Easy Chicken Nuggets at Home

An easy way to make 2 styles of homemade chicken nuggets and 2 nugget sauce options.

Prep
30 min
Cook
45 min
Total
24 hrs
Serves
8
people
Easy Chicken Nuggets at Home
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Ingredients

Chicken Farce

  • 1 lb (454g) ground chicken
  • ½ lb (227g) ground pork, high-fat
  • 1 Tbsp (12g) kosher salt
  • 1.5 tsp (6g) MSG
  • 2 tsp (8g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp (2g) ground white pepper
  • 2 tsp (6g) garlic powder
  • ½ tsp (1g) onion powder
  • 3 Tbsp (24g) corn starch
  • 1-2 Tbsp (15-30mL) cold water

Confit Garlic Chili Crisp Mayo:

  • 8 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
  • 1 cup (240mL) canola or avocado oil
  • 2 large egg yolks 
  • 2 Tbsp (30g) spicy chili crisp (oil and solids)
  • 2 Tbsp (30g) Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tbsp (30mL) rice vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp (30mL) water
  • Kosher salt, to taste

Spicy Honey Mustard:

  • 3 Tbsp (45g) yellow mustard
  • 3 Tbsp (63g) honey
  • 1 Tbsp (15mL) rice vinegar
  • ⅓ cup (80mL) confit garlic chili crisp mayo
  • Kosher salt, to taste

Breading and Frying:

  • 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • 1.5 cups (90g) panko bread crumbs, lightly crushed or pulsed 2–3 times in a food processor
  • 3 qt (2.8 L) high-temperature neutral cooking oil (canola, vegetable, avocado, etc.)

Nashville Hot Coating:

  • 2 Tbsp (16g) cayenne powder
  • 1 Tbsp (7g) smoked paprika
  • 2 Tbsp (18g) garlic powder
  • 2 tsp (5g) onion powder
  • 2 Tbsp (24g) light brown sugar
  • 2.5 tsp (8g) kosher salt
  • 1.5 tsp (6g) MSG
  • 1 cup (240mL) hot frying oil

Directions

Chicken Farce:

  1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the ground chicken and pork, then pulse until homogenous. Add the kosher salt, MSG, sugar, white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and corn starch. Process on high, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture is very fine and smooth. Add the cold water and blend again until emulsified and evenly incorporated.
  2. Transfer the farce to a clean bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight, to develop texture and flavor. It can be used immediately if needed.

Confit Garlic Chili Crisp Mayo:

  1. To a small saucepot, add the garlic cloves and oil. Set over medium-low heat and let the garlic gently bubble until completely soft and spreadable, about 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t get too browned and turn bitter. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the oil to cool to around 100°F (38°C). Once cooled, spoon out the garlic into a small bowl, reserving the oil in the pot.
  2. In a 1-quart mason jar, combine the cooled garlic, egg yolks, chili crisp, Dijon mustard, rice vinegar, and water. Season to taste with salt then pour in your cooled confit oil.
  3. Insert an immersion blender to the bottom of the jar and blend on high speed until the mixture begins to thicken. Slowly raise and lower the blender to incorporate the remaining oil until fully emulsified and creamy. You can use a blender for this by combining all of the ingredients minus the confit oil in your blender top then blending on high while slowly streaming in your cooled oil.
  4. Season to taste with salt. If it is too thick, pulse in a teaspoon of water or rice vinegar. Transfer to a lidded container and refrigerate until needed.

Spicy Honey Mustard:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, honey, rice vinegar, and confit garlic chili crisp mayo until smooth. Season with kosher salt to taste and set aside.

Breading and Frying:

  1. Use a 1.5-2oz trigger action cookie scoop to portion the farce. Lightly wet your hands and shape each portion into bite-sized nuggets no thicker than ½” (1cm). Place each nugget on a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the farce.
  2. Set up a breading station with three shallow bowls or ¼ sheet trays. Fill one with your flour, one with your beaten eggs, and one with your panko.
  3. Working in batches, dredge each nugget in flour, shaking off the excess. Then, dip in the beaten eggs to coat, letting the excess drip off. Finally, press the nugget into the panko until fully and evenly coated.
  4. Heat your oil in a heavy-bottomed 7–8 quart pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F (175°C). Ensure the oil stays below halfway up the pot.
  5. Fry the nuggets in batches to avoid overcrowding. Cook until deep golden brown and the internal temp reaches 165°F (74°C), about 3–4 minutes.
  6. Using a spider, remove the nuggets from the oil to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with kosher salt to taste, and let rest briefly before serving.

Nashville Hot Coating:

  1. In a heatproof stainless steel bowl, whisk together the cayenne, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, light brown sugar, kosher salt, and MSG until evenly combined.
  2. Carefully ladle 1 cup of your hot frying oil into the spice mixture and whisk vigorously until a smooth, pourable sauce forms.
  3. Working in batches, dunk your freshly fried chicken nuggets into your hot spiced oil, tossing to coat evenly. Transfer the coated nuggets to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and let rest until the crust sets, about one minute. Serve with your sauces and enjoy!