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These healthy chicken nuggets prove you don’t need a deep fryer to make something crispy, juicy, and totally delicious. Made with real ingredients and a good dose of veggies, they’re the kind of meal that makes both kids and parents happy.
As a pediatric dietitian and mom, I’ve seen firsthand that kids eat best when food feels fun, familiar, and flavorful. That’s exactly what these baked chicken nuggets deliver. They’re baked, not fried, so you still get that crispy texture.
The blended vegetables keep the nuggets tender and juicy, while adding a little extra fiber, color, and nutrition to every bite. And because they reheat beautifully, you can make a big batch and have quick, healthy protein ready for school lunches or busy weeknights.
You’ll also love these baked veggie nuggets too!
What others are saying:
“I can’t believe it’s so easy to make delicious and healthy chicken nuggets at home without the all preservatives/processed meats! I made these for baby but ended up eating a lot of them myself because they are that good. 🙂 Easy to freeze and reheat for meal prep too. Highly recommend!” – Amy
“Huge hit with my 6 and 3 year olds! Finished in 2 days! Next time have to double the recipe! Thank you!” – Samantha
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Ground chicken – much easier to work with than chicken breast or thigh. It also makes the nuggets easier for babies and toddlers to chew. You can also use ground turkey, if preferred.
- Carrots – adds a touch of natural sweetness.
- Cauliflower – adds great texture and helps stretch a pound of chicken. You will be able to get at least 30 nuggets out of the mixture! It also blends in really well with chicken.
- Bread crumbs – you can use regular or panko bread crumbs depending on how crispy you want the nuggets to be. I like to use whole wheat regular breadcrumbs for babies.
- Seasonings – I like to use Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Feel free to experiment with your favorites. Here are some great herbs and spices for babies and toddlers.
- Parmesan cheese (optional) – use grated parmesan rather than shredded. It blends better into the mixture.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Add cauliflower and carrots to a food processor and process until finely chopped.
Step 2: In a large bowl, add all the ingredients. Mix until combined. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the mixture and using your hands, form into balls.
Step 3: Add breadcrumbs to a large raised plate or bowl. Roll in breadcrumbs. Flatten slightly into a nugget shape. Dino nuggets are super fun for the kids too.
Step 4: Place on a parchment paper lined baking tray. Spray the top with oil spray to make the nuggets crispier (optional). Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Expert Tips
- Feel free to swap with whatever vegetables you’d like. Broccoli, sweet potatoes, spinach, zucchini, all will work!
- You can add some grated cheese for extra flavor, like parmesan or cheddar cheese.
- If you desire crunchier nuggets, then use panko breadcrumbs. Note that pre-baking panko before coating will help achieve a nice golden color for your nuggets. Personally, I can do without the extra step and my kids never seem to mind.
- Flip halfway to ensure both sides are cooked evenly.
Serving Suggestions
These healthy chicken nuggets are delicious on their own. But since most kids love to dip, you can serve with their favorite condiment, like ketchup, ranch dressing, healthy BBQ sauce, etc.
If you want to boost nutrition, try some of these veggie-loaded dips!
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Chicken Nuggets for babies and toddlers
To achieve a soft, moist texture, skip the breadcrumbs or use regular breadcrumbs instead of panko for a less crispy exterior.
For 6-8 month olds, you can offer the whole nugget to gnaw on and suck the juices. Once they are able to break off a large chunk, cut in half width-wise so it’s thin, or into bite-sized pieces.
Related: Healthy finger foods for babies
As for toddlers, this stage is all about independence and wanting to make choices so let’s give it to them. Serve the chicken nuggets along with fruits, veggies, or any of these finger foods.
And don’t forget to continue offering foods your toddler doesn’t like (yet!). Currently, my toddler has been refusing carrots (which she loved just a week ago), so I included a small piece for exposure.
This may seem silly, BUT it’s presence is powerful! Even though your child may not eat it today, the more they see the food in question, the more they will fell safe around it. And one day, they will surprise you!
Is your toddler becoming picky?
Arm yourself with these strategies that will transform your mealtimes!
Storage
Transfer homemade nuggets to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To freeze, I recommend flash freezing. This is how I like to freeze muffins too. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fast food or store-bought nuggets are not recommended until after one year of age because they are highly processed and contains a lot of sodium and other additives.
They are also a choking hazard as they tend to be rubbery in texture.
Instead, here are some easy and safe ways to serve chicken to your baby along with recipes.
These homemade chicken nuggets are suitable for babies because they’re made with simple, nutritious ingredients. They are also juicy and tender. Refer to the serving suggestions above.
To maintain their crispy texture, reheat chicken nuggets in the oven or air fryer at 350-375°F for 5-10 minutes, until heated through and crispy.
You can also microwave at 30-second intervals until heated through. Note that the nuggets will be soft, which is a good thing if serving to babies.
More Chicken Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating below and let me know how you liked the recipe! Your feedback means so much to me!
Healthy chicken nuggets with veggies
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium carrot (80g, weighed after peeled)
- 2 cups cauliflower (200g)
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2/3 cup breadcrumbs (80g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Add cauliflower and carrots to a food processor and process until finely chopped.
- In a large bowl, add all the ingredients, minus the breadcrumbs. Mix until combined. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the mixture and using your hands, form into balls.
- Add breadcrumbs to a large raised plate or bowl. Roll in breadcrumbs. Flatten slightly into a nugget shape.
- Place on a parchment paper lined baking tray. Spray the top with oil spray to make the nuggets crispier (optional).
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Absolute favourite for baby & the rest of the family! We like adding grated parmesan inside instead of garlic powder. They freeze nicely before cooking, and take 20 minutes in air fryer on 180°C with a flip midway, without thawing beforehand. I just make a huge batch and stuff my freezer for a dinnertime SOS. Curious to try with other boneless chicken parts, too.
I made these today and omg my kids loved them and so did I.
Absolutely love your recipes.
Will definitely be saving this to make again.
My baby loved these! He can eat more seasoned food, so I did use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
I don’t have cauliflower, can I use broccoli instead?
Very tasty and my year old grandson loves them. I did cook the carrots,cauliflower and yam first. Cooled and added the chicken and rolled them in bread crumbs and baked . I am sure much easier if I didn’t cook veggies first. But very good.
I can’t believe it’s so easy to make delicious and healthy chicken nuggets at home without the all preservatives/processed meats! I made these for baby but ended up eating a lot of them myself because they are that good. 🙂 Easy to freeze and reheat for meal prep too. Highly recommend!
I always make these for my baby + toddler and honestly for ME too haha I love eating them. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
I have little cute 17m old twin boys and I love all your recipes so far. This one is awesome and I have so many extra I can freeze. I give everything to them healthy and you help me do it 100%
Yay!!! Thanks for takin the time to share!
I tried making these twice but why does it always turn out to be not crispy? I have drizzled oil on top of the nugget. What could have gone wrong?
Definitely needs more seasoning for my liking, but it was fun to make!! I only had frozen riced cauliflower so I pan fried it first and it really brought out the flavor!