Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Place a wire rack on the baking sheet and spray the rack lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
• Pat the 3 chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Cut each breast into roughly 1½-inch pieces and transfer the pieces to a medium bowl.
• Sprinkle the chicken with ½ teaspoon of the kosher or coarse salt and ½ teaspoon of the black pepper (these are the "divided" portions). Add the ½ cup buttermilk to the bowl and stir to coat all pieces. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes (up to 1 hour), or set aside at room temperature for 15 minutes.
• While the chicken marinates, set up the breading station with three shallow dishes: - Dish 1: 1 cup all-purpose flour. - Dish 2: combine the 2 slightly beaten eggs with the ½ cup melted butter and whisk together. - Dish 3: 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, ½ cup grated Parmesan, and the remaining ½ teaspoon kosher or coarse salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper; add the 1 teaspoon herb blend if using and mix to combine.
• When ready to bread, place a mesh strainer over a bowl and drain the marinated chicken in the strainer so excess buttermilk collects in the bowl. Do not rinse the chicken; allow excess to drip off but keep the pieces moist so the coating adheres.
• Working one piece at a time, dredge a chicken piece in the flour and shake off any excess. Dip it into the egg-and-butter mixture, then press it into the breadcrumb–Parmesan mixture until well coated. Transfer the coated nugget to the prepared wire rack. Repeat until all chicken pieces are coated and spaced in a single layer on the rack.
• Place the baking sheet on the middle oven rack and bake 20–30 minutes, flipping each nugget once after 10–15 minutes so both sides brown evenly.
• Nuggets are done when golden brown, crispy, and cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F). If they are not as crispy as you like after 30 minutes, set the oven to broil and broil for a few minutes, watching closely, until they reach the desired crispiness.
• Remove from the oven and serve hot with your preferred dipping sauces.