The BEST Homemade Chicken Nuggets Recipe

A homemade chicken nuggets recipe just like mom used to make! Learn how to make the most tender chicken nuggets with a delightfully crispy crust.

Wow if there was ever an old blog post on figjar.com that needed it update, it’s this one! I first posted this recipe for homemade chicken nuggets back in 2018 and I had no idea what I was doing! Now that we have that established, let’s talk chicken nuggets. My mom used to make chicken nuggets by grinding Ritz crackers into crumbs, coating chicken tenders with egg, dipping them in the cracker crumbs, then frying them up in a pan. They were delicious and something I could not wait to eat. I made these with multigrain crackers to feel a little healthier and just as delicious.

Homemade chicken nuggets ingredients

• Chicken tenders
• Crackers
• Buttermilk
• Egg
• Canola oil
• Hot sauce
• Salt and pepper

These very basic ingredients make one amazing chicken nugget. The big key to getting ultra tender, juicy chicken nuggets is the buttermilk. The chicken tenders will soak in the buttermilk overnight, perfectly tenderizing the meat. Crackers make a lovely crust for the nuggets – I used a multigrain kind by Milton’s brand and they gave the nuggets a great flavor.

How to make homemade chicken nuggets

The night before (or even the morning of) the day you want to make these chicken nuggets: cut the chicken tenders into desired sizes using kitchen shears. It’s nearly impossible to get perfectly uniform nuggets here, so don’t stress, just do your best!

Place the chicken in a baking dish, sprinkle lightly with salt, add the buttermilk and a few shakes of hot sauce, cover with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge until you are ready to cook.

Grind the crackers by placing them in a large ziploc bag and crunching with your hands or gently pushing on them with a rolling pin.

Then create an assembly line! Put beaten eggs onto a plate with edges rimmed enough to keep the egg contained on the plate, next to that place the cracker crumbs on a plate.

First dip chicken into egg, then roll it in the cracker crumbs.

Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet until hot— test it by dipping the corner of a nugget into the oil, if you get a healthy smoky slightly aggressive sizzle, it’s ready.

Add chicken nuggets and cook until internal temp reaches 165. The nest way to make sure your chicken nuggets are cooked properly is to use a meat thermometer. I use mine ALL the time and it has made such a difference— I never have dry over baked meat any more!

The buttermilk gives you some grace with overcooking but still, we want the ultimates tender and juicy chicken nugget here, so if you can, use a meat thermometer!

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The Best Homemade Chicken Nuggets Recipe

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The best chicken nuggets made super tender with buttermilk and delightfully crispy with cracker crumbs.

• Author: Becky Schmieg
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Main Course
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 lb chicken breast (cut into bite-sized pieces)
• 2 1/2 cups crushed crackers (about one sleeve of most brands should do it )
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tsp hot sauce
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

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Instructions

1. Cut chicken into desired-size pieces. Place in a baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix hot sauce into buttermilk and pour over chicken. Store in the fridge over night.
2. Crush the crackers in a ziplock bag until they are as fine as you can get them. Empty crumbs onto a plate. Whisk one egg on a plate (using a plate with slightly upturned edges helps).
3. Set yourself up an assembly line: 1st: the bowl with the buttermilk soaked chicken, 2nd: egg mixture, 3rd: cracker crumbs.
4. Dip and coat all your chicken and have it waiting for you as you cook. Set up a cooling rack lined with paper towels to place chicken nuggets on after frying.
5. Heat oil over in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. You can know the oil is heated enough if you dip a corner of a chicken piece in the oil and you hear a strong sizzle.
6. Place chicken pieces in hot oil. Cook on each side approximately four minutes. Use a meat thermometer to confirm chicken reaches an internal temp of 165. You will need to do 2-3 batches. Don’t overcrowd the pan.
7. Once cooked through, place on paper towel lined cooling rack to soak up excess oil.
8. Enjoy!