Healthy Baked Chicken Bites –

with BBQ Dipping Sauce

Chicken nuggets – the meal after every child’s heart? I think not! Do not reserve this meal for the children (who will love them), they will also be sought after by the adults. I can verify that they are a treat with a cold beer or vino.

I made this meal for fun, to see if I could re-create a fast food item and make it family friendly. What I discovered was a healthy family friendly meal as well as a fabulous finger food idea for entertaining.

I have included my recipe for BBQ dipping sauce. When I was scratching up recipe ideas in my note book it occurred to me that chicken nuggets on television always include a dipping sauce….

If you are a regular reader you will know that I have a (slight) obsession with home-made condiments. Today that is your bonus as it is a fab BBQ sauce that I will make again and use for other meals.

Recipe Chicken Nuggets

Prep time

40 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

1 hour

Healthy baked chicken bites. Chicken nuggets at our place are fresh and fabulous. Crispy golden nuggets dipped in home made BBQ sauce

Author: Kyrstie Barcak - A Fresh Legacy

Recipe type: Main; Appetizer

Cuisine: Family Food

Serves: 20

Ingredients

Baked Chicken Nuggets
1 teaspoon oil
1cm cube of fresh ginger - grated
2 cloves garlic - chopped finely
1 small shallot - chopped finely
2 teaspoons fresh tarragon
generous pinch of salt
400 grams chicken mince
small carrot - peeled and grated
Crumbs
4 bread ends - processed to a crumb
½ cup of plain flour
1 egg - whisked
BBQ Dipping Sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 lemon - zest and juice
1 cm of ginger - grated
2 cloves garlic - chopped
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary
⅓ cup tomato sauce
½ teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin

Instructions

Assemble Chicken Nuggets
To a warmed pan add the oil, ginger, garlic, shallot, tarragon and pinch of salt and stir for a few minutes until fragrant
To a mixing bowl add the mince, carrot, and warmed ginger, garlic etc. Mix to combine
Use a spoon to scoop a small amount out of the bowl and mold it into a small log shape. Continue until all the mince is used.
On a plate put the bread crumbs on one half and the flour on the other
Add the whisked egg to a bowl
Use a fork to dip each chicken nugget first the flour then the egg (turning to coat) and finally toll in the crumbs and set aside
Repeat until all nuggets are crumbed
Place in the fridge for 30 minutes
BBQ Dipping Sauce
Add all ingredients for the sauce to a saucepan, stir then over a low heat then allow it to simmer for approximately 3 minutes
Remove from heat and set aside in a dish for serving
Cook Chicken Nuggets
Heat oven to 180 degrees
Drizzle a baking tray with a small amount of oil and place the nuggets onto the tray
Bake for 10 minutes, turn each one and continue to bake for another 10 minutes until cooked through (20 minutes in total)
Serve with your choice of sides. We enjoyed corn, baked kale chips and honey baked eggplant.

Notes

To mold the nuggets wet your hands a little to prevent the mince sticking, or use gloves.
Cook time is based on the nuggets being made to the size described. If they are made larger they will take longer to cook through
If you do not wish to make your own bread crumbs as per the recipe - use purchased ones and approximately ½ cup.

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What “fast foods” have you re-invented?

I am happy to add these golden nuggets to our family menu and to my collection of entertaining/finger food ideas.

One of these days very soon I will write a new newsletter, it has been a long time coming…..If you have not yet signed up for Fresh Updates do so now – via the box in the right hand column of the page and you will get a copy in your inbox one day soon (hopefully!).

Have a wonderful Australia Day long weekend.