School Lunchbox
Baked (Steamed First) Chicken Veggie Nuggets for School Lunchboxes
Prep
25 min
Cook
45 min
Servings
4
Level
Medium
These homemade chicken nuggets are made from fresh ground chicken combined with grated carrot and finely chopped broccoli, then steamed before baking with very little oil. The texture is soft on the inside and slightly crisp on the outside, and they're much healthier than store-bought nuggets since they contain minimal preservatives and are rich in veggie fiber. Perfect as a go-to school lunchbox menu that's easy to make in large batches and store in the freezer.
🧂 Ingredients
🍽️ Servings: 4
Adjust the servings and the ingredient amounts & nutrition below update automatically.
- 300 grams Ground chicken
- 1 Carrot, finely grated
- 100 grams Broccoli, finely chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/4 Onion, finely chopped
- 1 Chicken egg
- 5 tbsp Panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsp Cornstarch
- 3 tbsp Plain liquid milk
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp Chicken bouillon powder (optional)
- 1/4 tsp Granulated sugar
- 100 grams Coarse breadcrumbs for coating
- 1 Egg for dipping the coating
- 2 tbsp Oil for brushing
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👩🍳 Instructions
- 1 Combine the ground chicken, grated carrot, chopped broccoli, minced garlic, and chopped onion in a large bowl.
- 2 Add the egg, panko breadcrumbs, cornstarch, milk, salt, pepper, bouillon powder, and sugar. Mix well with your hands or a spatula until the mixture is fully combined and slightly sticky.
- 3 Prepare a square or rectangular heatproof baking pan, and lightly grease it with oil so it doesn't stick.
- 4 Pour the mixture into the pan, then flatten and press down the surface using a spatula or a spoon moistened with water.
- 5 Steam the mixture over medium heat for 25-30 minutes until cooked through and firm. Check doneness with a toothpick — if it comes out clean, it's done.
- 6 Remove the steamed mixture and let it cool completely at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes so it's easier to cut.
- 7 Once cooled, cut into pieces as desired (squares, sticks, or your kid's favorite shapes using cookie cutters).
- 8 Dip each piece into the beaten egg, then roll in the coarse breadcrumbs until evenly coated.
- 9 Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Arrange the nuggets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and brush the surface lightly with oil using a pastry brush.
- 10 Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping the nuggets halfway through so both sides turn golden brown and crispy evenly.
- 11 Remove from the oven and let cool briefly before packing into a lunchbox. Leftover nuggets can be stored in the freezer and reheated when needed.
💡 Tips
• Steaming before baking keeps the nuggets soft on the inside even when baked with very little oil.
• You can swap the broccoli for spinach, sweet corn, or chopped green beans depending on what veggies you have at home.
• Make a big batch and freeze the raw, breaded pieces — just pop them straight into the oven in the morning.
• For kids who don't like seeing visible veggie bits, blend the carrot and broccoli in a food processor before mixing them into the batter.
📊 Nutrition Facts / serving
215 kkal
Calories (kcal)
14 gramg
Protein
9 gramg
Fat
18 gramg
Carbs
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