Chicken nuggets shouldn’t just be the domain of the frozen food aisle and fast food, especially not when homemade chicken nuggets can be just as cheap and so much easier than you think. Nuggets may be thought of as a convenience food, but as perfect crispy vessels for your favorite sauces, they are worth spending a little extra effort on too. And unlike the spongy processed chicken nuggets you’re used to, with homemade chicken nuggets, you know exactly what is going into them, and you can even opt for an oven or air fryer to achieve a nice crunch without deep frying.
But these are still nuggets that we’re talking about, so we want to keep it simple and keep it affordable without sacrificing flavor. So Tasting Table reached out to an expert, Gaby Dakin, the founder of What’s Gaby Cooking and Little Mouths, Big Palates (a Substack about raising adventurous eaters), to ask what cut of chicken she would use for the best homemade nuggets.
Dakin’s recommendation was one we don’t normally associate with nuggets. She told us that the best version is made with “boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Yep, thighs. They have more flavor, stay juicy, and don’t dry out like chicken breast.” Thighs are not only cheaper than chicken breasts, but the boneless, skinless version Dakin recommends are also just as easy to cut up and work with. But if you are a staunch white meat chicken person, Dakin says, “Use tenderloins — they’re naturally softer than regular breast meat.”
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs make flavorful nuggets that won’t get dry
Dakin told us to start with chicken thighs, but she also had plenty of other tips for squeezing the most flavor into your recipe and getting a crunchy texture that completely outshines your average frozen chicken nugget options. Her first tip when cooking homemade chicken nuggets was, “Brine it! A quick soak in buttermilk (or a mix of milk + a little salt) makes for extra juicy nuggets.” Brines are also a great way to sneak in extra flavor, and you can add some cayenne for heat or go Southern-style by mixing your buttermilk with some pickle juice. Dakin also advised, “Season every layer. The flour, the egg wash, the breadcrumbs — everything gets a little love.”
Once your seasoning is taken care of, the most important part is a crispy coating, and Dakin recommended using panko bread crumbs, which differ from regular bread crumbs. Adding a teaspoon of cornstarch to your eggs before you dip your chicken in can also help to add extra crunch without the need for frying. Once you do start cooking your nuggets, Dakin said, “Bake on a wire rack so air circulates all around for that crispy texture.” With bite-sized nuggets, it should take 20-minutes or less to achieve perfectly browned breading. They may be a bit more work, but your first bite into these juicy homemade nuggets will make it clear that following Dakin’s advice was all worth it.
