Chicken Goujons (Easy AND Healthy!)
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I am so grateful for rediscovering chicken goujons as an adult- you shouldn’t just reserve them for your kids! They’re the perfect high protein pairing for veggies or your fave carb to create an entire lunch or dinner.
Table of Contents
Why you should make this recipe?
A simple yet flavourful main dish packed with protein – these chicken goujons are a tasty treat. Reasons to get them into your rotation:
- Homemade– these homemade chicken goujons are easy to make using simple ingredients that you are likely to have in your pantry and fridge. So you don’t have to trek to the supermarket everytime you fancy them.
- The crispiest coating – this is achieved with cornflakes. You get that gorgeous golden hue with your breaded chicken goujons without deep frying and your airfryer takes the crisp to the next level with minimal oil.
- Healthier– Instead of deep frying these strips for a crispy exterior, you’ll add them to an air fryer for the same effect without the extra oil.
You can pair the chicken goujons with cavolo nero with garlic & lemon ,tenderstem broccoli or a carb dish like my spinach pasta.
What’s a goujon?
Chicken goujons are chicken tenders or chicken strips. Typically, they include a breadcrumb coating and time spent in the deep fryer for a crispy exterior. The name for these chicken or fish strips comes from the French word, “gudgeon”, the name for a few different types of freshwater fish. However, it also means chicken strips. Goujons are also made with fish in some cases.
Ingredients
Chicken strips.
You can use any chicken meat to create my crispy chicken goujons recipe. I chose chicken strips for my chicken goujons recipe, which is pre-sliced chicken breast.
Cornflakes
This cereal adds the perfect crunch to the strips and you can also use panko breadcrumbs to make this crispy air-fried chicken dish. However, I love making breadcrumbs from cornflakes as it’s so affordable! The whole box of cereal was 45p. Try my favorite Easy Spicy Chicken Sandwich using cornflakes.
Seasoning
I’ve selected simple seasonings to help create a flavourful dish. If you have a preferred spice mixture, you can use that instead.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make chicken goujons
- Place the cornflakes onto a large chopping board and layer a sheet of parchment paper over the top of them (Image 1).
- Crush/roll over the parchment paper until a coarse breadcrumb texture is achieved (Image 2).
3. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and then coat the chicken in the flour (Image 3).
4. On a plate combine the seasoning (onion powder, garlic powder and paprika) with the crushed cornflakes (Image 4).
5. Preheat your airfryer to 200°C and then coat the chicken in the flour (Image 5).
6. Then start to dunk the chicken in the egg and then coat the chicken pieces in the cornflake mix (Image 6).
7. Start the conveyor belt, using one hand to dunk the flour covered chicken with the eg and then dunk into the cornflake mix (Image 7).
8. Using the other hand, cover the chicken goujons with lots of cornflake crumbs (Image 8).
9. Once every strip is breaded, spray with oil set aside onto a baking tray, until you are ready to add to your air fryer. Depending on how big your air fryer is, you might need to fry in batches (Image 9).
10. For maximum crispiness, don’t overlap the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes then rotate and cook for another 5 minutes (Image 10).
What shall I pair with this recipe?
You can pair lots of things with chicken goujons, from dips to side dishes and more. Below, you’ll find a few ideas to help you craft a tasty meal.
Your Dip
I’ve gone for a honey/mustard/mayo combo. It’s sweet, tangy and creamy. You could also pair with sweet chilli sauce, kewpie mayo, ketchup, soy sauce, oyster sauce, buffalo sauce, blue cheese dip- the options are endless!
Fries As a Side
Fries are always a great pairing with chicken tenders. Plus, you can make them with less oil in the air fryer. Sweet potato or veggie fries are also excellent side dishes for goujons.
Steamed Veg
You can also steam the veggies of your choice for a healthier side. These veggies can include carrots, broccoli, asparagus or green beans. Season to your taste preference, then enjoy them as a nutrient-rich side dish!
FAQs
The typical recipe for goujons is not necessarily healthy since they’re deep-fried. However, by creating them in the air fryer, you can cut down on using extra oil. These chicken tenders are a great source of protein and other nutrients like B6 and Magnesium.
Yes, you can make my chicken goujon recipe without an air fryer. All the steps will remain the same for the recipe. However, you’ll need to preheat your oven to 190°C. Then, bake the chicken strips for about 25 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 74°C.
Goujons and chicken tenders are different names for the same food items. They’re both made from the same part of the chicken, the pectoralis minor (right underneath the chicken breast meat). You may also know chicken goujons as chicken fillets or chicken fingers.
You can easily store leftover goujons in the fridge for up to three days. Once cooled, put any leftover cooked chicken goujons in an airtight container. Then, store them until you’re ready to eat the chicken tenders.
You can also freeze these chicken strips (before or after you cook them). Lay them out flat on a baking sheet in the freezer. Once the strips are frozen, transfer them into an airtight container. Make sure to use frozen chicken fingers within six weeks.
Tips and Tricks
- Whilst dredging the chicken through the breading stages, use one hand for the wet ingredients (flour into the egg) and the other as a dry hand (coating the egg-washed piece in cornflakes).
When your ‘wet’ hand has transferred the piece out of the egg and into the cornflakes, use your dry hand to scoop a layer of cornflakes on top of the chicken. You can then use the dry hand to pat the cornflakes into the goujon without getting messy hands. - Season the goujons with salt as sooooon as they come out of the air fryer. Salt binds to hot foods easier than cool, so this will help the chicken keep hold of salt.
- If your chicken came pre-sliced (like mine did), add the pieces of chicken into the air fryer in batches, selecting the pieces that are alike in size to go in together. This will prevent over-cooking/ under-cooking.
Try some other Airfryer recipes: Spiced Halloumi & Couscous Meal Prep and Air Fryer Potatoes
If you tried this Chicken Goujons (Healthy and Homemade) recipe, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Explore More Recipes
Easy Chicken Goujons
Ingredients
- 600 g chicken strips (£3.80)
- 200 g cornflakes (£0.50
- 2 eggs (£1.15/6x2)=(£0.38)
Cupboard Essentials
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- Vegetable oil spray (2-4 sprays per goujon)
Method
Preheat your airfryer to 200°C.
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
- Place the cornflakes onto a large chopping board and layer a sheet of parchment paper over the top of them. Crush/roll over the parchment paper until a coarse breadcrumb texture is achieved.
- Add the flour to a plate (season with salt), whisk the eggs onto a second plate and on the third plate, combine the seasoning (onion powder, garlic powder and paprika) with the crushed cornflakes.
- Coat the chicken in the flour, then the egg, then the cornflake mix. Set aside onto a baking tray.
- Once every strip is breaded, spray with oil and add to your air fryer. Depending on how big your airfryer is, you might need to fry in batches. For maximum crispiness, don’t overlap the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes then rotate and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Season generously with flakey salt & enjoy! I served mine with a honey & mustard mayo dip. Just add around a 1 tsp of each to a healthy dollop of mayonnaise and stir to combine.
- Note: Depending on the size of your goujon, increase or decrease the cook time.
Notes
- Use separate hands for wet and dry ingredients when breading chicken
- Pat cornflakes onto chicken with the dry hand to avoid mess
- Season goujons with salt right after air frying and cook pre-sliced chicken in batches of similarly sized pieces to prevent over or under-cooking.
Nutrition
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