Making homemade chicken nuggets is surprisingly simple and gives you control over ingredients while delivering that satisfying crunch we all love. After testing multiple recipes, I’ve compiled the best methods from basic fried nuggets to innovative 3-ingredient versions that don’t even need flour or oil!
Why Make Chicken Nuggets at Home?
Before diving into recipes. let’s talk about why homemade nuggets are worth your time
- You control the ingredients (no mystery meat or additives)
- Can be healthier than store-bought or fast food versions
- Customize flavors to your preference
- Make in batches and freeze for quick meals
- Surprisingly easy once you know the techniques!
Classic Fried Chicken Nuggets Recipe
This traditional method delivers that classic golden-brown exterior and juicy interior.
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil for frying
Step-by-Step Instructions:
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Prepare your dredging station: Mix flour, seasoned salt, and pepper in a plastic bag. Beat eggs with water in a bowl. Put breadcrumbs in a separate bowl.
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Coat the chicken: Place chicken pieces in the flour bag and shake until coated. Then dip each piece in egg mixture followed by breadcrumbs.
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Heat the oil: Pour about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a pan and heat over medium-high heat. Test if it’s ready by dropping in a few breadcrumbs – they should sizzle slightly.
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Fry in batches: Cook nuggets for about 2 minutes per side until golden brown and no pink remains in the center. Don’t overcrowd the pan!
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Drain: Place cooked nuggets on paper towels to remove excess oil.
Pro tip: If you’re cooking for kids, try cutting the nuggets into fun shapes before breading them!
Healthier Baked Chicken Nuggets
For a lighter version that’s still crispy and delicious, try baking instead of frying.
Ingredients:
- 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1/2 cup melted butter
Instructions:
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Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C) and grease a baking sheet.
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Cut chicken breasts into 1 1/2 inch pieces.
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In a bowl, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, salt, thyme, and basil.
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Dip chicken pieces in melted butter, then coat in the breadcrumb mixture.
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Arrange in a single layer on the greased baking sheet.
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Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
I’ve found that flipping the nuggets halfway through cooking helps them brown more evenly!
Super Easy 3-Ingredient Chicken Nuggets (No Flour, No Breadcrumbs!)
This innovative recipe from Kirbie’s Cravings uses just three ingredients but delivers super crispy results without flour, breadcrumbs, or oil!
Ingredients:
- 6 oz (170g) cooked chicken breast
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella OR parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg (1.5 eggs if using parmesan)
Instructions:
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Add cooked chicken breast to a food processor and pulse until shredded.
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Add cheese and egg, then mix on high speed until fully incorporated. The cheese should be finely chopped into the mixture.
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Scoop 1.5 tablespoons of mixture and shape into oval patties about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
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Air fry at 400°F (204°C) for 8 minutes, then flip and cook 2 more minutes until crispy and browned.
Oven alternative: Bake at 400°F (204°C) for 20 minutes, flip, then bake 5 more minutes.
The mozzarella version tastes more like traditional nuggets, while the parmesan version has a more distinct flavor and golden exterior. You can optionally spray with a little cooking oil for more even browning, but it’s not necessary for crispiness!
Spicy Chicken Nuggets Variation
If you like a kick to your nuggets, try this spicy version:
Ingredients:
- 10 halved boneless chicken breasts cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 2 beaten eggs
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions:
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Marinate chicken in buttermilk and egg mixture for a few hours in the refrigerator.
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Mix flour with spices in a bowl.
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Drain chicken and coat pieces in the flour mixture.
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Heat oil to 375°F (162°C) in a large skillet.
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Fry chicken for about 3 minutes per side until golden brown.
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Drain on paper towels before serving.
Pro Tips for Perfect Chicken Nuggets
After making batches and batches of these, I’ve learned a few tricks:
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For extra crispiness: Double-dip your nuggets in egg and breadcrumbs for a thicker coating.
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Even cooking: Cut chicken pieces to roughly the same size so they cook at the same rate.
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Seasoning matters: Don’t skimp on the spices in your flour or breadcrumb mixture – this is where the flavor happens!
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Test the oil: Use a food thermometer to make sure your oil is at the right temperature (350-375°F) for frying. Too cold and nuggets get greasy, too hot and they burn outside while staying raw inside.
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Freezing option: Make a big batch and freeze after cooking. To reheat, bake at 400°F for 10-15 minutes until heated through and crispy again.
FAQ: Common Chicken Nugget Questions
Can I boil the chicken before making nuggets?
While you could, it’s not recommended as the breading may not stick as well and the chicken might end up overcooked and dry.
Can chicken nuggets be frozen?
Yes! After cooling completely, freeze them on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. They’ll keep for 2-3 months.
What’s the healthiest way to make chicken nuggets?
Either bake them or try the 3-ingredient method that uses no flour or oil. Using the air fryer gives the best results for crispy texture without excess oil.
What dipping sauces go well with homemade chicken nuggets?
Classic options include ketchup, BBQ sauce, honey mustard, ranch, or sweet and sour sauce. For something different, try sriracha mayo or buffalo sauce!
Conclusion
Making homemade chicken nuggets is totally worth the effort – they taste better, you know exactly what’s in them, and they can actually be pretty healthy! Whether you prefer the classic fried version, a baked alternative, or the innovative 3-ingredient method, you’ll end up with delicious nuggets that both kids and adults will love.
My personal favorite is the 3-ingredient version in the air fryer – it’s mind-blowing how crispy they get with so few ingredients and without any oil! But don’t take my word for it – try these recipes yourself and see which one becomes your family favorite.
Happy cooking, and enjoy your homemade chicken nuggets!
Does the perfect DIY chicken nugget exist? Columnist Ella Quittner finds out.
Published OnJune 25, 2021
Photo by Rocky Luten. Prop Stylist: Fiona Campbell. Food Stylist: Anna Billingskog.
In Absolute Best Tests, our writer Ella Quittner destroys the sanctity of her home kitchen in the name of the truth. Shes mashed dozens of potatoes, seared more porterhouse steaks than she cares to recall, and tasted enough types of bacon to concern a cardiologist. Today, she tackles chicken nuggets.
On November 17, 2020—some nine months into the global coronavirus shutdowns—Leah Shutkever, 31, awoke with a single goal in mind. She donned a Jobsian turtleneck, tied back her hair, and took a seat at her counter in Redditch, England, with only a bottle of water and a large container of processed meat by her side.
For the next 180 seconds, Shutkever used a specially developed double-decker pinch-and-cram technique to jam 60 chicken nuggets into her mouth and down her throat in rapid succession.
“During lockdown, no [Guinness World Record eating] title was safe,” she told me recently. “I would scour the internet, weigh up the likelihood [that a given record] could be beaten, and if there was a slight chance to beat it, game on.”
She describes Nugget Day in particular as “exhilarating, nerve-racking, fast-paced, and daunting,” and says she was hit with “flavor fatigue” around the 20-nugget mark. Still, she persevered, and to this day holds the Guinness World Record for “Most Chicken Nuggets Eaten in Three Minutes.”
I got in touch with Shutkever after spending many more minutes cramming significantly fewer nuggets into my own mouth for Absolute Best Tests. I’d been trying for days to determine the perfect combination of chicken blend, breading, and cook method to produce maximally crushable nugs.
Shutkever’s take: The ideal chicken nugget should contain both breast and thigh for texture, and no matter how it’s breaded or battered, the seasoning should be ample. But despite those preferences, she’s not picky. “Nuggets are iconic!” she said. “I will take them in any form.”
Not everyone is quite so open-minded, but it’s true that a good nugget can be a tiny, golden treat to behold. It elicits the specific pleasure offered only by foods that can be popped into the mouth whole (cocktail meatballs, those little mozz balls) without sacrificing the gratification presented by the sort of properly crispy shell that’s more commonly found on larger foods (fried drumsticks, arancini). The ideal chicken nugget meets three criteria: thorough and harmonious seasoning, breading that won’t wilt or yield to a gentle poke, and innards as tender as any Jack White lyric.
On the seasoning front, Shutkever is with me. “It would have helped if the McDonalds nuggets I used for the World Record were more flavored, to avoid hitting that flavor wall so quickly,” she lamented.
Before I let Shutkever off the hook, I had one more question. Did she puke? “No throwing up,” she said. “It was a pretty easy three minutes!”
After a few initial rounds of testing, I settled on a 50-50 mix of chicken thigh and chicken breast, pulsed together in a food processor with seasonings until mostly minced. (Specific proportions of seasonings are noted below.)
The Best Ways to Cook Chicken Nuggets
Shallow fry your nuggets! The deep fry method worked well, too, though the nuggets in the shallow fry batches were markedly juicier across all breading and battering trials.
Unless you’re actively trying to avoid fry oil, you might benefit from benching your air fryer in pursuit of the perfect nugget. Air fryer nuggets were perfectly edible and had a decent level of crispiness and tenderness, but the shells were unevenly cooked, and their interiors a bit dry.
The baked nuggets were much juicier than the air fryer nuggets. That said, the air fryer specimens had crunchier jackets, so, pick your battle.