Jamie Oliver's proper chicken nuggets recipe with sweet paprika and Parmesan crumb is so easy to make at home. It's a family classic you'll want to make over
Using wholemeal bread instead of the usual white bread coating means we are upping our fibre intake, and we’ve lowered the calories by baking rather than deep-frying these bad boys.
Ingredients
1kg free-range skinless chicken breasts
2 cloves of garlic
1 level teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1 heaped tablespoon Greek yoghurt
1 large free-range egg
1 lemon
250g wholemeal bread
50g Parmesan cheese
olive oil
WEIGHT CONVERTER
grams
to
cups
Method
Start by cutting the chicken breasts into nugget-sized portions. The easiest way to do this is to use your scales to help you get it right the first time – you want each nugget to be just over 30g, then visually that will give you a guide for the rest. Cut up all the chicken, putting it on a tray as you go.
To make the marinade, crush the unpeeled garlic cloves through a garlic crusher over the chicken. Add the paprika, yoghurt, egg, and a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Finely grate over the lemon zest and squeeze over all the juice, then use your clean hands to massage all that flavour into the meat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Tear the bread into a food processor, finely grate in the Parmesan, add 2 tablespoons of oil and whiz until you have fine breadcrumbs, then tip into a large shallow tray. Working in batches, use two forks to transfer the pieces of chicken into the crumbs, using the forks to gently flick crumbs over each piece of chicken so they’re well coated. Transfer the nuggets to a deep tray lined with greaseproof paper, layering them up between sheets of paper as you go (this is probably more bread than you need, but it’s easier to work with – simply discard whatever’s left). Cook right away or freeze in the tray – once frozen, you can pop them into a tub or sandwich bags for easier storage.
To cook, place however many nuggets you need on a rack in a roasting tray in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/gas 4 for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.
Jamie Oliver MBE is one of the most famous celebrity chefs in the country. His cheeky Essex boy persona and simple, delicious food has made him a hit in the food industry.
He started his career as a pastry chef at Antonia Carluccio’s Neal Street restaurant in London before moving on to The River Cafe in Fulham. It was there that he made an unannounced appearance on a documentary the BBC were filming. The producers loved him and from there, his television career started to take off.
The Naked Chef was Jamie Oliver’s first solo TV venture, with a best-selling book to match. He was an instant hit, drumming up recipes for all occasions – from hen parties to a quiet night in. After three series of The Naked Chef, Jamie filmed a fly-on-the-wall documentary, detailing his new business venture of opening up his first restaurant, Fifteen. The restaurant helps to train young adults who have come from a disadvantaged background.
His next endeavour was a campaign called Feed Me Better, which aimed to educate parents and children about the importance of healthy school dinners. As a result of his effort to improve school dinner’s in schools, Jamie was able to get Turkey Twizzlers banned from being served to children in schools.
Jamie Oliver’s noted brand of cooking is sure to be a hit with any family as he brings new twists to classic dishes, such as harissa chicken traybake (opens in new tab), and offers up healthy alternatives to kids’ favourite junk foods – like this one for chicken nuggets (opens in new tab). His simple recipes emphasise the goodness of fresh ingredients, sourced locally and cooked at home.
Gordon Ramsay's butter chicken
