Of all the items on the McDonald's menu, there are few as iconic as McDonald's chicken nuggets! I can honestly eat a hundred of them, and this copycat McDonald's chicken nugget recipe is the perfect way to bring the golden arches right into your kitchen.
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Copycat McDonald's Chicken Nuggets That Taste Like The Real Thing
Whenever I crave fast food, the chicken nuggets from McDonald's are always what I get. Since I love them so much, I had to try coming up with my own copycat recipe. After countless tries, I think I nailed it! My copycat McDonald's chicken nuggets recipe is seriously as good as the real thing.
Now, since I love them so much, I wanted to make this recipe a little healthier than the restaurant version, so I baked the chicken nuggets, and they seriously turned out perfect. I don't feel as guilty about making this recipe once a week!
I especially love to cook a big batch when my nieces come over and see if they realize that these are homemade chicken nuggets. So far, they haven't noticed it's a copycat recipe, and we all know that kids can be the biggest food critics! Also, these chicken nuggets are a fantastic appetizer and game-day finger food and are a great freezer meal.
Ingredients For McDonald's Chicken Nuggets
- 2 chicken breast fillets - some chicken McNugget recipes I have seen use ground chicken, but genuine McDonald's chicken nuggets use white meat chicken breasts, so that's what I'm going with.
- Breadcrumb mix - I use ¾ cup Italian breadcrumbs, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon dried basil.
- Salt and black pepper - to taste.
- ⅓ cup butter - melted.
How To Make McDonald's Chicken Nuggets
Step 1: Prep
Start by preheating your oven to 400°F. Next, cut the chicken breasts into 1 ½-inch pieces. If you are especially skilled with your knife, you can take a little time and cut into the classic McDonald's chicken nugget shapes. For the best cooking, try to cut them into the same-sized nuggets. Then, season the chicken with a little salt and black pepper.
Step 2: Bread The Chicken
In a shallow bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with parmesan, the remaining salt and pepper, and dried basil. Melt butter in a medium bowl, dip your chicken pieces in the butter, and coat them well on each side. Next, coat the chicken with the prepared breadcrumb batter mix. Shake off any excess breadcrumbs.
Step 3: Cook The Chicken
Place the chicken nuggets onto a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place them in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked through and the batter is a beautiful golden brown, remove it from the oven. Serve these copycat McNuggets warm with French fries and your favorite dipping sauces. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- For different flavors, try experimenting with the herbs and seasoning in your batter mix. Garlic powder, onion powder, and spices like mustard powder and paprika can all give your nuggets an extra kick.
- For a more authentic taste, you can fry your chicken nuggets in a deep fryer or pan. Just be aware that deep-fried nuggets will be a little unhealthier, but they will taste great! When deep frying, use cooking oil with a high smoke point, like canola oil, because it doesn't burn at high temperatures. After frying, rest your cooked nuggets on a paper towel-lined plate so the paper towels soak up excess oil.
How To Store Chicken Nuggets
Allow leftover chicken nuggets to cool, and store them in the fridge in an airtight container. They'll keep best for about 3 days. To keep for longer, you can freeze the chicken nuggets. I love freezing them to have a quick meal on hand whenever the fast food cravings hit. Just place the cooled nuggets in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 4 months.
How To Reheat Chicken Nuggets
To reheat your nuggets, put them back in the oven at 350°F (160°C) for about 10 minutes until warmed throughout. If you're reheating frozen chicken nuggets, just add about 20 more minutes to the cooking time.
More McDonald's Copycat Recipes
- McDonald's Chicken Snack Wrap
- Homemade McGriddle
- McDonald's Pancakes
- Homemade Big Mac
- Homemade Egg McMuffin
- Mall Bourbon Chicken
McDonald's Chicken Nuggets Recipe
Of all the items on the McDonald's menu, there are few as iconic as McDonald's chicken nuggets! I can honestly eat a hundred of them, and this copycat McDonald's chicken nugget recipe is the perfect way to bring the golden arches right into your kitchen.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breast fillets
- ¾ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cut chicken breasts into 1 ½-inch pieces. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Combine breadcrumbs with parmesan, salt, pepper, and dried basil.
- Dip chicken into melted butter until coated well.
- Coat the chicken with the prepared breadcrumbs.
- Place well-coated chicken nuggets onto a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Bake the nuggets for 20 minutes. You can also cook these in an air fryer.
- Serve nuggets warm with potatoes and some fresh salad.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
5 chicken nuggetsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 281Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 501mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gProtein: 24g
Joanie
These chicken nuggets were delicious!! They really reminded me of fast food chicken nuggets and me and my son loved them!