Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets
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Published Jan 10, 2020, Updated Sep 12, 2023
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These healthy baked chicken nuggets are coated in a crispy almond flour breading and baked instead of fried. And you only need 8 ingredients!
I have been a chicken nugget fan for as long as I can remember. I used to think they were the healthy option at fast food restaurants. While they probably are healthier than some options on the menu, they still weren’t that healthy! You went wild for my baked chicken tenders so I decided to create a healthy chicken nugget recipe that rivals Chick-Fil-A nuggets… I actually think mine are better, but you can be the judge.
How to Make the Perfect Baked Chicken Nuggets
I have a secret tip for you. Are you ready? Marinate the chicken breasts in pickle juice. Sounds so weird, right? But many believe that’s exactly what Chick-Fil-A does to really flavor their chicken and it makes sense!
So to make these nuggets, you’ll start by marinating them in pickle juice for 8-12 hours, or overnight. After marinating, discard the pickle juice and make your breading.
In a shallow bowl, mix the almond flour and spices. Crack and whisk the egg in a different shallow bowl. One at a time, take the chicken pieces and dredge them in the egg. Wipe excess egg off and then dip in the almond flour mixture – making sure the entire piece is coated.
Place nuggets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a wire rack that fits on a baking sheet. Using a wire rack will result in crispier nuggets! Cook until golden brown and completely cooked through.
Are Chicken Nuggets Healthy?
Most of the time I wouldn’t consider chicken nuggets to be a healthy food option, but these are! They are made with minimal ingredients and baked instead of fried! Here’s what you need for these healthy chicken nuggets:
- chicken breasts
- dill pickle juice
- beaten egg
- almond flour
- spices – garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper
Compared to McDonald’s chicken nuggets (which involve lots of oil, white flour and natural flavors), I’ll take my version any day.
What to Serve With Chicken Nuggets
First things first: SAUCE! You can’t have chicken nuggets without dipping sauce, right?! I love honey mustard sauce, vegan ranch, healthy BBQ sauce or my new fave: healthy Chick-Fil-A sauce.
Fries are an obvious choice to pair with nuggets! My sweet potato fries are fan favorites, but if you’re feeling creative, I highly recommend my turnip fries or jicama fries.
If you’re dealing with a picky eater, this is the perfect example of how healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring. Chicken nuggets and vegetable fries for dinner? Kids love this meal! You can also pair nuggets with protein-packed healthy mac and cheese or vegan mac and cheese.
Of course, if you want to go the extra healthy route you could pair the nuggets with a green veggie side like roasted brussels sprouts or green beans or serve the nuggets over a salad.
More Healthy Chicken Recipes to Try
- Cilantro Lime Chicken Burgers
- Slow Cookie Teriyaki Chicken
- Easy Grilled Chicken Breast
- Maple Turmeric Chicken
- Lemon Garlic Chicken Sheet Pan Meal
- Apple Cider Vinegar Chicken
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- Baked Caprese Chicken
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Baked Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb organic boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks/nuggets
- ½ cup dill pickle juice
- 1 egg
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Marinate chicken 8-12 hours in pickle juice.
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Place almond flour, paprika, garlic, sea salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Stir to combine.
- Crack egg into another shallow bowl and whisk.
- One by one, dredge each chicken nugget in the egg bowl, wiping off any excess and then dip each into the almond flour mixture. Roll until each nugget is covered completely. Place the coated nuggets on a baking pan lined with parchment paper or a wire rack that fits on a baking sheet. The wire rack will make for a crispier texture. Bake for 20-30 minutes, flipping the nuggets once at the 10 minute mark. When done the chicken nuggets should be golden brown, crisp and completely cooked through. Remove nuggets from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Flavor was amazing, whole family loved them even my 2 year old who normally won’t eat chicken nuggets. Here are a few tips for anyone reading the comments:
Don’t cut your nugget chunks too small, you’ll end up needing more “coating”halfway through.
They turn out crispier if you put them on parchment paper and not the rack. I tried both methods and the breading was softer on the rack.
I didn’t try this yet but next time I will not be flipping the chicken. Too much breading came off while flipping.
If anyone has tried these in an air fryer please comment on how it turned out and what settings you used.
Thanks for sharing, Angie!! So glad these chicken nuggets turned out for you. I appreciate you coming back to leave a comment + star rating!
How would you recommend reheating these? I want to meal prep them for the week.
Hey Brittney, You could reheat them in the oven/toaster oven or microwave, but I would do the oven/toaster oven!
My family loves chick-Fil-a, so I am looking forward to trying this recipe. Just to clarify however, is it sweet, dill or sour pickle juice that the chicken is to be marinated in?
Hey Heidi – I used dill pickle juice. I’ll make that note in the post!
Sooo good! I forgot to marinate in the pickle juice all day- so I chopped up my chicken and let marinate for about 30 minutes while I prepped everything else – worked great! We used a baking rack and did have issues with the bottom breading sticking so I will spray the rack with avocado oil next time. Definitely a keeper in our house though, the flavors and ease of the recipe were amazing!
So glad this recipe was a hit, Stefani. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I appreciate it!
Oh my god… these are frigging amazing!! Just came out of the oven and damned if they’re not the tastiest chicken nuggets I’ve ever had.
Did them just as instructed and marinated them for 8 hours in dill pickle juice. Cooked on parchment paper and unlike many, no issues with the almond flour staying on when I flipped them at the 10 minute mark. Another 13 minutes and they were done to perfection.
I going to have a hard time not eating the entire lot of them immediately after I submit this review. 😃
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Ryan!! I’m so glad these nuggets turned out for you. Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it!!
They came out super dry and tasted way to much pickle juice. Do not recommend.
Hey Jenna – I’m sorry to hear this recipe didn’t turn out for you. Did you change anything about the recipe?
I normally bake chicken strips at 350 for 12 minutes. I did these for 14 min at 425 and they came out about the same, I was worried about over dryness. GF all purpose flour didn’t make it crispy, but I love the flavor
I’ve tried lots of healthy chicken nugget recipes and the “breading” always falls off. After reading the comments and seeing other people were struggling with the breading falling off with this recipe, I decided not to turn them at the 10 minute mark. We had no problems. They were crispy and delicious. And we didn’t even have time to marinate in pickle juice! Also used your CFA sauce copy cat with avocado oil mayo instead of cashews and it was amazing! #guiltfreeCFA Thank you!
Thanks so much for sharing your tips, Brandi! I’m glad these chicken nuggets turned out for you. 🙂 And I’m glad you also enjoyed the CFA sauce!! Thanks for trying and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. It’s super helpful to other readers!
wonderful recipe
What type of pickle juice do you use?
Dil pickle juice!
Hi Brittany – these were really really tasty. I didn’t modify the recipe or instructions but the breading didn’t stay on the chicken very well. The bits that survived cooking fell off as soon as I dipped them into the sauce (which was delish!) The flavors were all excellent but I’d have preferred the breading remain. Any thoughts?