Tasty baked Quinoa Chicken Nuggets with a delicious crispy quinoa coating – so easy and healthy!
Quinoa is all the rage. How do you feel about it? I tend to gravitate away from “trendy” things but I’m on board with this one. I love it because it’s so versatile. I’ve used it in salads, in place of rice with Asian-style dishes, in 30-minute skillets and now as a chicken nugget coating.
So. Good.
These chicken nuggets are really good, they’re a bit unconventional so I wasn’t sure how my husband would feel but he actually loved them as much as I did. They’re baked after being coated with cooked quinoa instead of breadcrumbs which gives them a healthy protein-packed makeover. They’re so yummy I’m not sure I ever want to have the traditional breadcrumb chicken nuggets again!
What people are saying about these Quinoa Chicken Nuggets
“Love this recipe! My almost 2 year old will eat this and it’s a favorite of my husband’s as well…go figure. I am beyond excited to add this to my rotation of meals to keep my family healthy and full! Thank you!” – Athena
“These are delicious! Crunchy exterior, flaky interior – the best way to have a chicken nugget. One suggestion: cover your cookie sheet with foil and then spray it. Took me a little while to scrub off the baked-on quinoa.” – Janet
Quinoa Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
- 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts - cut into 2-inch pieces
- ⅔ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 eggs
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a baking sheet. In a small bowl whisk flour, salt, and pepper. In a second bowl whisk eggs and water. Place quinoa in a third bowl.
- Dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture, then eggs, and lastly in the quinoa being sure to coat well. Place on prepared baking sheet.
- Spray chicken nuggets generously with cooking spray (this helps the nuggets to get crispy but can be skipped if you prefer) and bake for 15-20 minutes until nuggets are cooked through and browned. Serve with your favorite dipping sauces such as bbq sauce, ketchup, sweet and sour sauce, etc.
This is such a delicious idea.. never tried a quinoa coated nugget before! They are surprisingly healthy too.. definitely a recipe I need tom make!
What a creative way to make chicken nuggets! Love the addition of quinoa!
I feel like so many of your recipes make me yell “WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT?!” (inside, of course. I don’t want the neighbors to think I’m nuts). These look healthy AND so deliciously crispy. I must make them ASAP.
I was so excited to try these! They tasted great but unfortunately I couldn’t get the quinoa coating to stick…. i might not have used enough egg or something? Or coated them too heavily? Anyway, yours looked loads better, but the taste was still there, even if I had to eat them with a fork!
This looks amazing! I am always looking for new ways to use quinoa.
They are soooo good and EASY! Definitely a fun way to mix up your quinoa routine. 🙂