 seconds, until you have fine breadcrumbs.

3. Prepare the assembly line for crumbing the chicken. Line up three bowls and add the flour to one bowl, add the egg to one bowl and add the breadcrumbs, seeds, salt and herbs to a bowl.

4. Roll the chicken in flour then immediately dip into the egg bowl. Allow excess egg to drip off, then gently roll the chicken in breadcrumbs (if necessary, use your fingers to press the breadcrumbs onto the chicken) and set aside.

5. Repeat the process with all chicken pieces then place them onto a baking tray that’s lined with baking paper.

6. Place the tray into the oven and allow it to cook for approximately 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

OR

If you prefer a more traditional chicken schnitzel taste and crunch factor, then you can always cook them in the pan rather than oven baked. At this step, instead of turning on the oven, put the oil in a medium size frying pan and put on medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken, ensuring the frying pan isn’t overcrowded. Turn the chicken after 2-3 minutes, and cook the other side for a further 2-3 minutes, until golden on both sides and cooked through. Take off the heat and continue with the remaining chicken. Serve hot.

 
Olivia McFadyen