Baked Chicken Nuggets with Blackberry BBQ Sauce
Hey guys, it’s Leigh Ann from My Diary of Us! I am so excited to be a part of #BlackberryWeek here on Eat the Rainbow Kids! Do your kiddos like chicken nuggets as much as mine does? I mean… let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a good nugget? I know I do, and the best part is you can make them at home with a few simple steps. I love making kid favorites at home because I know what ingredients are going into each recipe. That way they feel like they are getting a treat, and you get to keep it healthy! This recipe for baked chicken nuggets with my delicious blackberry barbecue sauce is going to be one that you make over and over again.
We love barbecue sauce in this house and I love making my own homemade version whenever I can. This blackberry barbecue sauce is so good and the berries make it sweet and tangy at the same time. It’s not only great for dipping these chicken nuggets, but would be delicious on some ribs, pulled pork, or even some grilled chicken. Kids love a dipping sauce and they will flip over this one.
I like to make the barbecue sauce ahead of time so I can keep it in the fridge for the week. It will stay good for up to two weeks so it’s great to keep on hand. That way I simply make a batch of these easy baked chicken nuggets and serve the sauce alongside the nuggets and dinner is done. It’s a great way to get your kids eating blackberries if they aren’t a fan already, and I love that you get a little nutrient boost from the fruit in the sauce as well.
These nuggets could also be pan fried or cooked in an air fryer, but baking them is always my go-to method. They also freeze great, which is why I like to make a larger batch than what I need and then I can just pop them into the oven to reheat for easy lunches or dinners throughout the week.
To make them gluten free, simply swap regular panko bread crumbs and all purpose flour for your favorite gluten free varieties and you are good to go. Either way, I can’t wait for you to give this recipe a try for yourself.
-Leigh Ann
Want other blackberry recipes?
Try Kelly’s Berry Vanilla Olive Oil Cake with Blackberry Glaze
Or Joy’s Lemon Blackberry Cheesecake Bars
Or Jane’s Blackberry Teething Pops
Or Kelly’s Smashed Berry Pizza.
Baked Chicken Nuggets with Blackberry BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds Chicken Tenders
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- avocado spray
For the Sauce
- 2 cups blackberries
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (or sub coconut sugar)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup Wocestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- -Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- -Add flour to one bowl, eggs to another, and bread crumbs to the third bowl.
- -Season the flour and the bread crumbs with salt and pepper and toss to mix.
- -Cut chicken tenders into bite sized pieces.
- -Lightly coat chicken pieces with flour shaking to remove excess and then dip into egg to coat, then dip into the bread crumbs and coat evenly.
- -Place chicken onto a cooling rack on a baking sheet (this helps all sides of chicken to cook evenly)and spray with avocado oil spray lightly to coat top of chicken.
- -Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. -If needed for crispness, switch the oven to broil the last 2 minutes to get extra crispy nuggets.
- -While nuggets are cooking, add all sauce ingredients into asaucepan and cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
- -Using an immersion blender or regular blender, puree the sauce.
- -Strain if desired to remove blackberry seeds.
- -Serve nuggets alongside sauce.