Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Okay, so you have a few dishes to wash, but these little morsels taste so much better than fast food...and are better for you and your kids (who, by the way, are going to love them :)) Serve the chicken nuggets with any of your favorite dipping sauces - ketchup, mayonnaise, honey mustard, your favorite barbecue sauce, or even Chinese duck sauce. These could be served as tasty appetizers, too.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch square pieces
• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 3  large eggs
• 3  cups  unseasoned panko breadcrumbs (Japanese bread crumbs)
• 3  tablespoons olive oil (do NOT use extra virgin olive oil for this recipe)
•  salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Have a rimmed baking sheet (cookie sheet) on hand.
2. Set up an assembly line for breading the chicken: Place the chicken pieces on a plate; sprinkle with a little salt. In 3 bowls beside this plate, place the flour in the first, the eggs in the second, and the panko in the third. Beat the eggs with a fork for a few seconds. Place a clean plate at the end of the line.
3. Dip each piece of chicken into the flour to coat it, dip into the eggs, roll it in the panko, dip back into the eggs, and finally roll it in the panko again to coat it. Place the breaded chicken on the clean plate at the end of the assembly line. Repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken.
4. In a medium non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat (I suggest not using extra-virgin olive oil to fry with, because it doesn't heat the way regular olive oil does). Fry the chicken pieces, a few at a time so that you don't overcrowd the pan, turning often, for about 3 minutes or until they are golden all over. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to the baking sheet. Cook them in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until they are cooked through.
5. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.