Looking for crispy, golden chicken nuggets but not up for deep frying? No problem! These oven baked pasture raised chicken nuggets are absolute perfection thanks to a little trick that involves pre-baking your panko crumbs and using plenty of olive oil spray to help things along. We used our new boneless drumsticks for this recipe, but it would work just as well with thighs or even breasts. Dark meat chicken is delicious and juicy thanks to it's healthy fat content, but did you know it also contains more zinc, iron, and B vitamins than it's white meat counterpart? Regardless of which cut of chicken you choose, I think we can all agree a dipping sauce is non-negotiable when it comes to nuggets! Sure you could go with ketchup, ranch, or BBQ, but I've been loving a tangy little Raising Cane's copycat sauce lately (if you're more into Chick-Fil-A sauce, try this recipe). Whip it up first and let it chill while you assemble the nuggets – it really benefits from some time in the fridge to let the flavors meld together. Let's get cooking!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. 1915 Farm Pasture Raised Boneless Drumsticks, (or Boneless Thighs, or Chicken Breast)
• 1 1/2 cups panko crumbs
• Olive oil spray (or avocado oil spray) – must be a spray!
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne (reduce to 1/8 or omit if serving to spice-sensitive kids)
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp milk

For the Sauce –

• 3/4 cup mayo
• 3 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire
• 1 Tbsp Franks Red Hot, optional
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp celery seed or celery salt
• Pinch of kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS

For the sauce, combine all ingredients and chill for at least an hour. Make up to 2-3 days in advance. 

For the chicken, preheat oven to 400°F. Remove from package and pat dry. If using boneless drumsticks or thighs, remove skin and reserve for stock or chicken chips. Cut chicken into 1-inch chunks and set aside. Add panko crumbs to a small sheet pan and spray liberally with olive oil spray and a pinch of salt. Bake for 5 minutes, toss crumbs, then bake for another 3-5 minutes or until light golden brown. Pour into a shallow bowl or baking dish.

To the bowl with the toasted crumbs, add the spices – salt, pepper, onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne, if using. Stir to combine. 

In another shallow bowl, add the eggs and milk then whisk to combine. Place a wire rack into a full sized sheet pan and spray the rack with olive oil (if you don't have a rack, spray pan and flip chicken nuggets over halfway through baking). 

Working a few pieces at a time, add chicken to egg wash, then into seasoned panko crumbs, pressing crumbs into every surface of the chicken until well coated. Place on wire rack fitted sheet pan. Once all chicken has been breaded, spray all the pieces liberally with olive spray – this is key to a crispy, golden result.

Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes (20-25 min if using breasts). Serve with dipping sauce and enjoy!

We hope you love this recipe! If you’d like to share your delicious dish on Instagram, don’t forget to tag us @1915_Farm

P.S. If you can't get enough of our pasture raised chicken – consider one of our new subscription boxes (ships free in TX, reduced in other states). Choose how often you would like your subscription box delivered, add extras when you want, and pause or cancel for free anytime. We'd love to have you join the Grassroots Meat Club! 

Chicken Nuggets recipe by Ambitious Kitchen
Sauce recipe by Key to My Lime