Homemade Chicken Nuggets: A Crispy, Juicy Family Favorite Recipe

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

If your family asks for chicken nuggets more often than you would like to admit, you are in the right place. These homemade chicken nuggets begin with ground chicken, so there is no chopping, no pounding, and no guessing about what is inside.

The coating fries up deeply golden and shatteringly crisp, while the center stays juicy and well seasoned all the way through.

I like to shape a big batch on a quiet afternoon, tuck the tray in the freezer, and fry a handful whenever the craving hits. Picky eaters approve, meal prep gets easier, and dare I say, we have the drive through at home.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Homemade Chicken Nuggets

The ingredient list is short and mostly pantry friendly, which is exactly why this recipe has become a repeat in my kitchen. Here is what you are working with.

• Ground chicken: 2 pounds. I prefer ground chicken breast for a cleaner flavor, but ground chicken with a little more fat works well too and stays extra juicy.
• Paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground black pepper: the seasoning backbone for the nugget mixture.
• Diamond Crystal salt: 2 teaspoons. See the salt note below if you keep a different brand in your cupboard.
• Cornstarch: 1/2 cup for the first coating. This is the secret that seals in moisture before the batter ever touches the chicken.
• All purpose flour: 1 1/2 cups as the base of the wet batter.
• Baking powder: 3/4 teaspoon. This is what makes the batter light and airy instead of heavy.
• Very cold club soda: 2 cups. The bubbles add airiness, and the cold slows gluten development so the coating never turns bready.
• Oil for frying: enough to fill a large pot halfway.

The wet batter gets its own round of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt, so measure those twice. The full amounts are listed on the recipe card below.

How to Make Homemade Chicken Nuggets

The whole process is simple once you see the order of operations. First you build the nugget mixture, then you chill it hard, then you fry.

Combine the ground chicken with the spices and the salt using your hands. Scoop heaping tablespoons of the mixture, shape them into nugget shapes with lightly oiled hands, then press each one into cornstarch and set it on a parchment lined tray.

Freeze the tray for 2 hours, or until the nuggets are firm. That short freeze is what keeps them from falling apart in the oil.

When you are ready to fry, heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat until it reaches 350°F.

While the oil comes up to temperature, whisk the flour, baking powder, the spices, and the salt together, then fold in the very cold club soda with a fork until the batter is just combined. Small lumps are fine, and overmixing is not.

Dip the frozen nuggets in the batter, let the excess drip off, and fry them 5 at a time for 4 to 6 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.

Working in small batches keeps the oil hot, which is what gives you that crisp shell instead of a soggy one. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately while hot with your favorite dipping sauces.

Tips and Tricks

• Watch your salt brand. Diamond Crystal is lighter than Morton. If you use Morton kosher salt or a coarse salt, reduce each teaspoon to 3/4 teaspoon.
• Keep the batter cold. Park it in the refrigerator or set the bowl over ice between batches. Cold batter means less gluten and a crisper crust.
• Fry 5 at a time. Adding too many nuggets at once drops the oil temperature. Check the oil as you go and adjust the heat to hold it at 350°F.
• Make ahead and freeze. Form the nuggets, coat them in cornstarch, freeze them on a sheet tray until firm, then move them to a freezer bag. When you are ready to cook, mix a fresh batch of wet batter and fry straight from frozen.
• Reheat for crunch. A 400°F oven for 7 to 10 minutes brings the crisp back far better than a microwave ever will.
• Dress them up. For a festive appetizer, top warm nuggets with crème fraîche, caviar, and chives. Trust me, it works.

The single biggest upgrade here is temperature control. Cold batter going into properly hot oil is what gives you that shattering crust.

More Fast Food Dupes

If you love the idea of skipping the drive through, these copycat favorites from the same kitchen are worth a look.

Copycat SweetGreen Kale Caesar Salad

A lighter option for the nights when you want something fresh but still crave that restaurant flavor.

Serve it next to a plate of warm nuggets and everyone at the table is happy.

Copycat Shake Shack Burgers

A burger night favorite for anyone who loves a diner style patty made at home.

It pairs nicely with a pile of these nuggets when you are feeding a hungry crowd.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

All the tangy heat of buffalo wings in sliceable form.

Great for game day, and a fun way to use up whatever dipping sauce is left in the fridge.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Cozy, cheesy, and a natural partner for a basket of nuggets. It is the kind of bowl I make when the weather turns cold and nobody wants to leave the house.

Ingredients

For the nugget mixture:

• 2 pounds ground chicken
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal salt
• 1/2 cup cornstarch

For the wet batter:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal salt
• 2 cups very cold club soda
• Oil for frying

Instructions

Prep the nuggets

1. Set up your dredging station. Line a large sheet tray with parchment paper, then add the cornstarch to a plate or small sheet tray.
2. In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, the spices, and the salt. Use your hands to combine everything, making sure the seasoning is evenly distributed.
3. With oiled hands, scoop out a heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture and shape it into a nugget. Coat it in cornstarch, place it on the prepared tray, and repeat with the rest. Freeze the tray for 2 hours, or until the nuggets are firm.
4. Once the nuggets are frozen, prepare the wet batter and start heating your oil. Fill a large, heavy pot halfway with oil and set it over medium heat.
5. While the oil heats, whisk the flour, baking powder, the spices, and the salt in a medium bowl. Pour in the cold club soda and fold gently with a fork just until combined. The batter should stay slightly lumpy, so simply break up any large clumps and stop there.

For frying

1. When the oil reaches 350°F, pull the tray of nuggets from the freezer. Have a plate lined with paper towels ready for draining, plus a spider or tongs within reach.
2. Dip 5 nuggets into the wet batter. Lift them out with a fork, let the excess batter drip off, and slide them straight into the oil. Work in small batches so the oil temperature does not drop. Fry for 4 to 6 minutes, until golden brown and fully cooked through.
3. Remove the nuggets from the oil and let them drain on the prepared plate. Continue frying the remaining nuggets in batches.
4. Serve immediately while hot, with your favorite dipping sauces and toppings.

Notes

• Keep the batter cold. Refrigerate it or set the bowl on ice between batches. Cold batter slows gluten formation, which is the difference between a light crust and a chewy one.
• Salt swap. If you use Morton kosher salt or coarse salt, reduce each teaspoon of salt to 3/4 teaspoon.
• Hold the temperature. Fry in batches of 5 and adjust the heat as needed to keep the oil at 350°F.
• Make ahead. Form the nuggets, dredge them in cornstarch, and freeze them on a sheet tray. Once firm, transfer them to a freezer storage bag. When you are ready to cook, prepare a fresh batch of wet batter and proceed with the recipe.
• Reheating. Place cooked nuggets in a 400°F oven for 7 to 10 minutes to crisp them back up.
• Serving idea. For a party, top the nuggets with crème fraîche, caviar, and chives.

A note on quantity: the cornstarch coating and the wet batter are two separate layers, so do not be tempted to skip the first one. The cornstarch is what holds the moisture in while the batter puffs around it.

Recipe details

This recipe yields 36 nuggets. Prep takes about 30 minutes, cooking takes about 30 minutes, and the nuggets need 2 hours in the freezer before frying, so plan for roughly 3 hours from start to finish.

The source nutrition panel lists 64 calories, 6 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of protein, and 2 grams of fat per serving.

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Homemade Chicken Nuggets If your family asks for chicken nuggets more often than you would like to admit, you are in the right place. These homemade chicken nuggets begin with ground chicken, so there is no chopping, no pounding, and no guessing about what is inside.

• Total Time: 180 min
• Yield: 36 nuggets 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

2 pounds ground chicken
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt, Diamond Crystal
1/2 cup cornstarch
Wet batter:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, Diamond Crystal
2 cups club soda, very cold
Oil for frying

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Instructions

Prep the nuggets:
1-Set up your dredging station: Set up your dredging station. Prepare a large sheet tray with parchment paper. Add the cornstarch to a plate or small sheet tray.
2-In a large bowl, add the ground: In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, spices, and salt. Use your hands to combine the mixture, making sure the seasoning is evenly distributed.
3-Using oiled hands, scoop out a heaping: Using oiled hands, scoop out a heaping tablespoon of the ground chicken and form it into a chicken nugget shape. Then, coat the nugget in the cornstarch and place it on the sheet tray. Freeze the tray of nuggets for 2 hours or until firm.
4-When your nuggets are frozen, prepare the: When your nuggets are frozen, prepare the wet batter and heat your frying oil. Fill a large, heavy-bottomed pot halfway with oil and set it over medium heat.
5-While the oil heats, whisk together the: While the oil heats, whisk together the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt in a medium bowl. Then, pour in the cold club soda and gently fold the mixture with a fork just until combined, the batter should remain slightly lumpy. Don’t overmix; simply break up any large clumps.

For frying:
6-Once the oil has reached 350℉, remove: Once the oil has reached 350℉, remove the sheet tray of nuggets from the freezer. Have a paper towel-lined plate or sheet tray ready for draining the oil from the nuggets and a spider or tongs within reach.
7-Dip 5 nuggets into the wet batter: Dip 5 nuggets into the wet batter. Use a fork to lift them out, letting the excess batter drip off a bit, and then place them directly into the oil. Only do a few nuggets at a time to avoid dropping the temperature of the oil. Fry the nuggets for 4-6 minutes, until golden brown and fully cooked through.
8-Now, remove the nuggets from the oil: Now, remove the nuggets from the oil and let them drain on the prepared plate. Continue frying the remaining nuggets in batches.
9-Serve immediately while hot, with your favorite: Serve immediately while hot, with your favorite dipping sauces and toppings.

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• Prep Time: 30 min
• Cook Time: 30 min
• Method: stovetop

Nutrition

• Calories: 64kcal
• Sugar: 0.1g
• Sodium: 245mg
• Fat: 2g
• Saturated Fat: 1g
• Carbohydrates: 6g
• Fiber: 0.3g
• Protein: 5g
• Cholesterol: 22mg