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Grown Up Chicken Nuggets

By Brian Lagerstrom

Crunchy, nostalgic chicken nuggets can do no wrong. Check out the three dipping sauce recipes too. With this recipe, you can have chicken nuggets in under an hour.

Prep Time: 55

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 1 15

Servings: nuggets

Ingredients

BRINE:

900-1200 g chicken breast
400 g buttermilk, sub 300g milk and 100g sour cream
2 g onion powder
2 g garlic powder
2 g paprika
20 g kosher salt

BREADING:

300 g all-purpose flour
5 g kosher salt
3 g black pepper
5 g garlic powder
3 g paprika
75-100 g buttermilk
neutral oil for frying, about 4 cups

HONEY MUSTARD DIPPING SAUCE:

100 g Dijon mustard
75 g honey
100 g mayonnaise
2 g kosher salt

UNCLE B-MAN’S SIGNATURE ONION BBQ SAUCE:

½ red onion, grated
15 g garlic, minced
250 g ketchup
30 g Worcestershire sauce
20 g hot sauce
20 g apple cider vinegar
20 g yellow mustard
1 g chili flakes
5 g chili powder
100 g molasses, or brown sugar
neutral oil for sautéing

QUICK RANCH DIPPING SAUCE:

125 g mayonnaise
50 g sour cream
50 g buttermilk, sub 20g milk and 30g extra sour cream
1 pinch onion powder
1 pinch dried dill
1 pinch dried thyme
1 pinch dried chives
2 g kosher salt
5 g garlic, minced

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

To prepare the Chicken take 2-3 large chicken breasts and tenderize the meat by poking each breast 10-12 times with a meat tenderizer (Jaccard) or 20-25 times with a fork.
Cut the into 1″/2.5cm cubes to form nugget shapes. You should end up with about 20-25 pieces in total.
In a bowl, whisk together brine ingredients until the salt dissolves.
Submerge the chicken in the brine and let it sit in the fridge for 25 minutes.
Prepare the breading by whisking flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika to combine.
Slowly drizzle buttermilk into the flour mixture while whisking to create partially hydrated clumps. Use your hands to break these down into small crags for extra crunch.
To bread the chicken, drop half the brined chicken pieces into the breading mixture, transferring some of the brine into the breading as you go. Toss the nuggets gently to coat them in the breading. Repeat with the remaining half of the chicken.
Place the breaded nuggets on a plate and refrigerate for 20 minutes to allow the breading to set.

Cooking Method 1 –

Shallow Frying:

In a large saucepan, heat about 2 cups of neutral oil to 350°F (175°C).
Fry the nuggets in batches for 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a wire rack to drain.

Cooking Method 2 –

Air Fryer:

Place breaded nuggets into the air fryer basket and spray with cooking oil. Air fry at 375°F (190°C) for 20-25 minutes until crispy and golden. You’ll need to do this in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.

HONEY MUSTARD DIPPING SAUCE:

Whisk or blend ingredients to combine

UNCLE B-MAN’S SIGNATURE ONION BBQ SAUCE:

In a small saucepan, heat a drizzle of neutral oil over medium heat. Add the grated onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
Stir in ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, vinegar, mustard, chili flakes, chili powder, and molasses. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes to reduce by 25%.