Homemade Chicken Nuggets

These 20-minute chicken nuggets made from ground chicken are a breeze to make and oh-so-delicious. Make them for your kids today and never get these at a drive-thru again!

Most kids LOVE chicken nuggets!

But they aren’t the healthiest especially when you get them from a fast food place. So we end up with two options – get the frozen ones or make them at home.

Making at home may sound time-consuming but it isn’t especially if you make chicken nuggets from ground chicken. It takes less than 20 minutes from start-to-finish!

Faster than getting dressed and getting to a take-out place :-D.

So, ditch your drive-thru and let’s make these chicken nuggets at home!

How do you make chicken nuggets with ground chicken?

Traditionally chicken nuggets are made from breast meat. They need to be cut into bite-sized pieces and then seasoned, before frying them or baking them.

Using ground chicken saves you a step here.

Make sure you use organic ground chicken made from 100% breast meat such as Bell and Evan’s ground chicken from Whole Foods. This ensures that bones are not added to your ground chicken.

So do check your package before you buy!

Now let’s get to the 4 easy steps you can follow to make chicken nuggets at home –

1. Combine all the ingredients (eggs + seasonings) except the ground chicken. Reserve about 3-4 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs for coating.
2.  Add the ground chicken to the seasonings + egg mixture and combine them. Shape them into balls (about 2-inches) and then flatten them.
3. Coat them with the reserved breadcrumbs.
4. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil and fry the chicken nuggets in batches till it is golden brown on both sides.

Note – I use Panko breadcrumbs made for crunchy food to gives these chicken nuggets a nice crunch.

Variations to this recipe –

1. You can use breadcrumbs with Italian seasonings for some taste variation.
2. Increase the amount of black pepper and red chili powder to a teaspoon each to make it spicy. Serve it as an appetizer for adults.
3. Add some ground green chilies, if you really want it spicy 🙂

Here are other snack recipes that your kids will love – 

1. Cereal Chivda– Turn your leftover cereal into this delicious snack.
2. Sweet and Spicy Popcorn – a tasty twist to your conventional popcorn.
3. Corn bhel – a healthy twist to the popular street food.

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Easy Chicken Nuggets Recipe

These 20-minute chicken nuggets made from ground chicken are a breeze to make and oh-so-delicious. Make them for your kids today!

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 12 mins

Total Time 17 mins

Course Snacks

Cuisine American

Keyword easy, ground chicken, homemade

Method Stovetop

Diet Nut-free

Servings 18 nuggets

Calories 60

Author Anushree Shetty

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

• 1 egg, well beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs + 4 tablespoons
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 2 tablespoons oil

Instructions

• Combine all the ingredients except the ground chicken and oil.  Reserve about 3-4 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs for coating.
•  Add the ground chicken to the seasonings + egg mixture and combine them. Shape them into balls (about 2-inches) and then flatten them.
• Coat them with the reserved breadcrumbs.
• Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and fry the chicken nuggets in batches (if needed). Fry them for a couple of minutes on each side till they are golden brown.
• Serve them warm or at room temperature with a side of ketchup.

Notes

1. We used a teaspoon of both pepper and chili powder for our recipe - you can see them in our step by step pictures. We love spicy chicken nuggets.
2. Use breadcrumbs with Italian seasonings to mix it up.

NOTE – I am not a registered dietitian or nutritionist. Nutritional information is provided a courtesy and can vary depending on the exact ingredients you use.

Disclaimer: Approximate Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and can vary depending on the exact ingredients/brands used. If you have health issues, please work with a registered dietician or nutritionist.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Easy Chicken Nuggets Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 piece)

Calories 60 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Saturated Fat 2g10%

Cholesterol 30mg10%

Sodium 160mg7%

Potassium 138mg4%

Carbohydrates 1g0%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 20IU0%

Calcium 6mg1%

Iron 0.3mg2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Tried this recipe?Take a photo and tag @simmertoslimmer or use the hashtag #simmertoslimmer on Instagram for a shoutout!