Homemade Chicken Nuggets

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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!

Chicken nuggets served in a bowl lined with parchment paper. Accompanied by a glass of water and a pan in which chicken nuggets were made

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.

Step by step pictures on how to chicken nuggets with ground chicken

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 🙂

A kid reaching out for a plate of chicken nuggets served with Ketchup

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.


Got a new Instant Pot? Check out the links below to make the most of your pressure cooker -  
Chicken nuggets served in a bowl lined with parchment paper. Accompanied by glass of water and a pan in which chicken nuggets were made
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4.42 from 24 votes

Easy Chicken Nuggets Recipe

Author : Anushree Shetty
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
Servings : 18 nuggets

Ingredients
 
 

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.
Don't forget to..Read the post for helpful information on ingredient swaps, storage tips, meal prep ideas and variations!

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

Serving: 1pieceCalories: 60kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 4gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 160mgPotassium: 138mgVitamin A: 20IUCalcium: 6mgIron: 0.3mg
Diet : Nut-free
Course : Snacks
Method: Stovetop
Keyword : easy, ground chicken, homemade
Cuisine : American

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16 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I was feeling a bit hopeless in finding a good homemade chicken nugget recipe. I wanted to do homemade because the frozen ones at the market have so much… stuff in them. Come to see a lot of the other homemade nuggets had a lot of stuff in them too. But this one, this has simple ingredients and was super easy to make. And they tasted great. So thank you. Thank you for giving me a win with my toddler of highly discerning, highly temperamental tastes!

  2. 5 stars
    These nuggets are awesome. I bake and then freeze them. They are a perfect lunch or dinner for my toddler.

    1. Hi – have you tried it in the air fryer with any success? I’m looking for ideas on how to convert this to an air fryer also . Thanks!

      1. I haven’t tried it in the air fryer. You can try at 375 degrees F for 12-14 minutes. Flip it at the halfway mark. Make sure the internal temperature is 165 degrees F.

    1. Ornella – I haven’t baked it but generally most recipes on the internet bake these nuggets in a preheated oven set at 375°F for 25-30 minutes.

  3. Have you ever made these and frozen them? I’m a shift worker and am always looking to make mealtime a little easier for him when he’s on his own.

    1. I haven’t but you should be able to do it without any issues. Just let it completely cool down before freezing.

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