Baked Chicken Nuggets with a Crispy Tapioca Crust
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My baked chicken nuggets use tender chicken breast and get a crackly, golden crust from one dip in egg and a roll in tapioca starch, with no breadcrumbs or flour station. I keep a bag of them raw in the freezer and bake them straight from frozen whenever only chicken nuggets will do.
I first made these baked chicken nuggets for my daughter, and the coating is why they became a regular for the whole family. Each piece gets one dip in beaten egg and one roll in seasoned tapioca starch. The starch clings to the egg in a thin, even layer, and a hot oven turns it into a crackly golden shell that holds onto the chicken.
In my kitchen testing, tapioca crisped up more than the alternatives, though cornstarch, potato starch, or all-purpose flour will still work. I cut the chicken breast into pieces about 2 inches wide, so they stay juicy while the crust crisps and turns golden.
I almost always keep a bag of raw, coated nuggets in the freezer. They bake straight from frozen with about 15 extra minutes, which makes them my answer to the freezer aisle on busy nights. For a smaller, snackier version, my crispy chicken bites use thighs and a dry-tossed starch coating.
How to freeze these chicken nuggets
I usually make a double batch, bake half, and freeze the rest. Freezing them raw means they bake up as crisp as the first tray.
- Coat the chicken as the recipe directs, but don’t bake it.
- Spread the coated pieces on the parchment-lined baking sheet so they aren’t touching, then put the baking sheet in the freezer.
- Once the nuggets are frozen solid, transfer them to a resealable freezer bag.
- To cook them, spread them back on a lined sheet, spray with oil, and bake at 425°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until cooked through. No need to thaw them first.
Cooked nuggets freeze well too. Cool them completely, freeze them in a single layer, then reheat them on a baking sheet until they’re hot through and the coating crisps back up.
What to serve with chicken nuggets
A pound of chicken split four ways makes a light plate on its own, so I build the meal around something starchy and add vegetables to the same pan as the nuggets. Four cheese mac and cheese is the one my daughter asks for, and it comes together on the stovetop while the nuggets bake. Roasted potatoes or oven fries work just as well and can share the oven.
For vegetables, toss broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, or bell pepper strips with a little oil and salt and spread them on the tray beside the nuggets. They roast in about the same time, and dinner comes off one pan.
Then there’s the dipping sauce, which is half the reason anyone eats a nugget. My family loves ketchup, honey mustard, ranch, or chipotle mayo.
Baked Chicken Nuggets with a Crispy Tapioca Crust
Ingredients
- ½ cup tapioca starch (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons EACH: garlic powder and onion powder
- ½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 lb chicken breasts (cut into 2-inch pieces)
- Spray olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray or drizzle it with a little oil. Whisk together the tapioca starch, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk the egg in another medium-sized bowl.½ cup tapioca starch, 2 teaspoons EACH: garlic powder and onion powder, ½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper, 1 large egg
- Drop all the chicken pieces into the bowl with the egg. One at a time, take each piece out and drop it into the bowl with the tapioca starch, making sure it is fully coated before placing it on the baking sheet. Tip: Keep one hand to take the chicken out of the egg and the other to coat it in the starch.1 lb chicken breasts
- Spray the nuggets with a little oil, then bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and cooked through (165 degrees Fahrenheit).Spray olive oil
Notes
Nutrition
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This is my favourite chicken recipe! The only changes I made were to cut my chicken breasts into large strips and soak them in pickle brine for a bit. I spritz with avocado oil and cook in the air fryer. They freeze beautifully and are so simple to make! I can make and freeze 2kg of strips in 20 minutes. That’s a huge win for me, especially given how tasty they are. Thank you for such a great recipe.
I’m so happy you love the recipe!
Love this recipe 👍❤️
What size pieces should I cut the nuggets?
We make them 1-2 bite sized – about 2 inches.
Thanks for the recipe! Made them today and they were so good and easy to make
So good!! These were super easy to make, and so satisfying. Also my cat tried to steal them so you know they were good. I didn’t have any tapioca flour so used a combo or arrowroot and coconut flour. It worked well.
Is the green stuff on top just parsley? Do you put it on before baking or afterwards? Thanks! I’m making these for dinner tonight.
That’s right. Just for a little color in the pictures. 🙂
Hi! I’m excited to try these for my kids homeschool lunches but want to cook them fresh each time I make them. How long do you bake them when they are cooking from raw frozen?
Thanks!
I usually add about 10 minutes to the time when cooking them from frozen. 🙂
How do you think these would turn out to freeze then cook in the air fryer?
I’m so excited to try them!
Yes! We often keep some in the freezer. While I bake mine from frozen, I have no doubt that an air fryer would work just as well – maybe even better!
Greetings from the Netherlands. Thank you for the endless inspiring recipes – you’re all over my meal plan lately :). For how long would you suggest cooking these in the air fryer – not frozen?
I’m so happy to hear you’re finding lots of recipes you like here! While we haven’t tested this recipe in an air fryer, based on other air fryer chicken nugget recipes they should cook in 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees. I hope that helps!
Thanks for the recipe!! I will try it out cause it looks delicious. My boyfriend also loves chicken nuggets -and I can make them for him!:)
I tried this and it was amazing, I have been looking for a lighter version of of chicken nuggets for my grand kids.
I added dried oregano and paprika, also I used almond flour instead of tapioca flour. I have used some of your recipes in the past loved them. Keep at it you are good.
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit!
I love this recipe… I’ll try it as soon as I can.
Ciao dall’Italia!
These look amazing……I bet you could do them up and freeze them in a bag for the kids to take out and re-heat. I love your version.