These homemade chicken nuggets taste just like the ones you’d get at your favorite fast food joint. They're super crispy and crunchy, and I think using ground chicken makes the best chicken nuggets ever. Pair them with your favorite dipping sauce, and you'll fall in love!
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The Best Baked Chicken Nuggets With Ground Chicken
Any time I get a craving for a delicious grease-filled junk food, I turn to this recipe. These homemade chicken nuggets remind me of McDonald's, and you can make them in the same amount of time as it'd take you to drive to grab them through a drive-thru!
Along with making these ground chicken nuggets for myself, I also find myself making them for every kid's birthday party in my family. They're totally kid-approved and a hit for adults, too. I'll be honest I love getting compliments from everyone, especially if you serve them with these McDonald's French fries. Trust me, make these for your next get-together, and you'll be the most popular person there!
Oh, and these chicken nuggets freeze really well and make my favorite freezer meal. I'll get into that more later on.
Ingredients You'll Need
For the nuggets:
- Slice bread- adds a light and fluffy interior to the nuggets.
- Milk- you can use any kind you want.
- Ground chicken- my secret ingredient for making the best homemade fast food chicken nuggets ever!
- Salt and pepper- to taste.
For the breading:
- Eggs- to coat the chicken.
- Breadcrumbs- for the crispy and crunchy breading.
- Salt and pepper- to add flavor.
How To Make Chicken Nuggets with Ground Chicken
Step 1: Make chicken nuggets
Tear the slices of bread slice and add them to a bowl. Add the milk to the bowl of bread and allow it to soak for a few minutes. Add the ground chicken to the bowl and season the chicken with salt and pepper. Stir well to combine everything together and refrigerate it for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Prepare the breading
Add the eggs to a bowl with salt and pepper and whisk well to combine the white with the yolks. Add breadcrumbs to a separate bowl.
Step 3: Shape the nuggets
Take a tablespoon of the chicken mixture and shape it into a nugget. Coat the nugget with breadcrumbs, dip it into eggs, and then coat again with the breadcrumbs. Place the nuggets on a wire rack once breaded and repeat with the remaining ground chicken.
Step 4: Cook the nuggets
Heat 2 inches of oil in a saucepot over medium heat. Add the nuggets and cook for a few minutes until golden brown on all sides. Serve nuggets warm with French fries and your choice of dipping sauce on the side. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Do not overcrowd the pan. Lining the frying pan with the nuggets ensures the nuggets will cook more evenly and make flipping halfway much easier.
- Check to make sure the internal temperature is at least 165°F to ensure that the chicken nuggets are fully cooked.
- Use avocado oil, vegetable oil, or coconut oil for the frying process. These are the oils you want when cooking at a high heat. They also have a mild flavor. The coconut oil will add a sweet coconutty flavor, so only use this if you like that.
- Fully bread the nuggets on all sides to get that extra crispy exterior.
How To Store Chicken Nuggets
Store any leftover chicken nuggets in an airtight container lined with a paper towel. They will last in the fridge for 3-4 days.
If you want to keep these nuggets for longer or make a double batch to have a quick meal on hand - that's what I like to do when I make this recipe - you can store the ground chicken nuggets in a freezer-safe bag for about 3 months. These chicken nuggets are so good frozen, so I highly recommend making a double or even triple batch of this recipe.
How To Reheat Chicken Nuggets
The best way to reheat chicken nuggets is in the oven or air fryer. It will keep the texture light and crisp. Preheat the oven or air fryer to 400°F and warm for 8 minutes, flipping halfway through. For frozen chicken nuggets, just double the reheating time.
More Chicken Recipes
- Mustard fried chicken
- Crispy fried chicken
- Chicken risotto
- BBQ boneless wings
- Chicken parm sandwich
- McDonald's chicken nuggets
Homemade Chicken Nuggets (With Ground Chicken)
These homemade chicken nuggets taste just like the ones you’d get at your favorite fast food joint. They're super crispy and crunchy, and I think using ground chicken makes the best chicken nuggets ever. Pair them with your favorite dipping sauce, and you'll fall in love!
Ingredients
For the nuggets:
- 1 slice bread
- 3 tablespoon milk
- 1lb. ground chicken
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the breading:
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cup breadcrumbs
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Tear the bread into slices and add them to a bowl.
- Add the milk and allow the bread to soak for a few minutes.
- Add chicken and season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Stir to combine well and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the breadcrumbs to a separate bowl.
- Take a tablespoon of chicken mixture and shape it into a nugget.
- Coat the nugget with breadcrumbs, then dip into eggs and again coat with the breadcrumbs. Place the nuggets on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining ground chicken.
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a saucepot over medium heat. Add the nuggets and cook until golden brown on all sides. Do not overcrowd the pan.
- Serve nuggets warm with French fries and your favorite dipping sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
¼ lb.Amount Per Serving: Calories: 411Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 177mgSodium: 525mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 3gSugar: 0gProtein: 32g
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