You have probably had this food a ton of times at your favorite restaurant, but have you ever tried making chicken nuggets at home? If not, you are really missing out on something amazing because homemade ones taste on another level. The crispiness of this magical food will blow you away, and your kids will probably ask you to make them more often than you think.
And don’t worry about the process, it’s much easier than you might think. I will be sharing the recipe that has been passed down in our family for years. So stay with us and learn the easiest, crispiest chicken nuggets recipe ever.
What are Chicken Nuggets?
Chicken nuggets are bite-sized snacks often served as an appetizer. They’re made from chicken with seasonings, coated in breadcrumbs, and then fried or baked. It’s a popular food item in restaurants. The origin of this famous snack traces back to America in 1950. Robert C. Baker, an incredible professor of food science at Cornell University, invented them. They quickly became a favorite in America and later around the world.
Now, their popularity continues to grow. While often considered kids’ food, they’re loved by people of all ages. Whether it’s a family gathering, a big event, or just a special snack to share with friends, chicken nuggets are sure to be a big hit!
How To Make Chicken Nuggets?
To make these delicious crispy chicken nuggets, start by making breadcrumbs by blending 4 slices of bread into fine crumbs. Add 300 grams of boneless chicken cubes, soy sauce, paprika, sugar, garlic paste, ginger paste, black pepper, baking powder, and butter to the blender. Blend until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to a board with a little oil, then shape it into small pieces. Coat each nugget in flour, dip in beaten eggs, and coat with breadcrumbs. For extra crispiness, dip again in egg and breadcrumbs. You can fry them immediately or freeze for up to 1 month. Fry in hot oil over medium flame for 5 to 6 minutes on each side until golden and crispy. Drain the oil and serve with your favorite sauces or salad.
Chicken Nuggets Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 slices of bread
- 300 grams of boneless chicken cubes
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon paprika powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- A pinch of baking powder
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon oil (for mixing the dough)
- Flour (for coating)
- Beaten eggs (for coating)
- Breadcrumbs (for coating)
- Oil (enough for frying)
Direction
- To make these homemade crispy chicken nuggets, we’ll start by making the breadcrumbs! Take four slices of bread and gently cut off the edges. Then, cut the bread into small cubes, just like in the picture below.
- Place the bread cubes in a blender jar and blend for about one minute until you get fine breadcrumbs. Your perfect homemade breadcrumbs are now ready!
- Now, prepare the chicken. Take 300 grams of boneless chicken cubes and add them to the same blender where you blended the breadcrumbs.
- Next, add the spices to the chicken and breadcrumbs. Take 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, ½ teaspoon of paprika powder, salt to taste, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of garlic paste, 1 teaspoon of ginger paste, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, a pinch of baking powder, and 1 tablespoon of butter. Now, blend everything together until smooth.
- Our nugget mixture is perfectly ready! Look at the texture, perfect! right?
- Now, take a board and apply 1 spoon of oil to it. Place the blended chicken mixture on the board and mix well to form a soft dough.
- Carefully trim the edges of the dough with a knife.
- Cut the chicken dough into small squares, rounds, or any shape you like.
- The chicken nuggets are now ready to be coated and fried.
- For the crispy coating, we need beaten eggs, flour, and breadcrumbs. The amount will depend on the number of nuggets. So adjust accordingly.
- First, coat the nugget with flour, then dip it in the beaten egg mixture. Next, coat it evenly with breadcrumbs. For extra crispiness, dip it back into the egg mixture and coat it with breadcrumbs again. The double coating will give you better crispiness.
- Follow the same process to coat all the nuggets.
- Now, you can either fry all the nuggets at once or store them in an airtight bag or container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Here, I’m storing some for later.
- It’s time for the final touch! For frying, heat oil in a frying pan over medium flame. Once the oil is hot, add the nuggets and fry them for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, until golden and crispy.
- Once done, gently drain the excess oil from the nuggets and remove them from the pan. Serve them with your favorite sauces or salad.
What to Serve with Chicken Nuggets
Dipping sauces are a must when serving chicken nuggets. You can choose any sauce you like, such as tomato sauce, chili sauce, honey mustard sauce, mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, or others. Chicken nuggets are typically served as finger food, but you can turn them into a meal by pairing them with sides like French fries, potato wedges, a hearty salad, or your favorite veggies. Enjoy them however you like!
Chef’s tips
- For the best texture, use slightly stale bread to make breadcrumbs. Fresh bread can be too moist and may not blend as finely.
- Ensure the chicken is cut into small, even cubes before blending. This helps achieve a smooth and uniform mixture for the nuggets.
- You can adjust the spice by increasing the paprika powder if you want your nuggets to be spicier.
- Do not skip the double coating part to achieve the best crispiness for your nuggets.
- Keep sure to maintain medium heat while frying to ensure the nuggets cook evenly without burning. If the oil is too hot, the coating may brown too quickly while the inside remains undercooked.
- Serving the nuggets immediately is best to get the perfect crispy texture.