Grown Up Chicken Nuggets
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.
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
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%.
QUICK RANCH DIPPING SAUCE:
- Whisk to combine
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