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All of the flavor of a classic chicken Parm in little, baked nuggets! Serve these Parmesan Chicken Bites with a side of marinara sauce for dipping, and watch your family smile. The Italian chicken nuggets are tender and juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and delicious alongside salad, garlic bread, or spaghetti. An easy dinner recipe for busy nights!
Italian-Style Baked Chicken Nuggets
These Italian-inspired baked chicken bites are really just homemade chicken nuggets jazzed up with Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese. They’re crispy, flavorful, and perfect with a side of marinara for dipping! In fact, they include all of the same ingredients that you’ll find in a classic Chicken Parmesan recipe — without all of the effort. There’s no need to pound the chicken into cutlets, and you don’t have to spend time pan-frying the meat in batches.
While I sometimes fry chicken tenders or chicken nuggets at home for a special treat, these oven baked chicken bites are definitely much healthier and easier for weeknight meals (and they’re actually kid-approved)! I’ll show you how to make the simple lunch or dinner at home with just a handful of basic ingredients.
Are chicken nuggets made of real chicken?
When you make a chicken nuggets recipe at home, you can control all of the ingredients that go into your dish. While nuggets from a fast food restaurant may contain more fat and filler than actual meat, these easy homemade chicken nuggets are made with 100% boneless, skinless white meat chicken.
You can use 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 1 lb. of chicken tenderloins (the tender muscle located underneath each of the chicken breasts). Either way, you’ll need to dice the chicken into smaller bite-size 1-inch cubes.
Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for Parmesan chicken bites. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Italian-style seasoned breadcrumbs: to coat the chicken.
- Parmesan cheese: for extra flavor in the breading. Freshly-grated cheese is best when available, but even the canned stuff will work in a pinch!
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper: to enhance the other flavors in the dish.
- Onion powder: for even more flavor.
- Olive oil: added to the breadcrumb mixture, the oil helps the outside of the chicken turn especially golden brown and crispy in the oven.
- All-purpose flour: for dredging the chicken; helps the egg adhere to the meat.
- Egg: coats the chicken and helps the breading adhere.
- Chicken: dice boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins into pieces with a sharp knife or kitchen shears. Chicken thighs will also work if you prefer the dark meat.
How to Make Chicken Bites
Baked instead of fried, these Parmesan chicken bites are crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, and so incredibly flavorful! They have all of the texture and taste that you crave from classic fried chicken nuggets — but without an oily mess on the stovetop and without too much prep. The oven baked breaded chicken bites are quick, easy, and incredibly family-friendly!
- In a shallow bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and seasoning. Drizzle with olive oil and use a fork to incorporate the oil into the breading.
- Place the flour in a separate dish, and the beaten egg in a third shallow dish.
- Dredge the chicken pieces in flour, shaking off any excess flour.
- Dip the chicken in the egg to coat, again shaking off any excess.
- Finally, dredge the chicken bites in the bread crumb mixture.
- Arrange the breaded chicken bites on an ungreased baking sheet.
- Bake in a 375°F oven until they’re crispy on the outside and cooked through on the inside, about 15 minutes. The meat is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Serve the chicken bites with a side of warm marinara sauce for dipping.
What to Serve with Parmesan Chicken Bites
Baked chicken nuggets go well with a variety of sides — from pasta and bread to salad and veggies. Here are some easy options:
- Mashed Red Potatoes, 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, or Garlic and Parmesan Cauliflower Mash
- Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce or Pasta with Pesto Sauce
- Rice Pilaf or Charleston Red Rice
- Potato Pancakes
- Roasted Cabbage, Fried Cabbage with Apples and Onions, or Braised Red Cabbage
- Sauteed Zucchini
- Sauteed Asparagus with Lemon, Garlic, and Almonds or Oven Roasted Asparagus
- Homemade Crescent Rolls or Soft Dinner Rolls
- Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Southern Buttermilk Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits or Drop Biscuits
- Skillet Cornbread, Honey Cornbread, Old-Fashioned Corn Sticks, Sweet Cornbread Muffins, or Corn Muffins
- Cheddar Chive Beer Bread {No Knead, No Yeast!} or Honey Beer Bread
- Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
- Dutch Oven No-Knead Bread or Easy Baguette
- Cranberry Orange Sauce
- Cranberry Muffins or Mom’s Cranberry Orange Bread
- Wedge Salad, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, Classic Caesar Salad, House Salad with Candied Pecans, or a Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
- Homemade Applesauce
- Mac and Cheese or Shells and Cheese
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
- Coleslaw or Vinegar Coleslaw
- Southern Collard Greens
- Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon, Southern-Style Green Beans or Roasted Green Beans
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Fried Apples
- Southern Succotash
- Creamed Peas
Make Ahead
You can bread the chicken and keep the bites wrapped tightly in the fridge for up to 1 day. I do not recommend freezing the breaded chicken before baking.
Storage
These parmesan chicken bites are best when served warm, immediately from the oven. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, but the chicken will get soggy as it sits. You can also freeze the baked chicken in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Recipe Variations
- I use these Italian-style seasoned breadcrumbs, but you can substitute with plain breadcrumbs or panko bread crumbs. If using plain breadcrumbs, I recommend seasoning with some herbs, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and extra onion powder (or just use Italian seasoning) to add some flavor to the coating.
- Cooking just for two? Cut all of the ingredients in half and prepare about ½ lb. of chicken.
- For a larger family, double all of the ingredients and bake the chicken on two separate trays.
- Season the chicken by adding herbs to the breading, such as parsley, basil, thyme, or oregano.
- Air fryer: instead of baking these bites in the oven, you can cook them in the air fryer. To do so, preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 8 minutes. Add the chicken (working in batches, if necessary, so that you don’t overcrowd the basket). Cook the chicken bites at 400°F for about 7-8 minutes, or until crispy and the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Tips for the Best Chicken Bites Recipe
- If available, use freshly-grated Parmesan cheese for the best flavor and texture. In a pinch, a can of pre-grated Parmesan will work fine!
- Shake off excess flour, egg, and breading to prevent the chicken from getting soggy instead of crispy.
- The oil in the breading is a key to these extra crispy oven fried chicken bites since the fat helps the breading turn brown and crunchy in the oven. Don’t skip the oil, or the end result won’t be nearly as good.
- Season the warm chicken nuggets with additional salt and pepper, if desired, as soon as they come out of the oven.
More Chicken Recipes to Try
- Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Tenders
- Potato Chip Chicken Strips
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken {Chicken Milanese}
- Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Oven Fried Chicken Breast
- Goldfish Chicken Nuggets
- Ranch Oven Fried Chicken
- Cornflake Chicken
Baked Parmesan Chicken Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry Italian-style seasoned breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 lb. chicken breast or chicken tenderloins, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Marinara sauce, for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a shallow dish, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt, onion powder, and pepper. Add the olive oil and use a fork to work the olive oil into the breadcrumb mixture until it’s completely incorporated.
- Pour flour into a separate shallow dish.
- Place eggs in a third shallow dish.
- Dredge the chicken pieces in flour and turn to coat. Shake off any excess flour. Then dip the chicken in the egg, shaking off any excess egg before finally rolling and coating the chicken bites in the breadcrumb mixture.
- Arrange the breaded chicken bites in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet.
- Bake until the chicken is crisp and golden brown on the outside, and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 15 minutes.
- Serve chicken bites with warm marinara sauce for dipping.
Notes
- I use these Italian-style seasoned breadcrumbs, but you can substitute with plain breadcrumbs or panko bread crumbs. If using plain breadcrumbs, I recommend seasoning with some herbs, garlic powder, and onion powder (or just use Italian seasoning) to add some flavor to the coating.
- Cooking just for two? Cut all of the ingredients in half and prepare about ½ lb. of chicken.
- For a larger family, double all of the ingredients and bake the chicken on two separate trays.
- Season the chicken by adding herbs to the breading, such as parsley, basil, thyme, or oregano.
- Air fryer: instead of baking these bites in the oven, you can cook them in the air fryer. To do so, preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 8 minutes. Add the chicken (working in batches, if necessary, so that you don’t overcrowd the basket). Cook the chicken bites at 400°F for about 7-8 minutes, or until crispy and the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- If available, use freshly-grated Parmesan cheese for the best flavor and texture. In a pinch, a can of pre-grated Parmesan will work fine!
- Shake off excess flour, egg, and breading to prevent the chicken from getting soggy instead of crispy.
- The oil in the breading is a key to these extra crispy oven fried chicken bites since the fat helps the breading turn brown and crunchy in the oven. Don’t skip the oil, or the end result won’t be nearly as good.
- Season the warm chicken nuggets with additional salt and pepper, if desired, as soon as they come out of the oven.
- The nutrition information provided is merely an estimate, and includes all of the breading and egg. If you don’t use all of the ingredients to coat your chicken, the nutrition facts will vary.
Do you turn the nuggets half way? Thx.
Hi, Renee! You don’t have to, but you certainly can. I’ve tried it both ways, and I don’t notice a big difference when flipping them. In fact, I usually don’t flip, because I like how the bottom gets extra crisp, while the top stays nice and dry. That way nothing’s soggy! Totally up to you, though.
I followed everything exactly just swapped out for GF panko and added Italian seasoning (1tsp plus a generous dusting) then dipped in pizza sauce since it’s all we had. These were so good. Crispy, flavorful, savory…everything I love about Parmesan chicken in small bites. My kids (3 and 6) don’t pull punches when it comes to critiquing new recipes but they both devoured these and then asked for seconds and thirds.
We’re so happy to hear this! Thank you for trying this recipe.