There are moms out there whose kids have no idea what fast food restaurants are. I am not one of those moms. Fast food happens sometimes!
There are lots of baked chicken nugget variations out there, and the first time I made these, I tried baking some and frying some. And I decided that I’m just choosing a path and recommending that you fry these. They’re better. They just are. I know they’re not better FOR you, but honestly, sometimes you’ve just gotta take one for the team. I think there are ways to make a baked version tasty, but I felt like as it was, these were a little dry and flavorless and no one would eat them. So. There you have it. I’m being bossy. Fry these homemade chicken nuggets and call it a day.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
Chicken and Marinade
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – No ground up chicken here! We’re using pieces of whole chicken breasts.
- Dill pickle juice – Pickle juice contains acid and salt which helps break down muscle proteins, resulting in juicier chicken nuggets.
- Buttermilk – Like pickle juice, buttermilk helps tenderize the chicken, keeping it nice and juicy. The lactic acid in buttermilk is what’s responsible for that job, so plain milk is not a good substitute. If you must substitute, mix 3/4 cup milk with 2 1/4 teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar and let the mixture sit for a few minutes until thickened before adding it to the marinade mixture.
- Tabasco sauce – This does not make the nugget spicy, it just adds a nice kick of flavor.
Dredging and Breading
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda – Baking soda speeds up the browning process, making those nuggets perfectly golden and crispy without overcooking the chicken.
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Egg whites – Discard or reserve the yolks for another use. By using just egg whites, we can get a nice, light, crispy coating on our nuggets.
- Water
- Unseasoned panko bread crumbs – Panko style bread crumbs are already light and crispy, giving these nuggets a great crunchy coating. Find these near the traditional-style bread crumbs on the baking aisle or near Asian foods.
For Frying
- Oil or choice – I like peanut oil for frying, but there are lots of other options out there. Beef tallow, lard, refined coconut oil (no coconut flavor), or refined avocado oil are all good substitutes. I’d avoid canola oil, soybean oil, corn oil or sunflower/safflower oil. Although these oils have a high smoke point, they can oxidize at higher temperatures (leaving a fishy taste/odor) and can leave a greasy finish compared to the other options listed above.
- Thermometer for oil- Oil temperature can make or break your success here! Oil can overheat fast is your heat is too high. It can also drop fast if you add too many nuggets at once. Too hot and your breading will burn before the chicken has cooked. Too cool and your breading will get oil-logged and soggy. Use a candy thermometer or deep-fry thermometer that clips to your pan to keep an eye on things and make sure your temp is staying in range.
- Thermometer for chicken – You want your chicken pieces to reach and internal temperature of 165℉.
- Stainless steel skimmer – A skimmer is similar to a strainer on a long handle. While not required, this is the easiest way to remove your cooked chicken nuggets from the pot without taking excess oil with you.
How to Make Homemade Chicken Nuggets
- Start by cutting your chicken into uniform, bite-sized pieces. You’ll pop those in s bag with a mixture of buttermilk, pickle juice, and Tabasco sauce and let it all marinate in the fridge for 1-4 hours.
- When ready to cook, you’ll set up a dredging and breading station. In the first bowl you’ll have a mixture of flour, baking soda, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Next you’ll have your egg whites mixed with a little water, and lastly you’ll have your bread crumbs.
- Get a couple of inches of oil heating on the stove. Use a candy or deep frying thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature.
- While the oil is heating, you’ll toss a handful of chicken pieces into the flour mixture, roll each in the egg whites, and finally roll to coat in the panko bread crumbs.
- When the oil reaches 350℉, carefully add the chicken pieces to the pot and fry for 3-5 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165℉.
- Remove the chicken nuggets from the oil and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate or cooling rack.
- Repeat until you’ve used all of your chicken.
Tips for Success
- Don’t over-crowd your pan. Putting too many chicken nuggets in at once will result in a quick drop in the temperature of your oil. When the oil temperature is too low, it results in soggy breading.
- Keep it clean. While moving through your breading station, use one hand for dry ingredients and the other for the eggs. This will help prevent breading from sticking to your fingers.
- Make the first step easier. If you’d like, you can toss your flour mixture into a large zip-lock bag, followed by your marinated chicken and shake to coat. Then roll in egg and bread crumbs when you’re ready.
- Keep chicken nuggets warm. If you need to keep nuggets warm while cooking in batches, simply preheat your oven to its lowest setting and place a baking sheet or oven-safe serving dish in there. Transfer each batch of cooked nuggets to the pan to stay warm until you’re ready to serve.
Storing and Reheating
- These nuggets are best enjoyed fresh! If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 2-3 days for best results.
- Reheat in the air fryer (preheat to 375℉ and heat for 3-5 minutes) or oven (preheat to 400℉ and bake for 8-12 minutes) to restore crispiness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these ahead of time?
These are best fresh out of the fryer, but you can definitely prep your chicken and place it in the marinade up to 24 hours in advance.
Can I freeze homemade chicken nuggets.
Yes, you can freeze these nuggets and use them like you would store-bought chicken nuggets. Reheat from frozen in the air fryer (375℉ for 8-10 minutes, shaking half way through) or in the oven (400℉ for 15-18 minutes, flipping half way through).
Can I make these gluten-free?
I’ve never made these with gluten-free ingredients, but I know gluten-free panko bread crumbs do exist and there are a lot of great 1:1 gluten-free flour blends out there. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes!
Can I use these chicken nuggets for other dishes like orange chicken?
Sure! I would just recommend tossing with sauce right before serving to preserve the crispy coating.
Homemade Chicken Nuggets
These homemade nuggets are made from whole pieces of chicken breast, marinated for a tender, juicy finish, and coated in a light, crispy breading that fries up golden and crunchy.
Servings servings
Equipment
- Skimmer
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ¾ cup dill pickle juice
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 10 dashes Tabasco sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 3 egg whites
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 ½ cups unseasoned panko bread crumbs
- Peanut oil or other oil with a very high smoke point like canola, although canola can impart a fishy flavor when cooked at very high temperatures
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
- Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. In a gallon-sized Ziploc bag, combine pickle juice, buttermilk, and about 10 dashes of Tabasco sauce. Add the chicken and seal the bag, then refrigerate it for 1-4 hours.
Bread and Fry
- When ready to cook, whisk together 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, the flour, baking soda, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, whisk together the egg whites and water. Add the bread crumbs to a third shallow bowl.
- Begin heating about 2 inches of peanut oil in a heavy pot fitted with a candy or deep fry thermometer.
- Place a handful of chicken pieces into the flour and toss to coat (you can also coat them all at once by combining the chicken and the flour mixture in a large Ziploc bag and shaking to coat). Roll the chicken in the egg whites, then roll to coat in the Panko. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
- Preheat oven to the lowest setting and place a baking sheet or oven-safe serving dish in there to warm up.
- When the oil reaches 350℉ degrees, place 1/3-1/2 of the coated chicken pieces in the pan and cook, stirring gently and frequently, until golden brown (about 3-5 minutes; use an instant read thermometer to check them if you’re nervous; the nuggets should be at least 165°F in the center). Place the cooked chicken in the heated oven (if you don't want to eat in batches) and repeat with the remaining chicken. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Don’t over-crowd your pan. Putting too many chicken nuggets in at once will result in a quick drop in the temperature of your oil. When the oil temperature is too low, it results in soggy breading.
- These nuggets are best enjoyed fresh! If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 2-3 days for best results.
- Reheat in the air fryer (preheat to 375℉ and heat for 3-5 minutes) or oven (preheat to 400℉ and bake for 8-12 minutes) to restore crispiness.
Nutrition
Calories: 390kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 76mg, Sodium: 1227mg, Potassium: 569mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 250IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 79mg, Iron: 2mg
Calories: 390kcal
Cost: $10
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Questions & Reviews
We love these chicken nuggets. Ours are slightly different but the pickle juice and buttermilk make such a crazy good marinade. I’m excited to try using panko crumbs. I have one of those picky eaters too (pb&j, yogurt and bananas only please) and these are usually a hit with her. I hope the sauce is similar to Chick-fil-A sauce because it’s my favorite and I have no idea how to replicate it!
Pickle juice is an amazing idea!!! How do you think these would turn out being baked instead of fried?
I’ve tried baking them–they’re okay, but not great, especially the time I fried half and baked the other half. They were just dry and flavorless by comparison.
These look amazing! My ONLY beef with frying things at home is the smell – it seems to permeate every thing from our clothes to the walls and make mt house smelly for days! Do you have any tips for frying without stinking up the house? I guess I’ve only ever tried it with canola oil and not peanut so maybe that might have something to do with it.
Canola definitely stinks worse. I just open up the windows and hope for the best, haha!
Simmer a pot of vinegar and water on the stove for an hour or so (or less if you don’t have time). Maybe around 2 cups water and 1/2 cup vingar (apple cider or white). It always works! (We use it for that burned toast/popcorn/sticky overflow spots in the oven too)
Thank you for this.
These look awesome, thanks! I have a kid just like that except he won’t even eat chick-fil-a. Not that we don’t keep trying :).
I just have to say what a awesome post.
I may finally get to make something for my two picky eaters that they will actually eat. Usually it is cereal or yogurt for dinner.
Pickle juice is a problem. NOBODY in my family likes pickles so I would never have them in my pantry. We pull them out of burgers, leave them untouched when served with sandwiches. So – an alternative that we might have in the pantry? I am assuming it’s the acidity that’s needed to keep the chicken moist, but can you taste it afterwards? Would some kind of non-pickle infused vinegar work. I don’t want to have chicken tasting of vinegar though.
Yep, vinegar would definitely work! 🙂
Is there any oil other than peanut oil that you’d recommend? I know you chose it because it is yummy and has a high smoke point, but we have peanut and tree nut allergies in the house. And yes, I can google for oils with high smoke point, but I’m trying to figure out if you (or anyone else out there who has experience) have a preference for frying besides peanut oil. I think my own picky eater (just the mac and cheese, please, no pb for her :)) would love this. Thanks!
Grapeseed oil and canola are both good options. The downsides are that grapeseed is expensive and can be hard to find and canola can take on a fishy flavor at very high temps, so if you use it, just make sure it is a new bottle and keep an eye/nose on it; if it starts to smell fishy, your food will taste a little fishy, but that might not bother you. 🙂
excellent to know! thank you very much! 🙂
Expeller pressed coconut oil would work great, too!
I have a daughter who is deathly allergic to peanuts and treenuts, but peanut oil is ok for us to use. Something about the protein not being in the oil. The one time I fried anything, I stuck with canola, but we visit restaurants (especially Chik-fil-a, because their shakes are nut-safe) that use peanut oil with no problem. I know all allergies are different, but you could ask your doctor if you could use peanut oil?
“The FDA exempts highly refined peanut oil from being labeled as an allergen. Studies show that most individuals with peanut allergy can safely eat peanut oil (but not cold-pressed, expelled or extruded peanut oil – sometimes represented as gourmet oils). If you are allergic to peanuts, ask your doctor whether or not you should avoid peanut oil.” http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/peanut-allergy
thanks, amber. when i asked, her allergist told that i am lucky that restaurants are now telling customers they use peanut oil at all, and i shouldn’t bank on them telling me how it is processed. we have avoided chik-fil-a for that very reason, but it sounds like they are using the refined type. i’m so glad to know about their shakes! i suppose i’d be able to check the label if i were buying it myself, though…that’s a great idea. thanks! 🙂
My kids are the same! The 6 year old would eat most anything, the 4 year old is the bird by just pecking at her food, and the two year old is semi-picky, she wont do Pb&j, but will eat spicy foods and rice & beans. Lol! Chicken nuggets are everyone’s favorite though, and I already have chicken out for supper! Thanks!