“I love to make fried chicken.” - John Legend
There’s nothing like recreating a childhood favorite at home. My recipe that I am sharing today gives me the perfect nostalgia of my younger years. One of my most well received snacks for my friends and family are my crispy chicken nuggets. They are perfect for parties or the weekend craving that my husband and I get every now and then.
Check out the full recipe below!
What you'll need:
1 Pack of Chicken Breasts
Seasoned Salt
Paprika Seasoning
Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Red Pepper Seasoning
All-Purpose Flour
1 Egg
Panko Breadcrumbs - seasoned or unseasoned
Canola Oil
Dipping Sauce - honey mustard, barbecue sauce, or whatever you choose!
Step 1: Rinse off the chicken breasts in lukewarm water. Begin slicing the chicken breasts into long strips, then cube them carefully. Once completed, combine your seasonings into a bowl or plastic gallon ziplock bag. After the seasonings are together, generously coat your chopped chicken nuggets in the mixture. Also, depending on how you cut them, a pack of chicken breasts should yield between 24-36 nuggets.
Pro Tip: I typically marinate my nuggets 24 hours prior to the day they will be cooked. Getting that extra flavor in is a must!
Step 2: Next, get two plates and a bowl. One plate will be for the seasoned flour, I add seasoned salt, paprika, or lemon pepper. The next plate will be for the panko breadcrumbs, and last the bowl will be for your egg wash mixture. For the egg wash mixture, include one egg, and a 1/4 cup of water. Begin coating the nuggets in the seasoned flour mixture, egg wash, and panko breadcrumbs - continue to repeat until each chicken piece is coated evenly. Be sure to get a nice even coat on each nugget.
Pro Tip: Stick your nuggets in the fridge for a few hours before cooking. This helps keep the panko breadcrumbs from falling off the chicken during frying.
Step 3: Once you are ready to fry your nuggets, begin getting your oil hot. Try to aim for the oil to be about 350 degrees before dropping the chicken nuggets in.
Step 4: Now that the oil is ready, begin placing the nuggets into the fryer. Try to not overcrowd the nuggets in pot. Cook your nuggets in batches, each set takes about 15-18 minutes.
Pro Tip: Crowding the pot will lower the temperature of the oil. This will take your chicken much longer to cook, and make them very greasy.
Step 5: As your chicken nuggets obtain that golden brown color, place them onto a nice stack of paper towels.
Step 6: Choose your favorite dipping sauce, and enjoy!
Pro Tip: These nuggets are even perfect baked, air fried, or grilled (without panko of course)!
XO, Analise