Baked Chicken Nuggets

Preheat oven to 425ºF and grease a baking sheet with oil.

Season the breadcrumbs with parmesan cheese, oregano, sesame seeds, pollo seasoning, half of the smoked paprika, and chopped garlic clove (if not using garlic powder). Set aside.

Season the flour with garlic powder (if not using fresh garlic), remaining smoked paprika, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

Set up the seasoned breadcrumbs, eggs beaten with hot sauce, and seasoned flour stations, each with their own plate (I used a bowl for the flour to minimize mess).

Working in batches of 5-7 nuggets, lightly coat in flour, shake off all excess, then transfer to eggs. (I found it easiest to use one hand for the flour, one hand for the egg.) Let all excess egg drip off before transferring to breadcrumbs to coat. (After transferring the chicken from the egg to the breadcrumbs, I washed my hands and then coated the nuggets in crumbs.)

From the breadcrumbs place the nuggets directly on the greased baking sheet. I just used my olive oil mister for this and it worked great. I sprayed the baking sheet and over the nuggets. (If just using oil, I would put about a tablespoon rubbed all over the baking sheet, place the chicken nuggets on and flip so each side has some oil before going into the oven. When you flip halfway through baking, you can determine if you need a little more oil.)

Bake for 15-18 minutes, flipping halfway through. Let cool on a wire rack for about 2 minutes to achieve optimal crispness.