Real chicken nuggets with smoky BBQ sauce
Oven-baked not fried - but still crispy thanks to a secret ingredient. Serve with homemade relish for a family meal
Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and place the pieces between two layers of baking paper. Use a rolling pin to gently flatten the pieces until they are around 2-3mm thick and uniform.
Tip the flour onto a plate and mix it with a pinch of salt. Put the beaten egg in a bowl, and tip the breadcrumbs into another bowl. For the air fryer method, lightly oil a large baking tray.
Dip each chicken piece in the flour, then into the egg (shaking off the excess), and finally toss in the breadcrumbs. Transfer the coated chicken pieces to a lightly oiled baking tray for the oven method or the air fryer basket for the air fryer method. Breadcrumbing using one hand is less messy.
If you're using the oven, not pan-frying, preheat it to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Bake the nuggets for 10-15 mins, turning them halfway through.
If you're using the air-fryer, preheat it to 200C for 4 mins. Brush the chicken pieces on both sides with oil. Cook the nuggets in batches in the air-fryer basket for 5 mins per batch until golden and crunchy. Shake the basket halfway through to ensure even cooking.
Serve the chicken nuggets with tomato sauce, if you like.