Homemade Panko Chicken Nuggets Garlic Parmesan Fries
Easy Homemade Panko Chicken Nuggets with Garlic Parmesan Fries — shatteringly crispy pre-toasted panko and parmesan crusted chicken pieces baked on a wire rack at 425°F alongside oven fries tossed in garlic butter, parmesan, and fresh parsley. Two sheet pans, dinner in 40 minutes.
Equipment
- Two large rimmed sheet pans
- Wire rack (for nuggets)
- Three shallow bowls (for breading station)
- Dry skillet (for toasting panko)
- cooking spray
- Large bowl (for fry toss)
Ingredients
Panko Chicken Nuggets
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs cut into 1½-inch pieces, patted completely dry
- 0.5 cup all-purpose flour for dredging
- 2 large eggs, beaten with 1 tbsp water egg wash
- 1.5 cups Japanese panko breadcrumbs toasted in a dry skillet 2 to 3 minutes until golden before using
- 0.5 cup freshly grated parmesan mixed into toasted panko
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp black pepper
- cooking spray sprayed over coated nuggets immediately before baking
Garlic Parmesan Fries
- 3 large russet potatoes cut into ¼-inch batons, soaked in cold water 20 minutes, patted completely dry
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder
- 0.5 tsp salt
Garlic Butter Parmesan Toss
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Soak cut russet potato batons in cold water 20 minutes. Drain and pat completely dry. Toss with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a foil-lined sheet pan. Place in oven — start fries 10 minutes before nuggets.
- Toast panko in a dry skillet over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes until golden. Mix with parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper in a shallow bowl.
- Set up breading station: flour in bowl 1, beaten egg wash in bowl 2, toasted panko-parmesan in bowl 3. Pat chicken pieces dry. Dredge in flour, then egg wash, then firmly press into panko-parmesan mixture.
- Place breaded nuggets on a wire rack set inside a rimmed sheet pan. Spray generously with cooking spray. Place in oven alongside fry pan (10 minutes after fries started).
- Flip fries at the 15-minute mark of their total cooking time. Do not flip nuggets — the wire rack browns the bottom without flipping.
- Bake nuggets 18 to 20 minutes total until deeply golden and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Fries finish at approximately the same time.
- Mix garlic butter parmesan toss: combine melted butter, minced garlic, parmesan, and parsley in a large bowl. Transfer hot fries directly into bowl and toss immediately to coat. Season with extra salt.
- Serve nuggets and garlic parmesan fries immediately with dipping sauce.
Notes
Always use a wire rack for nuggets — direct pan contact creates steam and the bottom becomes soft. Pre-toast panko before coating for a deeper, more uniform golden color. Pat chicken completely dry before breading. Press panko firmly onto each piece. Spray with cooking spray before baking. Soak fries in cold water 20 minutes and pat completely dry. Start fries 10 minutes before nuggets so both finish simultaneously. Toss fries in garlic butter the moment they come out of the oven.