These Homemade Chicken Nuggets are super crispy on the outside and super juicy on the inside! Ditch the store bought, as these little gold nuggets are so easy to make and so delicious. These nuggets come together in no time, and make the perfect snack or main dish for any occasion.
Chicken tenders soaked in creamy butter milk and coated in a crispy seasoned flour mix, these Homemade Chicken Nuggets are so much better than store bought! Perfect as a snack, lunch, dinner, game day, movie night – you name it, these little golden beauties are perfect any time!
Looking for more chicken dishes? Why not also try my Oven Baked Chicken Cutlets, Korean Fried Chicken Tenders, and Homemade Popcorn Chicken.
Why you’ll love these Homemade Nuggets Recipe
- Super juicy chicken. These chicken tenders are drenched in buttermilk to come out nice and juicy as well as pickle juice for a lovely sweet/savory kick.
- A crispy coating. A simple seasoned coating is all you need for these chicken nuggets to come out crunchy, crispy and delicious.
- Easy chicken nuggets. Drop the store bought, these nuggets are easy to prep and they make a big batch, perfect for a main, snack or app.
Ingredients for Chicken Nuggets
- Chicken Tenderloins– I used chicken tenderloins because they are so much more moist. But you can use chicken breast if you want.
- Butter Milk– helps tenderize the chicken.
- Sweet Pickle Juice-add a delicious flavor to the chicken nuggets. This is basically the water you find in the jar of pickles.
- Black Pepper– black pepper always adds such amazing flavor to any recipe. You can use fresh ground or pre-ground.
- Whole Eggs-eggs act as a binding agent for the chicken and the flour mix.
- Canola Oil– for frying. You can certainly use something like avocado oil if you like a heathier option or any other neutral oil.
- Flour Seasoning Mix: All purpose flour, paprika, salt, pepper and corn starch.
How to Make Nuggets
- Marinate the chicken: Put the trimmed, cubed chicken in a bowl of seasoned buttermilk (buttermilk, black pepper, pickle juice) and refrigerate for 1 hour to marinade.
- Coat the chicken: Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, then the egg wash and finally one more dunk in the flour mixture. Set aside and finish the rest of the pieces of chicken.
- Cook the chicken: Working in batches, fry the chicken in a deep pan with oil and line on a paper towel to remove excess oils.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauces, enjoy!
Tips to Make the Best Chicken Nuggets
- Ideally use a deep pan to fry the chicken nuggets.
- Allow the chicken to rest in the butter milk for at least an hour, longer if possible.
- Work in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Place the cooked batches in the oven to keep the nuggets from getting cold while you finish cooking the rest.
- Use a neutral oil that doesn’t have much flavor, so as not to overpower the chicken. Oils like canola, corn oil or vegetable oil will do.
- Sprinkle with some fresh parsley for a pop of freshness and color.
Frequently Asked Questions
These Homemade Chicken Nuggets make for a great snack or main dish. Serve with dips, salads or sides. Here’s some ideas: Crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries, Baked Zucchini Fries, Homemade Mashed Potatoes, Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes.
You can air fry these chicken nuggets by preheating your air fryer to 375 F. Line the nuggets in the basket without over crowding. Spray generously with olive oil spray and air fry for 8-10 minutes, maybe more depending on the size of your chicken bites. Flipping halfway through and spraying the new side again before you continue to cook through. Work in batches so you don’t over crowd.
After prepping the chicken nuggets, line the nuggets on a baking sheet/or non-stick wired rack leaving a little bit of space between the nuggets to avoid over crowding. Spray generously with olive oil spray and bake in a preheated 400 F oven for 12-15 minutes flipping half way through. You can respray after flipping them. Depending on the size of your nuggets, it may take more or less time. The best internal temperature would be around 160-165 F.
These leftover chicken nuggets can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, place them on a baking sheet and bake them on a medium setting (around 350 F) until heated through and crispy on the outside.
Cook as directed (or about 90% cooked so it does not dry up when you reheat). Allow to cool then freeze them on a cookie or baking sheet, so they don’t stick together. Then transfer the frozen nuggets to a freezer safe container or freezer bag and store for 1-2 months.
More Chicken Dishes to Try
- Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Grilled Chicken Satay
- Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Pepper
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this Homemade Chicken Nuggets recipe. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it and share it with your friends and family!
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Best Homemade Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. chicken tenders cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 cup butter milk full fat
- ½ cup sweet pickle juice
- ½ tsp. black pepper
Dry Flour Mix
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 2 tbsps. corn starch
Other Ingredients
- 2 whole eggs
- canola oil for frying
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix all the dry flour mix ingredients together.
- Trim the chicken tenders from the outer coat film and remove any muscle particles attached.
- Cube the chicken tenders into 1 inch cubes. Place in a large bowl and add 1 cup of butter milk, black pepper, pickle juice and black pepper. Mix well and cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for 1 hr. or more if time permits.
- In another bowl, whisk the eggs together.
- Coat the pieces first with the flour mix, then the egg wash, then one more time in the flour mix. Press down the piece with your fingers to set the flour coat on the piece of chicken. Set aside on a lined sheet pan. Continue doing the same thing for the rest of the chicken pieces.
- Heat the oil in a deep skillet. Keep the oil on medium heat at all times. If you have a thermometer, keep at 350 F.
- Working in batches, place the chicken pieces apart from each other in the hot oil. Do not over crowd.
- Fry the chicken pieces for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and place on a sheet pan lined with paper towel.
- Place the cooked batches in the oven to keep the nuggets from getting cold while you finish cooking the rest.
- When all the batches are cooked, serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Video
Notes
- Ideally use a deep pan to fry the chicken nuggets.
- Allow the chicken to rest in the butter milk for at least an hour, longer if possible.
- Work in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Place the cooked batches in the oven to keep the nuggets from getting cold while you finish cooking the rest.
- Use a neutral oil that doesn’t have much flavor, so as not to overpower the chicken. Oils like canola , corn oil or vegetable oil will do.
- Sprinkle with some fresh parsley for a pop of freshness and color.
- Nutritional info does not include the amount of oil used for the recipe.
How long can I marinate the chicken in the buttermilk. Today is Teusday and I was planning on making them Thursday. Can I put in the buttermilk mixture today. Thank you
Sorry Debbie I know I am late for this, I have been traveling. You can always let it marinate for up to 2 days in advance.
Funny how I never thought to tell you that I make these all the time. My daughter loves chicken nuggets, and I’d rather make things at home then eat at restaurants all the time. However, nuggets are something I don’t typically go for. But these are great! The ingredients are simple, and they are a hit in my house! My niece loves them too. Thank you so much for this recipe, I get to give her what she wants from scratch.
Hi Tonya,
Glad you guys enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review.
We don’t buy pickles of any kind. What can I use to substitute the pickle juice.
You can substitute with 2 tbsps. of Dijon mustard or skip it completely if you want. The pick juice just adds a little bit of flavor to the nuggets.
Great recipe. I tried it with slight modification in spices and it came out fabulous.
Hi Daniel
Happy You enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for the review.
I thought the sweet pickle juice ruined it. So, I tried again with dill pickle juice. So much better. They were delicious.
Hi Jay!
It’s all a matter of preference. I am glad you substituted it to your liking.
What exactly is a “chicken tender”? Can you use boneless, skinless chicken thigs?
Tenders are the tenderloins in a chicken. They are sold separately here in the U.S. There is a photo of them on the blog feed. You can use chicken thighs if you like yes. The cook time may differ, so cook according.
Looks yummy gonna make them soon Jill boliek
GREAT!!!
Thanks Boggie!
What is pickle juice? Where can I buy in UK?
Pickle juice is just the water in the pickle you buy. So you would buy a sweet kind and use the water that’s in it.
What do you mean by sweet pickle juice?
Pickle juice is just the water in the pickle you buy. So you would buy a sweet kind and use the water that’s in it.
Great recipe!
Thanks so much Sheena. Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Wanna find a cookbook only with chicken in it Jill boliek
Hi Jil!
Thanks for you review! I hope I can make publish one down the road. I am sure you can find some great choices at Barnes & Noble for now and lots of recipes on Pinterest for free.
Would this still work well using an air fryer? They look absolutely amazing!
Hi Rana,
Yes. I added the details on that in the blog copy. Please check it out.