These guilt-free healthy chicken nuggets can be a family favorite

I am always skeptical when I hear healthier versions of my favorite things being advertised, but I stumbled across one I just had to try.

Chicken nuggets are one of my favorite foods. And of course, the kids and grandkids love them, too. They are crispy, sweet, buttery and full of flavor that your classic oven-baked chicken usually doesn’t deliver on.

This chicken recipe I found, however, left me with one of the crunchiest, sweetest batch of chicken nuggets I've ever tasted. The wait is now over.

Here’s how you make the crispiest baked teriyaki chicken nuggets without the guilt.

For this recipe you will need:

• a pound of chicken
• two eggs
• ½ cup of teriyaki
• ¼ cup of sweet chili
• about 2 cups of whole wheat breadcrumbs or almond flour

I added whole wheat pretzel crumbs and sesame seeds, as I wanted my nuggets to have maximum crunch.

I first sliced the chicken into nugget-sized pieces, and then tossed them all in a bowl with both of the eggs whisked.

Once the chicken was all well coated, I individually rolled them in the pretzel crumb mixture.

I oiled up my pan once they were all coated and placed them in the oven for about 30 minutes at 425 degrees, flipping them halfway.

As I was about to remove them from the oven, I turned the oven on broil and then prepared my sauce while they crisped up.

After the nuggets appeared crisp, I removed them from the oven and placed them in a large bowl.

I quickly poured the sauce mixture on while the nuggets were hot and then allowed them to cool into the sauce.

As the chicken cools, the sauce thickens up creating the perfect consistency.

I was pleasantly surprised with how successful this recipe was, and I am definitely going to make it a weekly staple at my home.

It’s easy, fun, healthy and a great way to change up your classic chicken nugget meal.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco. Any opinions expressed are Judi Franco’s own.