Last updated on March 28, 2019 by Liza Hawkins
When you have thirty minutes to cook, homemade chicken nuggets are the way to go!
We’re big fans of chicken over here, especially my kids.
And double-especially when it involves words like “fingers” and “nuggets.”
Basically, they’re all about the crunchy breaded coating, and the dip-ability factor.
Also.
I make a lot of things from scratch. I really do.
That said, I’ll admit that we have bags of nuggets and chicken fingers in the freezer, too.
We’re a normal human family whose kids sometimes need food items that can be ready to eat in ten minutes after school, and before the next activity.
But, when I have twenty to thirty minutes to cook, homemade chicken nuggets are the way to go!
And most nights, we have half an hour to spare.
(And I bet you do, too.)
The key for me to making tasty homemade chicken nuggets or tenders is liberal use of salt on the surface.
And, no.
That’s not terribly bad for you.*
And, also this: PANKO BREADCRUMBS.
I know SO many people use regular breadcrumbs or Italian breadcrumbs.
I find it’s hard to get a nice crispy coating with them.
They either end up sliding off the meat, or the texture is more soggy/chewy than crispy/crunchy.
Perhaps it’s my cooking technique?
Just buy the Panko from now on. Trust me.
Here are some of the kitchen tools I use to make homemade chicken nuggets:
Homemade Chicken Nuggets
When you have thirty minutes to make dinner, these homemade chicken nuggets are the best!
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Place a large skillet on the stove to preheat over medium (or just slightly hotter) heat while you get the chicken prepared.
- Sprinkle the chicken pieces on all sides with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Add the flour to a small plate, and spread it out into a thin layer.
- Add the egg and water mixture to a small bowl.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of salt with the Panko and spread it onto a second small plate.
- Pour the olive oil into the warmed skillet.
- Coat each piece of chicken lightly in flour, followed by the egg mixture, and lastly in the Panko. Add them to the skillet and cook for 4 minutes on one side. Flip each nugget, and then continue cooking for another 4 minutes.
- Remove the homemade chicken nuggets to rest on a paper towel for 5 minutes before serving!
Notes
If you're using really big chicken breasts, you might need to pound them thinner OR slice them in half width-wise before cutting them into nuggets. Boneless, skinless chicken strips can also be a great, simple alternative to using full breasts (and they're often less expensive)—you'll want 4 or 5 instead of 2.
