Chicken Nuggets – When the craving is hankering, you must satisfy it. This recipe for a homemade version of everyone’s favorite fast food snack is made with simple ingredients from your own kitchen, no more mystery for what exactly you’re munching on.
I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who could confidently say they don’t like chicken nuggets! Even if you live a squeaky clean eating lifestyle, everyone caves once in a while for the sake of nuggets. The crisp exterior, soft chicken on the inside, and of course your favorite dipping sauce in tow.
Just look at these ingredients. Homemade chicken nuggets are so easy to make! A quick search showed me that there are 32 ingredients in the most popular variety of fast food nuggets. 32! I don’t know about you, but that’s a little overboard in my books. These nuggets taste identical, plus they’re just so much better for you.
Ingredients
Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for a list of FULL ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page!
- Chicken – I used ground chicken. You can also just 1 lb of chicken breasts pulsed in your food processor or even ground turkey.
- Flavor – I used garlic and onion powders. You can adjust the amounts used.
- Salt & pepper – To taste.
- Eggs – I used large eggs.
- Flour – All-purpose.
- Cornstarch – If you don’t have any, you can use an extra 1/4 cup flour.
- Oil – Vegetable, canola, peanut, soybean, safflower, and sunflower oils are all great for frying.
How to make homemade chicken nuggets
- Mix the chicken: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the ground chicken in a bowl with the garlic powder, onion powder, 1/2 tsp of the salt, and pepper.
- Dredge and form nuggets: Add the beaten eggs to a shallow bowl. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, and remaining 1/2 tsp of salt in a separate shallow bowl. Scoop about 1 to 2 tbsp of the chicken mixture and form it into a ball. Roll it through the flour mixture, then through the beaten egg, and again through the flour. I used a small ice cream scoop to get even sized nuggets. Flatten the ball and form it into your desired nugget shape. Place the nugget on your prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken mixture.
- Fry: Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat to 375F. Fry the nuggets, in batches, for 4-5 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the nuggets out and place them on a rack to cool down, or a paper towel lined plate.
- Enjoy: Serve with plum sauce or any of your favorite dipping sauces.
How to serve chicken nuggets
You, of course, need a dipping sauce for your nuggets. Go with fast food classics like sweet & sour, BBQ, hot mustard, buffalo sauce, or ranch. You can also try some of these from my collection:
These nuggets can be enjoyed as a snack, appetizer, or with dinner. Looking for some side dishes? Give these a try:
- Baked Mac and Cheese
- Mashed Potatoes
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Tex Mex Potato Salad
- Black Bean and Corn Avocado Salad
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
How to store leftovers
Store your nuggets in an airtight container or large sealable bag for 1-2 days in the fridge.
To reheat your nuggets without sacrificing crispiness, I suggest using the oven. Preheat your oven to 450F. Line the nuggets on a baking sheet and bake them for 5 minutes, then flip and bake for another 2-3 minutes.
Freezing chicken nuggets
Once you’ve dredged and lined your nuggets on the baking sheet, pop the sheet in the freezer for 1 hour. Then, you can transfer the nuggets to a large freezer bag or airtight container. They will last 6 months frozen. To cook, heat the oil to 350F. Fry the nuggets for 6-7 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
To freeze already cooked nuggets, make sure they’re fully cooled down to room temperature. Line them on a baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour, then transfer to a large freezer bag or airtight container. They’ll last 2-3 months frozen. To reheat, preheat the oven to 400F. Bake for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway, until heated through.
Looking for more inspiration in the kitchen?
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- Buffalo Wings
- Baked Honey Garlic Chicken Bites
- Asian Glazed Chicken Fingers
- Cheesy Chicken Fritters
- Korean Fried Chicken
- Bang Bang Chicken
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Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 2 large eggs beaten
- ¾ cup all-purpose
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 to 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Mix the chicken: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the ground chicken in a bowl with the garlic powder, onion powder, 1/2 tsp of the salt, and pepper.
- Dredge and form nuggets: Add the beaten eggs to a shallow bowl. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, and remaining 1/2 tsp of salt in a separate shallow bowl. Scoop about 1 to 2 tbsp of the chicken mixture and form it into a ball. Roll it through the flour mixture, then through the beaten egg, and again through the flour. I used a small ice cream scoop to get even sized nuggets. Flatten the ball and form it into your desired nugget shape. Place the nugget on your prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken mixture.
- Fry: Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat to 375F. Fry the nuggets, in batches, for 4-5 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown. I did about 5 or 6 nuggets at once. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the nuggets out and place them on a rack to cool down, or a paper towel lined plate.
- Enjoy: Serve with plum sauce or any of your favorite dipping sauces.
Recipe Notes
- Recipe yields around 16 chicken nuggets depending on size.
- Leftovers: Store your nuggets in an airtight container or large sealable bag for 1-2 days in the fridge.
- Freezing uncooked nuggets: Once you’ve dredged and lined your nuggets on the baking sheet, pop the sheet in the freezer for 1 hour. Then, you can transfer the nuggets to a large freezer bag or airtight container. They will last 6 months frozen. To cook, heat the oil to 350F. Fry the nuggets for 6-7 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Freezing cooked nuggets: To freeze already cooked nuggets, make sure they’re fully cooled down to room temperature. Line them on a baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour, then transfer to a large freezer bag or airtight container. They’ll last 2-3 months frozen. To reheat, preheat the oven to 400F. Bake for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway, until heated through.
Better than McDonald’s!!
For real, they’re absolutely amazing
I’m never ordering nuggets at McDonald’s again
That’s what I like to hear!!! So glad you liked them 🙂
Do you have any recipes with no sodium/salt content
Not specifically, no.
These are really good. Even the hubs likes them, and he’s usually a food grouch 😂
LOL I know what you mean! Thank you so much!
My boys love chicken nuggets with all the yucky stuff added in it and I miss chicken nuggets since I can no longer eat wheat. I made these using spelt flour and oh my goodness!!we all devoured it…even my super picky skinny 2 year old ate 3 in one sitting!! Thank you!!
Love to hear it! Thank you so much 🙂
You mention plumb sauce but no recipe fir it ?
I don’t have a recipe for plum sauce, usually you buy it. 🙂
Hi, Jo…can you bake these instead of frying?
Sure can! I would say bake at 400-425 (depending on your oven) until crisp 🙂