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!
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 –
- Combine all the ingredients (eggs + seasonings) except the ground chicken. 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 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 –
- You can use breadcrumbs with Italian seasonings for some taste variation.
- 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.
- Add some ground green chilies, if you really want it spicy 🙂
Here are other snack recipes that your kids will love –
- Cereal Chivda– Turn your leftover cereal into this delicious snack.
- Sweet and Spicy Popcorn – a tasty twist to your conventional popcorn.
- 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 -
- Read this article on 10 things to know before using your Instant Pot
- An in-depth guide on how to use your Instant Pot
- 10 Most Useful Instant Pot Accessories
- A massive collection of Instant Pot Recipes
- A list of best Instant Pot Cookbooks for every kind of diet
Easy Chicken Nuggets Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 egg well beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- ½ 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
- 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.
- Use breadcrumbs with Italian seasonings to mix it up.
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.
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!
Glad, I could be of help, Yasmine! Thanks for stopping by!
These nuggets are awesome. I bake and then freeze them. They are a perfect lunch or dinner for my toddler.
Glad you liked them, Emily 🙂
Can these be cooked in an air fryer?
Yes, Jo but I haven’t tried it yet.
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!
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.
I really want to bake these! What temp and how long should I? Can’t wait !
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.
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.
I haven’t but you should be able to do it without any issues. Just let it completely cool down before freezing.
I added a dollop of cheese spread and it tasted yum..Thank you for the easy recipe
You are welcome, Ann!
These nuggets were such a breeze to make. Perfectly crunchy and delicious too!
Thanks, Deepti for sharing your feedback.