Recipes

Easy Cook Chicken Nuggets

By , Medium Well

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

One of the simple truths of life is that even the fussiest eater loves chicken nuggets. While the industrial mass-produced kind are generally pretty awful, by making your own at home you know exactly what you are feeding your kids.

They are super easy to make, and once you get the hang of making some fresh bread crumbs and using them to coat some fresh diced chicken breast, they really do take just minutes to make. You can dice a chicken breast fillet yourself, but you can buy diced chicken breast already cut, which will save you a job. The nuggets cook quickly inside their crispy coating and can be on the table in less than half an hour.

Our recipe uses some clever seasoning tricks to create a savoury flavour that will appeal to kids and adults. Be careful when adding salt and pepper as you don’t want to overseason them, especially for younger children.

  • Preparation Time: 10 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Servings: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 500 g diced chicken breast
  • 3 slices of white bread (or 3 bread rolls)
  • 1 pinch garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • plain flour, for coating
  • vegetable oil, for frying
  • salt and pepper

Blitz the bread crumbs in a processor, then add the garlic powder and paprika and give it another whizz. Use the spices in small amounts to season rather than flavour. Add salt and pepper if you want, but again be careful not to add too much, as you can get a healthy salt free meal into the kids here.

Get three bowls, and place the breadcrumbs in one, the flour in another, and the beaten egg in a third.

Using one hand for the egg, and your other hand for the dry ingredients, coat each chicken piece in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. We’re not going to lie, it can get a bit messy, but it’s also a great opportunity to involve the kids in the dunking and coating.

Heat an inch of vegetable oil in a frying pan until the chicken sizzles when added. You don't want to overcrowd the pan, but by the same token you want enough pieces so that they don’t burn. Controlling heat in this way is the most effective way of cooking them. You’ll probably have at least two batches depending on the size of your pan.

The nuggets will take about 10 minutes to cook. If the oil is too hot they will over brown too quickly, whereas if it is too cold and they will be soggy. If you are using a thermometer, the ideal temperature for the oil is 190℃.

When the chicken is cooked through, remove the nuggets from the pan and ideally place them onto a wire rack to drain. Cook the next batch of nuggets, making sure to allow the oil to return to temperature before you add them to the pan.

Serve immediately with sides and dipe of your (or your kids) choice.