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.
Can the chicken nuggets be frozen without baking if you want to make ahead?
Yep, you can freeze them in an airtight container, then place on a greased baking sheet at cook as directed – they may require a little extra baking time if you don’t thaw them first!
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!
yay!!!! Ah, you gotta love a recipe that pleases the kiddos AND impresses the husband – WINNER!!!
Can you make this without the flour so that they’re gluten free?
Hi Cary, I think you could definitely do that. They won’t have quite the same texture but they would probably still be delicious!
do you cook the quinoa before adding them to the chicken or do you add them dry?
They are cooked first 🙂
Could you make these into bigger patties for chicken sandwiches? Or use this “breaking” with ground chicken?
You could use this method to make chicken patties – that would be yummy!