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Crispy Baked Chicken Nuggets🍗

Crispy Baked Chicken Nuggets

Real chicken breast pieces in a crunchy golden coat of breadcrumbs and parmesan, baked instead of fried. Crispy hot, still delicious cold in the lunchbox.

⏱️
Time
33 min
🍽️
Portions
4
⭐
Difficulty
★ Easy
👶
Ages
🍼 🧸 🎒
🍼 1–2 years🧸 2–3 years🎒 3–5 years
🍬 No added sugar✋ Finger food🧊 Freezer-friendly📦 Make ahead🎒 Lunchbox😤 Picky eaters
✅ Checked against AAP · CDC · FDAChoking, salt, sugar, allergens and safe cooking reviewed

🥗 Nutrients per child portion

Estimated — % of what a 1–3 year old needs in a day

🔓 See the nutrients with Premium
📚 Official guidance we checked it against (10)

Last checked 2026-10-17. Estimates, not medical advice.

⚠️ Safety tip: This recipe uses low-sodium (no-salt-added) breadcrumbs and only a small amount of parmesan, with no added salt, so sodium stays well under guidelines when served in appropriate toddler portions — about 1/6 to 1/8 of the whole bake, not a full adult quarter portion. Cut into smaller pieces (no larger than ½ inch/1.5 cm) for toddlers, and always use a food thermometer to confirm 165°F/74°C in the thickest nugget before serving — colour alone is not a reliable way to check chicken is cooked.

Contains: Milk · Egg · Wheat

🌱 How it helps them grow

The chicken in these nuggets provides protein, which supports your child's growth. Picking up the nuggets and dipping them into yogurt gives little ones a chance to practise self-feeding and chewing, and the crunchy breadcrumb coating is a fun new texture to explore.

🤓 Did you know?

Chicken nuggets were invented in the 1950s by a food scientist who never patented his idea, so families everywhere could enjoy them, whether home-baked or from a restaurant.

Tell your little one at the table 🍽️

👶 How to serve it by age

🍼 1–2 years

Using low-sodium breadcrumbs and just a little parmesan, with no added salt, keeps sodium well under guidelines — but still offer only a small portion, about 1/8 of the bake (roughly 2–3 small nuggets), not a full adult quarter. Cut nuggets into small bite-size strips no larger than ½ inch (1.5 cm), and use a food thermometer to confirm 165°F/74°C in the thickest nugget before serving.

🧸 2–3 years

Still no added salt, and the low-sodium breadcrumbs plus modest parmesan keep sodium low. Offer about 1/6 of the bake rather than a full adult quarter portion. Cut each nugget in half and let it cool so it's warm, not hot, for little hands.

🎒 3–5 years

Serve with a side of soft-cooked veggies or very thin matchstick veg (not raw hard sticks like whole carrot sticks) and a dip for easy independent eating. Keep nuggets at or under ½ inch (1.5 cm) pieces — don't let 'serve on their own' turn into larger, uncut pieces.

🛒 Ingredients

Tap each one when you have it ready ✓

👩‍🍳 Step by step

  1. Heat the oven1
    Step 1 of 6

    Heat the oven

    Heat the oven to 210 degC (410 degF) and line a baking tray with baking paper.

    ✅ Done when: oven display or indicator light shows it has reached 210 degC (410 degF)

  2. Toast the crumbs2
    Step 2 of 6⏱️ 4 min

    Toast the crumbs

    In a dry pan, stir the breadcrumbs with the olive oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until golden. Tip into a bowl and mix in the parmesan, paprika and garlic powder.

    • 100 g /breadcrumbs
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 18 g parmesan
    • 1 tsp paprika
    • ½ tsp garlic powder

    ✅ Done when: crumbs are golden and smell toasted

  3. Step 3 of 6

    3.Set up three bowls

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  4. Step 4 of 6

    4.Coat the chicken

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  5. Step 5 of 6

    5.Bake

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  6. Step 6 of 6

    6.Pack

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🩺 Foodie Mini follows WHO, AAP and NHS guidance for children aged 1–5. It doesn't replace your paediatrician: check allergies and textures with them.