Chicken Nuggets
Bite-sized pieces of chicken breast in a seasoned crumb coating, baked or fried until crisp. Four servings in 35 minutes.
Photograph credit: Chicken nuggets on a plate by Jiafei Slay Queen · CC0 1.0 · Wikimedia
Making Chicken Nuggets Ahead
Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat on a tray at 200°C for 8 minutes. Cooked nuggets freeze for up to 2 months.
Making Chicken Nuggets
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Heat the oven to 220°C / 430°F (200°C / 390°F fan) with a large baking tray inside. Toss the chicken with the salt and leave for 10 minutes.
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Put the flour, egg and crumbs mixed with the garlic powder and paprika in three shallow dishes.
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Coat each piece in flour, then egg, then crumbs, pressing firmly.
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Pour the oil onto the hot tray, tilt to coat and add the nuggets in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes, turn and bake for 8 minutes more until golden and cooked through.
A Few Pointers
- Cut the pieces to a uniform size so they cook evenly.
- Heat the tray first so the underside crisps at once.
- Check that no pink remains in the largest piece.
Why the Method Is What It Is
What makes a nugget crisp? Dry crumbs, a hot tray and space. Panko or ordinary dried breadcrumbs both work, as long as they are pressed on firmly and the tray goes into the oven already hot.
Cut the chicken into 3 cm pieces, all about the same size. Small ones cook in 12 minutes, and uneven ones leave some raw and some dry.
Salt the chicken and let it sit for 10 minutes before coating. It seasons the meat all the way through and the nuggets taste of chicken, not just of crumbs.
Spread them out on the tray. Nuggets touching each other steam at the contact points and go soft. Turn once at the halfway mark so both sides take the heat of the tray. Baked nuggets are lighter than fried ones and avoid a pan of hot oil, which is better with children around. The batch freezes well on a tray before bagging, so a quick supper is always available later.
What to Put Next to It
Ketchup · Honey mustard · Oven chips · Coleslaw
Chicken Nuggets FAQ
How long does Chicken Nuggets take to make?
About 35 minutes in total — 15 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking. The recipe serves 4.
What are the key tips for making Chicken Nuggets?
Cut the pieces to a uniform size so they cook evenly. Heat the tray first so the underside crisps at once. Check that no pink remains in the largest piece.
What should I serve with Chicken Nuggets?
Ketchup; Honey mustard; Oven chips; Coleslaw.
Can Chicken Nuggets be made ahead or frozen?
Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat on a tray at 200°C for 8 minutes. Cooked nuggets freeze for up to 2 months.
Is Chicken Nuggets suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is high-protein and no added sugar. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Chicken Nuggets?
About 450 kcal per serving, with 42 g protein, 30 g carbohydrate and 18 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
What's in a Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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