Low Sodium Chicken Nuggets Recipe
This low sodium chicken nuggets recipe is crispy on the outside and has tender juicy white meat on the inside. A great family-friendly meal or snack idea that bakes up quickly in the oven.
These easy low sodium chicken nuggets are simple to make and have just seven simple ingredients. See our step-by-step photos below and make these along with us today.
Want more low sodium chicken recipes? Try our low sodium chicken drumsticks, low sodium chicken cacciatore, and our favorite low sodium Indian butter chicken.
It took quite a few test batches, but I finally perfected this low sodium chicken nuggets recipe which tastes just as good as fast food or store-bought nuggets! Made with white meat, these nuggets are made with ground chicken, low sodium cheese, salt free spices, and unseasoned panko bread crumbs.
This recipe was featured a few months ago in our newsletter: The Low Sodium Scoop! This one was an exclusive recipe for our paid members on the Double Scoop – get an additional weekly low sodium recipe, just like this!
They get super crispy in the oven or the air fryer and are great baked nuggets – not deep-fried. Make these better chicken nuggets at home with no added salt, but all of the flavor and texture of classic nuggets!
Notes from Our Kitchen
- These low sodium chicken nuggets are crispy and crunchy on the outside from using low sodium panko bread crumbs.
- And they’re super juicy and tender on the inside as well.
- Ready in 30 minutes, these chicken nuggets are great to make for a last minute meal or snack idea.
- They are also easy to batch cook and you can make extra and freeze the leftovers.
- Cooks of any skill level can make these nuggets easily by following along with our step-by-step photos below!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Be sure to visit the recipe card below to see the full ingredient amounts and directions!
For these nuggets, I found that ground chicken works best! While our low sodium chicken tenders recipe uses whole breast meat, the ground chicken gives the nuggets a more classic restaurant texture. When buying your ground chicken, make sure to buy it with no added sodium or preservatives in the meat. Try to look for one that has a nutrition label so you can see exactly how much sodium the meat has. Mine had 70 mg of sodium per 3 ounce serving.
The nuggets use egg and also some low sodium shredded Swiss cheese. Both add great flavor to the nuggets (especially the cheese) and help the nuggets bind together as they cook.
For spices, use garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper which all give the nuggets a great flavor. You can see some additional spices below in the next section if you want to make nuggets with a twist.
And finally panko bread crumbs give these nuggets the super crunchy and crispy texture when they’re baked. We also recommend spraying a bit of olive oil or cooking spray on the nuggets so they crisp up in your oven or air fryer.
Additions and Substitutions
If you can’t find ground chicken that is made with breast meat, you can use ground chicken that is made with dark and light meat too.
If you want to add some fun spices into the nuggets can add a teaspoon or two of your favorite salt free seasoning blend… BBQ dry rub, salt-free Italian seasoning, or even a salt free poultry seasoning could be great additions.
If you can’t find plain unseasoned panko bread crumbs at your store, look for regular plain or unseasoned breadcrumbs. Panko makes them extra crispy and crunchy however, plain breadcrumbs will work. Or you can omit the bread crumbs all together.
Step-By-Step Photos & Directions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, add the ground chicken, egg, Swiss cheese, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Step 3: Mix with a spoon until well combined.
Step 4: Pour the panko bread crumbs onto a plate.
Step 5: Take a heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture and roll it around in the panko. Place the chicken nugget onto the sheet pan. Repeat until all the chicken nuggets have been coated in the panko.
Step 6: Brush or spritz the nuggets with the olive oil, (this helps them to crisp), or coat them with a bit of cooking spray.
Step 7: Bake the nuggets for 20-24 minutes until crisp and golden brown on the outside, and 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from oven, cool and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Our low sodium nuggets recipe is made with ground chicken, garlic powder, onion powder, egg, shredded low sodium cheese, black pepper, and an unseasoned bread crumb coating.
Our low sodium chicken nugget recipe has 129 mg sodium per three nugget serving, as we use low sodium ingredients and no added salt in our recipe. If you are ordering chicken nuggets from a fast food restaurant or buying them prepared from the store, please ask your server for nutritional information as it will vary from this recipe.
Store any leftover chicken nuggets in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in an oven or air fryer for extra crispy leftover nuggets. The microwave will work as well, they may not be as crispy.
Serving Suggestions
These nuggets are great with our low sodium oven baked fries and a low sodium Caesar salad for a full meal.
We can’t enjoy nuggets without dipping sauces! So check out our low sodium ketchup recipe, our low sodium ranch dressing, low sodium BBQ sauce, or use your favorite store-bought low sodium dipping sauce or Sriracha!
These would also be great with our low sodium crispy smashed potatoes, low sodium baked potatoes, or our favorite low sodium mashed potatoes!
Expert Tips
- For the crispiest nuggets, spritzing them with olive oil or a bit of cooking spray right before baking will give you the best results. The oil helps the bread crumbs to crisp up in the oven!
- If you are doubling this batch to freeze for later, cook the nuggets fully through and freeze the cooked nuggets (not uncooked). When ready to eat, thaw completely and bake or air fry for 10 minutes until hot and crispy.
- The ground chicken is a little bit softer than ground beef or turkey. So if you have any trouble forming the nuggets you can put the ground chicken mixture in the fridge or freezer for about 20 minutes to firm it up.
More Easy Low Salt Chicken Recipes
- Low Sodium Creamy Chicken and Peppers Recipe
- Low Sodium Chicken Kabobs Recipe
- The best Low Sodium Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
- Low Sodium Orange Chicken Recipe
- Low Sodium Chicken Wings Recipe
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Low Sodium Chicken Nuggets
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 16 ounces ground chicken
- 1 egg
- 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic power
- 1 cup plain panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the ground chicken, egg, Swiss cheese, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Mix with a spoon until well combined.
- Pour the panko bread crumbs onto a plate.
- Take a heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture and roll it around in the panko. Place the chicken nugget onto the sheet pan. Repeat until all the chicken nuggets have been coated in the panko.
- Brush or spritz the nuggets with the olive oil, (this helps them to crisp), or coat them with a bit of cooking spray.
- Bake the nuggets for 20-24 minutes until crisp and golden brown on the outside, and 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from oven, cool and enjoy!
Notes
- For the crispiest nuggets, spritzing them with olive oil or a bit of cooking spray right before baking will give you the best results. The oil helps the bread crumbs to crisp up in the oven!
- If you are doubling this batch to freeze for later, cook the nuggets fully through and freeze the cooked nuggets (not uncooked). When ready to eat, thaw completely and bake or air fry for 10 minutes until hot and crispy.
- The ground chicken is a little bit softer than ground beef or turkey. So if you have any trouble forming the nuggets you can put the ground chicken mixture in the fridge or freezer for about 20 minutes to firm it up.
Nutrition estimate (for 1 serving)
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used in our kitchen. It will vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify your nutrition content and sodium amounts.
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