Can you beat homemade nuggets? We think not! With six kids, you better believe we’ve eaten a few thousand nuggets in our lifetime, and our chicken nuggets recipe is our GO-TO!
This recipe is so simple (just a few easy steps) that we make it for dinner at least once or twice a month. It’s ready in a snap, on the table in only 30 minutes.
For more of our kid-approved favorites, try Chicken Fingers and Popcorn Chicken!
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Quick and easy. This quick dinner is on the table in only 30 minutes and is one of the best family dinner ideas!
- Save time and money. Save a trip to a fast-food restaurant with this easy meal that uses simple and affordable ingredients!
- Healthier option. These nuggets are a healthier option where you control the ingredients. We’ve also included air fryer directions.
Chicken Nuggets Ingredients
- Chicken breasts (2 boneless, skinless): Tender, lean protein that cooks quickly and stays juicy when breaded and fried.
- All-purpose flour (1 cup): First coating that dries the surface, helps the egg cling, and builds a sturdy crust.
- Eggs (2): Bind the crumbs to the chicken so the coating stays put during frying. Room temperature eggs whisk in better than cold eggs.
- Water (2 tablespoons): Loosens the eggs for even dipping and lighter coverage.
- Regular or panko breadcrumbs (1 cup): Main crunch factor; panko gives a lighter, extra crisp bite, regular crumbs give a classic finish.
- Parmesan cheese (½ cup): Adds salty, savory depth and helps the coating brown beautifully.
- Italian seasoning (1 tablespoon): Brings herby flavor that tastes like your favorite pizzeria nuggets.
- Garlic salt (1 teaspoon): Seasons both the meat and the crust, so every bite is flavorful. Or use paprika or cayenne pepper, onion powder, black pepper, or lemon pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying: Neutral oil with a high smoke point that crisps the nuggets without adding strong flavor.
- optional dipping sauce – Honey Mustard Sauce, Fry Sauce Recipe, Buffalo Sauce Recipe, Sweet and Sour Sauce, BBQ sauce, Homemade Ranch Dressing, or Chick Fil A Sauce
How to Make Chicken Nuggets
PREP. Cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces (about 1–1½ inches).
- Place flour in a medium bowl.
- Combine eggs and water in a second bowl and beat.
- In a third bowl, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic salt and mix.
- Fill a frying pan with oil and heat over medium heat to 350°F.
NUGGETS. While the oil is heating up, coat the chicken. Coat each nugget with flour, then dip into the milk mixture. Finally, coat with the breadcrumb mixture.
FRY. When the oil is ready, place one nugget into the oil to test. It should sizzle immediately. If it darkens too quickly without cooking on the inside, then the oil is too hot. You will need to adjust the heat accordingly.
- Fry nuggets in batches for 3–4 minutes on each side, then place on a wire rack or paper towel–lined plate. Drain the nuggets before serving.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- We find a quick partial freeze of the chicken breast stabilizes it, enabling you to slice it into even pieces very easily. Once cut, allow the pieces to thaw before cooking.
- The flour coating is what helps keep the breadcrumbs from falling off the nuggets.
- For clean, even slices, we first partially freeze the chicken breasts.
- When we want extra crispy nuggets, dip them a second time in the milk and breadcrumbs.
- Maintain the oil temperature at around 350-375°F. Too low, and the nuggets will be greasy; too high, and they’ll burn.
Air Fry Directions:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
- Arrange the chicken nuggets in a single layer in the basket, making sure the sides are not touching. For a crispy texture, spray the top of the nuggets with olive oil.
- Cook for about 7 minutes. Repeat for the remaining nuggets.
Chicken Nuggets Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 cup regular or panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces (about 1-1½ inches).
- Place flour in a medium bowl.
- Combine eggs and water in a second bowl and beat together.
- In a third bowl, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, Italian seasoning and garlic salt and mix together.
- Fill a frying pan with about 2 inches of oil and heat over medium heat to 350 degrees F.
- While the oil is heating up, coat each chicken nugget with flour, then dip into the egg mixture. Finally, coat with the breadcrumb mixture.
- When oil is ready, place one nugget into the oil to test. It should sizzle immediately. If it darkens too quickly without cooking on the inside, then the oil is too hot. Adjust the heat accordingly.
- Fry nuggets in batches for 3-4 minutes on each side, then place on a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain before serving.
Notes
- The flour coating is what helps keep the breading from falling off the nuggets.
- Partially freezing the chicken breasts will help you cut clean and evenly sized pieces.
- For an extra crispy crust, after the initial breading, dip the chicken back into the egg mixture and then back into the breadcrumbs.
- Maintain the oil temperature at around 350-375°F. Too low, and the nuggets will be greasy; too high, and they’ll burn.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Carefully insert the handle of a wooden spoon or a wooden chopstick into the hot oil.
Ready: If the oil starts steadily bubbling around the wood, it’s likely in the 350-375°F range.
Not hot enough: If there are only a few bubbles, the oil needs more time to heat up.
Too hot: If the oil is bubbling vigorously, it’s too hot and you should let it cool down a bit.
After coating the chicken, place them in a single layer and cover them tightly with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge for a few hours before frying according to the recipe.
Place the cooled nuggets in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months. Reheat under the broiler until warm and crisp.
Complete The Meal
Side Dishes
Baked French Fries
1 hr 10 mins
Boiling Corn on the Cob
15 mins
Best Homemade Mac and Cheese
40 mins
Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing
2 hrs 27 mins
Desserts
Rice Krispie Treat Recipe
10 mins
Strawberry Shortcake Kabobs
40 mins
Dirt Cake Parfaits
10 mins
Frosted Brownies
32 mins
Chicken Recipes
Baked Chicken Nuggets
35 mins
Copycat Chick Fil A Nuggets
25 mins
Chicken Strips Recipe
40 mins
Baked Chicken Fingers
35 mins
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This recipe was originally published October 2020.
Could not believe how easy and delicious these were. My kids couldn’t get enough!
Enjoyed these for dinner last night and they were a savory success! Turned out easy and delicious, and way better than a store bought brand! Definitely, a new favorite recipe!
These were amazing and got the seal of approval from my kids, they said they liked them even more than the store-bought ones.
My husband made this recipe tonight and it was amazing! All 3 of our kids (under 10) loved them as well. Thank you!
How do you make chicken nuggets?
This tasted like poop. It killed my son, Troy. Poor troy. He said he had something going on with his stomach, and then he was gone. You killed my son. Expecting to see you in court, Lil’Luna. What kind of name is Lil’Luna anyways? Who do you think you are? Some kind of gangsta?
I click on this website for chicken nugget recipes. I made this for my kids & omg they loved it 🥰. So easy to make & it made my kitchen smile yummy 😋.
Thank you so much.
You’re welcome!! So glad your kids enjoyed the nuggets.
I only have boneless skinless thighs. Can I use these?
You bet! You could definitely give it a try!
Since my youngest son loves nuggets, i’d decided to just make it at home. Will surely follow your recipe and thank you for sharing this. So glad i’d found this amazing site. More power and God bless dear.💖
You’re welcome!! So glad to have you here on the site using the recipes!
My first time making chicken nuggets from scratch (or fried chicken for that matter). These came out perfectly. I didn’t have garlic salt or Italian seasoning. I substituted with 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp dried parsley, 3/4 tsp salt. Since we are dairy free I added 3/4 tsp of nutritional yeast instead of parmesan cheese. Delicious!!
Yay!! Happy you tried them & liked them! Thank you!
These are really tasty! I used a dutch oven and added a little extra oil so the nugs would be completely submerged. It cut the time in half and they came out crispy and perfectly cooked throughout. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome!! Thanks for sharing what you did too.
Your ‘jump to video’ doesn’t function properly, because of so many pop-ups, or cookies. A recommendation: have people jump to video first, then the recipe below, more people will be moved to try your recipes having seen how it’s done. Raymond Wilcox.
Thanks for the feedback! Hope you enjoyed the recipe!
My daughters diet consists of chicken nuggets and Mac & cheese. She loves these chicken nuggets! Thanks for easy recipes that please my picky daughter!!
Need to try these for my grand babies!
Huge family favorite. I cooked this with my son who has autism and he absolutely loved them. He is soooo picky and usually only eat McNuggets.
These were a hit at our house. We grabbed a few sauces, added a bag of frozen waffles fries, and my kids thought it was the coolest thing that we made Chick-fil-A at home 😆 they’ve already asked a few times when we can have it again.
Super easy AND a crowd pleaser with our “littles.”
Thank you – the kids are so happy that now I can make these!
Easy and flavorful. My kids love these homemade chicken nuggets.
Chicken nuggets….the dream meal for any kid. Homemade are the best!
My family loved these homemade nuggets! All of us were impressed by how tasty they were, everyone from small to tall was happy!
My kids love your recipe!! Crispy & delicious!
We make these so much!! My kids could eat nuggets every day! This recipe is so easy!
My kids are going to love this recipe! I can’t wait to give this a try! So excited!