This recipe has been a staple in my house for the past several months because it’s been my son’s new favourite thing, and the adults in the house also love it! In an attempt to make “healthy chicken nuggets” for my son, I ended up making something that tastes very much like Thai style meatballs, except more tender and crispy on the outside! Unexpected yumminess, indeed.
In the video tutorial (in the recipe card), I share the story behind how I came up with it, which was an accident, and I also give you more context about the original Thai meatballs that these ended up tasting like. They’re a great freezer meal to have on hand for when you don’t want to cook anything.
P.S. You can customize the seasonings! For something more Thai, try adding red curry paste and julienned lime leaves, or adding chopped long beans or corn for extra texture.
Gluten-free modification: You can use GF soy sauce and GF breadcrumbs in this recipe, everything else can remain the same.
Thai Style Baked Chicken Nuggets
Equipment
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Food processor
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Baking sheet
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Wire rack (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups breadcrumbs fine or panko, see note
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil roughly, or use an oil spray
- 1 ½ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- ¼ teaspoon ground white or black pepper or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- Thai sweet chili sauce for dipping, or another sauce of your choice
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
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Spread the breadcrumbs onto a baking sheet, and drizzle or spray the oil over the breadcrumbs, then rub it gently between your palms to distribute the oil evenly. Bake the breadcrumbs for 3-5 minutes, stirring in between if needed, until golden brown. Allow to cool while you make the chicken.1 ½ cups breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons neutral oil
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Cut the chicken into 1- to 2-inch chunks, then put them into the bowl of a food processor. Add all remaining ingredients and process until smooth and stiff enough to hold shape, about 2 minutes, scraping the sides once in between.1 ½ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon ground white or black pepper, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch
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Place the breadcrumbs into a small mixing bowl and prepare a baking sheet (you can reuse the same one) lined with a rack if you have one; if not, parchment is fine. Before you start breading, remember: keep one wet hand and one dry hand. Wet hand stays wet, dry hand stays dry. This will prevent the breading from becoming a mess.1 ½ cups breadcrumbs
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Using a rubber spatula, put about 3 tablespoons of chicken mixture (or whatever size you want each piece to be) onto the palm of your left “wet” hand and use the spatula to press it down to about ½-inch thick and smooth out the edges (much easier to see the video for this part). Scrape the chicken patty off your hand and into the bowl of breadcrumbs.
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With your DRY right hand, coat the chicken with breadcrumbs on all sides, then place the chicken onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until you’re all done.1 ½ cups breadcrumbs
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Bake the chicken for 17-20 minutes until cooked through to an internal temp of 165°F (74°C). Timing depends on the thickness of your chicken.
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Serve with sweet chili sauce or a dipping sauce of your choice!Thai sweet chili sauce
Video
Notes
The post BONUS: Thai Style Baked Chicken Nuggets appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.