This is my most-made recipe! Over 6 million people have watched me make these, and I think I know why.
They really hit that sweet spot on what makes a good recipe – they taste incredible, they look appealing, they’re a balanced snack on their own, and they’re healthy.
This post covers all my tips, ingredient swaps, and my honest verdict on baking versus pan-frying. If you just want to get cooking, hit the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button above for the full ingredients, quantities, and method (without the extras!).
With a few simple ingredients, these nuggets are great for lunch, dinner, or as a quick snack. They also freeze really well for up to 3 months, so feel free to double or triple the recipe and stock up your freezer!
Chicken and broccoli nuggets
Nuggets are such a fun, easy way to get some veggies into your little one. These nuggets are great for babies, toddlers, and for mum! Cook up a batch and share them with you little one, or pop the leftovers in the freezer for another busy day. With added broccoli and yummy cheesy aftertaste, they're a delicious afternoon snack, or lunch/dinner option your little one will love.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Steam and mash broccoli
Steam your broccoli in a steaming basket (or boil in water), then mash with a fork in a large bowl.
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Add remaining ingredients and mix
Add your remaining ingredients and mix to combine.
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Shape into nuggets
Using wet hands, shape your mixture into nuggets. You should get around 12 uniform nuggets, depending on size. I like to place mine on a baking tray with baking paper, ready to pan fry.
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Pan fry your nuggets
In a little olive oil, pan fry your nuggets until deeply golden brown on each side.
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Serve and enjoy
Serve your nuggets as is, with sauce, or with other fruits/vegetables or snacks. You can enjoy them hot or cold. Store in an airtight contained in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Can these also be baked?
Hi Kristina! Yes they can be, however, they will not be as ‘golden brown’. To bake, pre-heat your oven to 180C/365F, then bake until cooked through (about 20 minutes).
Great recipe!
You don’t have to pan fry the chicken before baking it in the oven, right?
Hello! Thanks Kristina. You can pop them in the oven completely raw, and bake for 20 minutes at 180C/350F. All the best!
Great recipe! How do you recommend reheating from frozen? Had to be oven or microwave what temp etc? Thank you.
Hi Jenny! I let mine defrost and then microwave them. Make sure they are completely heated through before serving them 🙂
Would these work without chees, maybe nutritional yeast instead?
Hi Lucy! Cheese is for flavour only, so feel free to leave it out. You can also add 1-2 teaspoons of nutritional yeast (much like you would use a parmesan), for added flavour. All the best!
What a delicious recipe! Just made these for my toddler twins and they love it.
I am so happy to hear this! Thank you so much for taking the time to write and let me know 🙂
Would I be able to leave out or sub the breadcrumbs? Not giving my baby wheat just yet
Hi Liss! You have a few options here – you could use gluten free breadcrumbs, cooked quinoa (around 1/4 cup), or mashed potato or sweet potato (around 1/4 cup). All the best!
Would you be able to leave out the egg or sub with something else if your kiddo has an egg allergy?
Hi Whitney – feel free to leave out the egg, the mashed broccoli and minced chicken will bind them together. Thanks for your comment!
How long would these keep in the fridge?
3 days or 3 months in the fridge. Enjoy and thanks for your comment!
Hi! Could I use already cooked minced chicken?
Hello! Yes you can, but it will be ‘juicier’ if you only cook it once. Is it leftover mince? You can definitely use that 🙂
Delicious!!!!!!! First time my 3.5 year old ate broccoli without turning his nose up. My 1 year old also loved them! Thank you!
That is a great result! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it!
Delicious, easy to follow recipe.
Thank you SO much for your feedback Julie!!
Such a hit with our 9-month-old! He giggled with excitement as he scarfed these down. These nuggets were also very easy to make. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much for your feedback Abby! So glad to hear they were enjoyed 🙂
Made these for my granddaughter at 8 months old she loves them. I Pilsner find the ground chicken, so I used ground turkey and a mix of shredded cheese for flavor. I’m making again for her today. Great recipe!
Amazing! Lovely to hear it works well with ground turkey. Thank you so much for your comment!!
So yummy and soft! My 1 year old only has four teeth so I’m always looking for recipes like this, and these were delicious! She’s been rejecting chicken lately and she ate four of them in one sitting!
This is amazing Abby! Thank you so much for your comment!