Crispy Healthy Chicken Nuggets (Print Version)

Moist nuggets finished with a crunchy coating. They're baked, not fried, so snack or share without guilt.

# Ingredients:

→ Chicken

01 - 450 g skinless chicken breast, no bones

→ Buttermilk Brine

02 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
03 - 0.25 teaspoon ground black pepper
04 - 0.5 teaspoon paprika
05 - 120 ml buttermilk
06 - 0.5 teaspoon fine salt

→ Chicken Coating

07 - 45 g plain flour
08 - 1 large egg

→ Breadcrumb Mixture

09 - 0.5 teaspoon dried thyme
10 - 2 tablespoons neutral oil
11 - 60 g regular breadcrumbs
12 - 60 g panko breadcrumbs
13 - 0.25 teaspoon cayenne pepper
14 - 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 0.25 teaspoon fine salt
16 - 0.5 teaspoon onion powder
17 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
18 - 0.5 teaspoon paprika

# Steps:

01 - Give the hot chicken nuggets a shake of Old Bay on top before eating, if you want.
02 - Move the chicken in on the rack and bake for about 12 minutes. You want the coating crispy and the inside to hit 74°C.
03 - Lay the crumbed chicken on your rack, leave a little gap between each one so they're not squished.
04 - Pour the seasoned breadcrumbs on a big tray. Take each chicken piece, use a fork to roll it in the crumbs, and make sure every bit gets covered.
05 - Let the chicken get up to room temp out of the fridge. Crack the egg, toss in the flour, then stir it into your soaked chicken till it's all stuck together.
06 - Kick your oven up to 190°C. Grab a baking sheet and pop a wire rack on top.
07 - Toss the cooled-off breadcrumbs together with oregano, thyme, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, salt, and garlic powder. Keep 'em handy.
08 - Pour oil into a frying pan set on medium. Throw in both types of breadcrumbs. Keep moving them till they're golden. Pull them off and let them cool down a bit.
09 - Stir up buttermilk, mustard, paprika, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Tip in your chicken bites, make sure they're all coated, cover up, and chill for at least an hour—overnight is cool too.
10 - Cut your chicken breast into small, even bits. That way, everything cooks just right.

# Notes:

01 - Letting chicken chill in the marinade for a few hours makes it way softer and tastier.
02 - Frying breadcrumbs in oil before using gives more crunch and flavor.
03 - For a fresh twist, use parsley or Italian blend instead of dried thyme.

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