Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dip

Ingredients

• 600 g chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 80 g plain flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 100 g breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• Dressed green salad, to serve
• Fresh parsley, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan. Line a baking tray with parchment and drizzle the olive oil across in a proper slick — the nuggets crisp from underneath as much as from above, and a dry tray gives you pale, sad bottoms.
2. Pat the chicken pieces dry with kitchen paper and season generously with salt and pepper. Water on the surface means steam, and steam means no crust.
3. Set up three shallow bowls. Bowl one: the flour, seasoned well with salt and pepper. Bowl two: the beaten eggs. Bowl three: the breadcrumbs tossed with the garlic powder and paprika — toasting the crumbs in the oven later will bloom those spices, but mixing them in now means every nugget carries the flavour right through the crust rather than sitting dusty on top.
4. Working one piece at a time, roll the chicken in flour, dip into egg letting the excess drip off, then press firmly into the breadcrumbs to coat. Press, don't sprinkle — you want the crumbs anchored.
5. Lay the nuggets on the oiled tray with a clear gap between each one. Don't crowd them — pieces touching will steam each other and you'll lose the crunch on the sides where they meet.
6. Bake for 18–20 minutes, flipping each nugget at the 10-minute mark. They're done when deeply golden on both sides, the crumbs smell properly toasted (watch the garlic powder — once it tips past gold it turns bitter fast), and a piece cut open shows white right through.
7. While they bake, stir the honey, Dijon and mayonnaise together in a small bowl until glossy. Taste it — adjust now, not at the table. A pinch of salt sharpens the mustard; if it's too sweet for you, a few drops of lemon juice will pull it back into line.
8. Pile the nuggets onto a board, scatter the chopped parsley over the top, and serve with the lemon wedges for squeezing and the honey mustard dip alongside for dunking.