Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you go
Makes 18 nuggets
- 500 g (1.1 lb) chicken breast, ground
- 1 egg + 1 Tbsp water or plant-based milk
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise or 1 Tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
- 1 level tsp salt
- 1 tsp mustard (optional)
For the breading
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 50 g (⅓ cup + 1 Tbsp) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 80 g (1⅓ cups) panko or tempura breadcrumbs
- ½ tsp paprika (optional)
- Sunflower oil (for frying)
- Mix the ground chicken with the egg, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and mayonnaise (or oil) until you have a smooth, even mixture.
Gently spread the nugget mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, shaping it into a rectangle of even thickness. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Cut into 35-40 g (about 1¼-1½ oz) rectangles, then coat them in the flour, egg and breadcrumbs.
Dip each nugget in the flour, then in the beaten egg, then in the panko.
- Heat a generous layer of oil in a large skillet (to 175°C / 350°F), then add the nuggets and cook them 5 at a time so the oil doesn’t cool down too much and they don’t soak it up. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Serve hot with the sauce of your choice!
Tips and planning
You can skip grinding the chicken and simply cut it into bite-sized pieces instead.
For a party appetizer, make them in a mini version.
For busy weeknights, you can double the quantities and freeze the nuggets (before or after frying).
If you’ve made them ahead, just pop them in an oven preheated to 180°C (350°F) for about 10 minutes to reheat.
To bake them in the oven, preheat to 200°C (400°F) and place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet for 15 minutes. Turn them halfway through.
For tempura nuggets, follow the tempura chicken recipe, but put the nuggets shaped in step 2 in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour first.
The nuggets can be cooked up to 2 days ahead. Keep them in the refrigerator, then reheat for 8 to 10 minutes in an oven preheated to 200°C (400°F). They’ll be crispy again. They also freeze very well after cooking; in that case, reheat them straight from the freezer in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes at 200°C (400°F).