Dinosaur Nuggets with Honey Mustard

Homemade dino nuggets that are crunchier, juicier, and way more fun than anything from the freezer aisle. ♡

The secret is pounding the chicken thin so it cooks evenly, then cutting it with dinosaur cookie cutters before breading. You get that same fun dino shape kids love but with real chicken and a crispy golden coating that actually shatters when you bite into it.

Get the kids to help with the cookie cutters and the breading station. Let’s make it together.

Ingredients

Dinosaur Nuggets with Honey Mustard

• 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Cooking spray

For the honey mustard:

• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

How to Make Dinosaur Nuggets with Honey Mustard

1. Flatten. Place chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to about 1/4 inch thick using a rolling pin or meat mallet. This is the key to getting clean cookie cutter shapes.
2. Cut. Press dinosaur cookie cutters firmly into the flattened chicken to cut out shapes. Gather scraps and re-flatten to cut more. You should get about 15 to 20 dino shapes.
3. Bread. Set up three shallow bowls: flour with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in the first, beaten eggs in the second, panko in the third. Dip each dino in flour, then egg, then panko, pressing gently to coat.
4. Bake. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spray generously with cooking spray. Bake at 400F for 8 minutes, flip, spray again, and bake 6 to 8 minutes more until golden and crispy.
5. Dip. While nuggets bake, whisk together honey, yellow mustard, Dijon, and mayo until smooth. Serve alongside the warm dino nuggets.

Tips

• Pound the chicken as evenly as possible so the cookie cutters go through cleanly.
• Use the chicken scraps to make regular-shaped nuggets so nothing goes to waste.
• Kids love helping with the breading station. Give them the egg and panko steps.
• For extra crunch, mix a tablespoon of grated Parmesan into the panko.
• These freeze great after baking. Reheat at 400F for 10 minutes straight from frozen.

Variations

• Air Fryer Dinos: Air fry at 380F for 10 minutes, flipping halfway. Even crispier results.
• Ranch Dip: Swap the honey mustard for ranch dressing mixed with a squeeze of lemon.
• Parmesan Crusted: Replace half the panko with finely grated Parmesan for a cheesy coating.
• Gluten-Free: Use crushed gluten-free crackers or cornflake crumbs instead of panko and flour.
• Star and Moon Shapes: Use any cookie cutter shape for themed dinners or holidays.

FAQ

Dinosaur Nuggets with Honey Mustard

Crispy baked chicken nuggets cut into fun dinosaur shapes with a sweet and tangy homemade honey mustard dip.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups panko
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp mayo

Method

 

1. Flatten. Pound chicken to 1/4 inch thick.
2. Cut. Use dinosaur cookie cutters to cut shapes.
3. Bread. Dip in flour, egg, then panko.
4. Bake. 400F for 8 min, flip, 6-8 min more until golden.
5. Dip. Mix honey, mustards, and mayo for dipping sauce.

Notes

Pound chicken evenly for clean cookie cutter shapes.
Use scraps for regular nuggets to avoid waste.

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