Recipe

Honey Quinoa Chicken Nuggets

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Serves: 4

Chicken fingers are at the top of the most requested dinner list in some homes, so the healthier you can make them the better. Substituting super nutritious quinoa for the usual “white bread” coating and replacing frying with baking are two smart steps in the right direction. Honey is a popular dip for chicken fingers, so I’ve added it to the quinoa coating to naturally sweeten the pot – in a most virtuous way. When cooking just for children, I do not always add Dijon. But when cooking for adults, I find it adds another level of flavour that works well with the honey.

Contributed By: Developed for CFC by Monda Rosenberg

Ingredients

6 skinless boneless chicken thighs

3 skinless boneless breasts

2 eggs

1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt

2 tbsp (30 mL) liquid honey

1 tbsp (15 mL) Dijon (optional)

1 tsp (5 mL) poultry seasoning (optional)

1/2 cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour

2 cups (500 mL) cooked quinoa

Instructions

1 Heat oven to 400°F (200°C). Trim any fat from chicken. Cut into “two-bite” size pieces – thighs into 3 pieces and breasts into 6 pieces – keeping them as similar in size as possible. In a medium size bowl, whisk eggs with salt, honey, Dijon and poultry seasoning if using. Place flour and quinoa in separate bowls.

2 Coat a piece of chicken with flour, then shaking off excess, place in egg mixture and turn to coat. Letting excess drip off, place in quinoa and gently press down. Turn and press again to lightly coat. Set on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken.

3 Bake in center of a 400°F (200°C) oven until golden and no pink remains in chicken, about 20 minutes. Nuggets should reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).