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One of the biggest struggle I hear from the Café Delites community is How do I hit my protein target without eating boring, dry food?
We all want to keep it low fat and macro friendly, but let’s be honest…nobody wants to sacrifice flavor (except for my video producer who eats plain tuna out of the tin and plain rice for lunch everyday!). That is where this recipe shines. These Healthy Chicken Nuggets are the answer. We’ve managed to create a golden, crunchy nugget that tastes indulgent but is actually packed with protein and uses smart ingredient swaps to keep the calories down.
And because a nugget is nothing without a dip, we paired this with a Healthy Chick-fil-A Sauce that punches out so much flavor, you won’t believe it’s low calorie.
The “Vanishing Batch” Test
To tell you how good these are, let me take you behind the scenes of our shoot day. Usually, we have leftovers to pack up for lunch the next day. Not this time.
From our photographer Lorena to Caio, our video editor, the entire crew was crunching and dipping these babies the second the camera cut. The flavor was so spot on lip smacking good that I didn’t even get to try the videoed batch. They vanished that fast! Everyone agreed, these rival the drive thru, but you feel good after eating them, just like my healthy banana oat muffins make you feel.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- High Protein, Low Fat: We use lean chicken breast and a “lite” breading technique to keep the macros in check.
- The “Magic” Sauce: A skinny version of the famous gold sauce using non fat Greek yogurt and sugar free BBQ sauce. It tastes just like the real thing.
- Air Fryer vs. Baked: While we love the oven method, the Air Fryer is the winner here. We tested both in the studio, and the Air Fryer yielded a crunchier, quicker, and more golden result. My latest teriyaki chicken thighs gave me the inspiration to make them in the airfryer.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Chicken: We use boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1-inch pieces. You could substitute with chicken thighs if you prefer darker meat, though the fat content will change.
The Marinade: Unlike other recipes that use flour, we mix the spices directly into the egg. This ensures the flavor sticks to the meat, not just the crust.
Breading: Panko breadcrumbs give the best shatter crunch, just like in my lemon, garlic and parmesan chicken tenders recipe. You can also use crushed cornflakes or ground oats for a gluten-free option.
The Healthy Chick-fil-A Sauce Copycat
The Sauce Base: We swap heavy mayo for a mix of lite mayonnaise and non fat Greek yogurt. If you don’t have Greek yogurt, sour cream works, but yogurt offers that extra protein boost.
The Game Changer: Cooking with the Ninja Crispi
We get asked a lot about what equipment we use in the Café Delites studio. For this recipe, we used the Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Glass Air Fryer. Honestly? It’s completely changed how we meal prep.
Unlike traditional basket air fryers, the Ninja Crispi uses glass containers. This means you can cook these nuggets at a blazing 450°F (using the Max Crisp function) directly in the glass. No non-stick coatings, just pure heat and healthy ingredients.
Why the Ninja Crispi is perfect for this recipe:
- Zero Toxic Anxiety: The CleanCrisp glass is designed for high-heat non-toxic cooking. It feels cleaner and safer, fitting perfectly with our healthy theme.
- The Cook & Store System: This is the best part. We baked a huge batch in the 4-quart glass container, let them cool, and snapped on the leak-proof lid to store them in the fridge. No extra Tupperware to wash.
- Lunch Ready in 7 Minutes: When we wanted leftovers, we used the smaller 6-cup container and the Re-Crisp function. It brought the crunch right back without drying the chicken out way better than a microwave.
- The View: Because the container is glass, we could watch the panko turn golden brown in real time without pull out the basket and losing heat.
Step by Step instructions
- Preheat to 390°F (200°C) and prepare a sheet pan by placing parchment paper on top, or preheat Airfryer to 390°F (200°C).
- Most people season the flour, but we are seasoning the egg. Whisk your egg with the onion powder, garlic powder, both paprikas (smoked and mild), and chicken salt. This creates a “flavor glue” that ensures every bite is seasoned from the inside out.
- Mix together until well combined.
- Toss your chicken pieces right into that egg mixture. Get your hands in there and make sure every nook and cranny is coated.
- Prepare a bowl with breadcrumbs.
- Working with a few pieces at a time, let the excess egg drip off, then roll them in your breadcrumbs. Press the crumbs gently into the chicken to help them adhere. If you are serving these with sides like my Creamy Mashed Potatoes or Garlic truffle Fries, get those started now.
- The Cook: Air Fryer vs. Oven We tested both methods extensively. Here is the verdict: The Air Fryer Method (Recommended): This was the studio favorite. Spray the nuggets generously with oil spray. Cook at 390°F (200°C) for 12 minutes. The circulating air makes the panko incredibly crispy. Crucial: Do not overcrowd the basket. Cook in batches if needed so the air can reach every surface. The Oven Method: Preheat to 390°F (200°C). Place nuggets on a parchment-lined sheet. Bake for 8 minutes, flip, and bake for another 7–10 minutes. They come out golden and delicious, perfect if you are meal prepping a huge batch at once.
- While the nuggets are baking, make the sauce. Simply whisk together the lite mayo, Greek yogurt, sugar-free BBQ sauce, yellow mustard, Dijon, honey, and a splash of lemon juice.
- The Greek yogurt mimics the tang of buttermilk usually found in ranch dressings, while the two types of mustard cut through the sweetness of the BBQ sauce. It is the perfect balance.
- Serve hot once the nuggets have cooked with the sauce and enjoy!
Storage & Make Ahead Tips
These nuggets are a meal prep dream. Because they rely on the oven or air Freezing Cooked Nuggets: Let them cool completely. Place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They will last for up to 3 months.
Freezing Raw (Uncooked): This is my favorite emergency dinner hack. Bread the nuggets, then place them on a baking sheet in the freezer for 1 hour (flash freezing). Once hard, transfer them to a ziplock bag. You can air fry them straight from frozen just add 3–4 minutes to the cook time!
How to Reheat (The No Soggy Nugget Rule) Please, I beg you, do not microwave these. You will lose that beautiful crunch we worked so hard for.
- Ninja Crispi Method: This is the best way. Place your leftover nuggets (from the fridge or freezer) into the 6-cup glass container. Pop the PowerPod on top and hit the “Recrisp” function. It uses high heat to revive the texture in just a few minutes.
- Standard Air Fryer: 350°F (175°C) for 3–5 minutes.
- Oven: 400°F (200°C) for 8–10 minutes.
Storing the Healthy Chick-fil-A Sauce The sauce gets better as it sits! Store it in a jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. The flavors of the BBQ sauce and mustard will meld with the yogurt, making it tangier and richer the next day.
FAQ’s
Absolutely! To keep these 100% gluten free, simply swap the standard breadcrumbs for Gluten Free Panko or crushed gluten free cornflakes. The texture is just as crunchy.
The main culprit is usually overcrowding. Whether you are using a baking sheet or an air fryer, the hot air needs space to circulate around every piece. If they are touching, they will steam instead of crisp. If you are using the Ninja Crispi, trust the “Max Crisp” setting and use the glass window to pull them out exactly when they turn golden brown!
Yes, and they are a lifesaver for busy nights!
Raw Frozen: If you breaded and froze them raw, air fry them at 390°F (200°C) but add 3–4 minutes to the cooking time.
Cooked Frozen: If reheating leftovers, use the “Recrisp” function on your Ninja (or air fry for 5 minutes). It revives the crunch without drying out the chicken.
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Crispy Healthy Chicken Nuggets (Air Fryer or Baked)
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 1 lb chicken breast cut into 1-inch bite-sized pieces
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika powder
- 1 tsp chicken salt or kosher salt
Breading
- 1 ½ cups breadcrumbs Panko, crushed cornflakes, or ground oats
- Cooking oil spray coconut or olive oil
Healthy Chick-fil-A Sauce
- ¼ cup lite mayonnaise
- ¼ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup BBQ sauce sugar free
- ¼ cup yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp lemon juice fresh or bottled
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven or Air fryer to 390°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside (for oven only).
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the egg, onion powder, garlic powder, mild and smoked paprika, and chicken salt until well combined.
- Add the chicken pieces to the egg mixture. Toss well to ensure every piece is fully coated in the marinade.
- Pour the breadcrumbs onto a separate plate. Working in batches, take a few pieces of chicken out of the bowl (allowing excess egg to drip off) and roll them in the breadcrumbs to coat evenly.
Baking
- oven method: Place the coated nuggets onto the prepared baking sheet, ensuring they are not touching. Spray the tops generously with cooking oil spray. Bake for 8 minutes, then flip the nuggets over and bake for another 7–10 minutes until golden and cooked through.Air fry option: Spray the nuggets with cooking oil both sides, and place them in the air fryer, make sure you leave enough space between them so the air can circulate around, you can make these in batches if your airfryer is small. Cook for 12 mins at 390°F (200°C), turning half way.
- Make Sauce
- While the nuggets are baking, whisk together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, BBQ sauce, yellow mustard, Dijon mustard, honey, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl until smooth.
- Serve the nuggets hot with the dipping sauce on the side.
Notes
- Chicken Size Matters: Try to cut your chicken breast into uniform 1-inch pieces. This ensures they all cook at the exact same speed so you don’t end up with some dry nuggets and some undercooked ones.
- The Flavor Glue: Unlike standard breading stations where you season the flour, we season the egg mixture. Do not skip this! It locks the flavor directly onto the meat so the nugget tastes seasoned from the inside out.
- Panko vs. Breadcrumbs: We highly recommend Panko breadcrumbs for that shattering deep-fried texture. Regular breadcrumbs will work, but the texture will be softer (more like a traditional McDonald’s nugget).
- Gluten-Free Option: To make this gluten-free, use Gluten-Free Panko or crushed cornflakes. Ensure your BBQ sauce for the dip is also GF.
- The Ninja Crispi Advantage: If using the Ninja Crispi, we found the Max Crisp setting gave the best result. Because you are cooking in glass, you might need to add 1 minute to the cook time compared to a standard metal basket, but the heat retention is superior.
- Don’t Be Shy With The Spray: Since we aren’t deep frying, the cooking oil spray is what turns the breadcrumbs golden. Spray the nuggets generously before cooking, and touch up any floury looking spots when you flip them.
- Avoid Soggy Bottoms: Air Fryer: Do not overcrowd the basket/glass container. Air needs to circulate. Oven: If you have a wire rack that fits over your baking sheet, bake the nuggets on the rack. This allows heat to hit the bottom of the nugget too.
- Make Ahead Freezer: You can freeze these raw. Bread them, flash freeze on a tray for 1 hour, then bag them up. Air fry straight from frozen at 390°F (200°C) for 14–16 minutes.
- Calories matter: The calories calculation is based on dividing the sauce and nuggets in 4 serving sizes, if you were to consume the nuggets without the sauce you will only have about 265 cal, 32g protein, 7g fat and 18g carbs.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
