Homemade Chicken Nuggets (2024)

Kids and grown ups both love these homemade chicken nuggets! With a carefully chosen blend of seasoning and a perfectly crisp coating, you’ll never want to go back to fast food or frozen nuggets again!

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Why is it that most kids seem to agree on eating one thing and one thing only: chicken nuggets?

When my boys were little, it felt like I was serving up these bite sized pieces of chicken morning, noon and night.

Even now that they are older, the four of them can devour nuggets like nobody’s business.

Being the mom, I started wondering what went into the frozen nuggets I bought so often at the store.

And the answer was a lot of stuff I didn’t want them eating.

So I started making huge batches of these.

Some of them I serve fresh, the day I make them. But I also freeze big batches of them so I can reheat anytime I need something quick and easy for the boys to enjoy!

Ingredients

To make these you’ll need a set of ingredients for the filling and a set for the breading.

For the filling you need:

• Chicken– I like starting this recipe off with the most wholesome option- boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped.
• Spices– Onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, salt and granulated sugar give these so much flavor!
• Cornstarch and water– To bind the meat together.

For the breading or coating you need:

• Breadcrumbs– Go for plain breadcrumbs over the seasoned kind.
• Flour– Plain, all purpose flour to help the breadcrumbs stick.
• Eggs– To dredge the chicken in prior to breading.
• Oil– I prefer to fry these in canola oil.

How to Make

Making your own chicken nuggets at home is easier than you might think!

To do it, start by rough chopping the chicken breasts and then add it to a food processor, and process until the meat is smooth.

After the meat is smooth, add the spices, water and cornstarch to the food processor and mix againjust until everything’s evenly incorporated and well mixed.

Take a small portion of the chicken mixture and shape it into a roughly 2″x2″ rectangular shape in your hand and place it onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Continue until all the chicken’s been shaped and added to the baking sheet. Place the tray in the freezer and chill for 30 minutes.

After you’ve chilled the chicken, add the canola oil to a heavy bottomed pot or skillet or a deep fryerand heat over medium high heat.

Then, remove the chilled chicken nuggets from the freezer and toss them in the flour turning to evenly coat before dipping them in beaten egg, and then coating them all evenly in the bread crumbs.

Once the oil’s hot, carefully add the nuggets (working in batches so you don’t over crowd the pot) and fry for 6- 8 minutes flipping halfway through.

Remove the cooked chicken nuggets from the hot oil using a slotted spoonand transfer them to a paper towel lined plate to drain off any excess grease.

Repeat until all nuggets have been cooked.

Allow the nuggets to cool significantly before serving them warm with your favorite dipping sauce.

Enjoy!

Dipping Sauces

We each have favorite dipping sauces for these nuggets. Our favorites are:

• barbecue sauce
• honey mustard
• smoked ketchup
• Homemade Marinara Sauce
• mayonnaise
• tzatziki sauce

Can I freeze homemade chicken nuggets?

Yes! You can make a big batch of these and freeze them.

To freeze them, I recommend letting them cool and then putting them back on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Freeze them on the sheet for 1-2 hours or until the breading has frozen.

Then transfer them to an airtight freezer bag and freeze them for 3 months.

Reheat them in the oven, baking them until warmed through.

Tips and Tricks

• When you go to fry your chicken nuggets, make sure you aren’t frying them all at once. Working in too large of batch will lower the temperature of the oil.
• If you want to lighten these up, you could try air frying these chicken nuggets instead of deep frying them.
• Feel free to adjust the spices in this to suit your taste.
• For an extra treat, you could add some shredded cheddar or mozzarella to the filling.

Other Kid Friendly Recipes

These homemade chicken nuggets are always a hit with grown ups and kids. Make them today and never buy frozen nuggets again!

Looking for other kid friendly recipes? Try these:

• Tater Tot Casserole
• Homemade Spaghetti O’s
• Fish Stick Tacos
• Homemade Beefaroni
• Instant Pot Alfredo Pasta
• Cheeseburger Macaroni
• Skillet Ravioli Lasagna

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This post may contain affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Disclosure Policy for details. As always, all opinions are my own.