Drive-Thru Chicken Nuggets

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What if the drive-thru style chicken nuggets you keep craving actually tasted better homemade? They can! These homemade drive-thru chicken nuggets capture everything great about crispy fast food nuggets, but with ingredients you probably have on hand. Plus, you get the satisfaction of making them yourself!!

These nuggets are made with seasoned ground chicken that is shaped into nugget-sized pieces and coated in an egg and pickle juice mixture before being dredged in a seasoned flour and panko breadcrumb coating. As they bake, the outside becomes crispy while the inside remains tender. These homemade chicken nuggets have a crispy, golden coating, a juicy meat center, and a subtle pickle flavor that tastes just as mouthwatering as the fast food alternatives.

Not only are these nuggets surprisingly easy to make, but they are so satisfying to recreate in your own kitchen. Whether you’re serving them with fries for family dinner, packing leftovers for lunch, or prepping for game day snacks, these homemade chicken nuggets are guaranteed to disappear fast – you may need to make a double batch!!

Why You’ll Love These Homemade Drive-Thru Chicken Nuggets

• A healthier alternative! No deep frying involved. Plus, you know what is actually going on in your food. The ingredients are simple without compromising the taste.
• Crispy edges and tender meat center. As the edges bake, they get a crispy edge, while the center of the meat retains its moisture.
• Packed with flavor! The chicken coating is seasoned with garlic powder and onion powder, along with pickle juice and some dill to add a delicious, tangy flavor.

How to make Homemade Drive-Thru Chicken Nuggets, Step by Step

Step 1. Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Start by preheating the oven to a high temperature of 425°F, so that the oven is heated to temperature by the time you’re ready to cook the nuggets. 

We also recommend prepping your baking sheet before you dive into making the nuggets. Line a large baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Use a pastry brush to brush some olive oil over the surface of the parchment paper. The olive oil is going to keep the nuggets from sticking to the paper as they cook. 

Step 2. Form ground chicken into nugget shapes.

Next, add your ground chicken to a bowl. Use your hands to gently mold the ground meat into an even texture. Grab a couple of tablespoons of the chicken mixture in your hands. Roll the meat into a ball and gently press on it to flatten into a nugget shape. Repeat this until all the ground chicken is molded into nuggets. 

Step 3. Set up the dredging station and bread the chicken nuggets.

The breading is going to add so much flavor to the nuggets. You will need two shallow bowls for breading the meat – one for the wet mixture, the second for the dry mixture.

The first breading bowl will hold the egg mixture. Whisk together a couple of eggs before whisking in some pickle juice. The pickle juice is going to add a tangy, savory flavor to the meat. 

In the second bowl will hold the dry mixture of flour, panko bread crumbs, and spices – garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, kosher salt and black pepper. Whisk everything together until it is evenly blended. 

Dredge each nugget in the egg mixture first. As you lift the nugget from the egg mixture, let any excess slide off before coating it in the seasoned flour mixture. 

Place the coated nuggets on the lined baking sheet, leaving about an inch or two between each nugget.

Tip: Make sure the entire surface of the nugget is coated in egg and flour so that the outer crust has an even coating.

Step 4. Bake for 20 minutes.

Place the breaded chicken nuggets in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Flip the nuggets over halfway through so that both sides get nice and crispy. 

When you remove them from the oven, let them rest for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan and transferring them to a wire cooling rack. 

Enjoy the warm nuggets with your favorite dipping sauce. 

Tips & Tricks for Making Homemade Chicken Nuggets

• Brush some olive oil on the parchment paper so that the nuggets don’t stick. As the breading cooks, it can start to stick to the parchment paper. To avoid losing any breading to the sheet pan, brush the parchment paper with a light coating of olive oil. 
• Place them on a wire rack to cool. If you leave the nuggets on the pan to cool, they may get soggy. We recommend transferring them to a wire rack so that the steam can escape as they cool.
• Keep the nuggets similar in size. Form the evenly-sized nuggets so they cook at the same rate. You should be able to make about 20 small nuggets from 1 pound of ground chicken.
• Press the breading into the chicken and shake off any excess flour. That way, you don’t have extra flour bits, and the outside gets golden and crisp. 
• Flip the nuggets halfway through baking. Use a small spatula or fork to flip the nuggets halfway through. This will help to give both sides a crisp coating. 

Air Fry for Drive-Thru-style Crispy Edges

This recipe calls for you to bake the nuggets in the oven. BUT if you have an air fryer, it will give the nuggets a super crispy edge.

• Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Prep the nuggets according to the recipe. 
• Spray the air-fryer tray with some cooking spray so that the nuggets don’t stick. 
• Place the nuggets on the tray and cook for 4-6 minutes on each side. Once they’re golden brown and reach an internal temperature of 165°F, they’re ready!

Depending on the size of your air fryer, you’ll need to make multiple batches to cook all the nuggets. Place the cooked nuggets on a wire cooling rack to cool while the other batches are cooking. 

Check out this Ninja ® Crispi™ Pro Glass Air Fryer Cooking Station in Bone White!

How to Store Chicken Nuggets 

Store leftover baked nuggets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Make sure that the nuggets are cooled completely before storing so that extra moisture and condensation don’t build up in the container. 

Reheat them in the oven or air fryer to bring back the crispy texture. You can reheat them in a microwave, but the coating may be a bit soft. 

Freezing Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Yes! Bake the nuggets, let them cool completely, and flash freeze them in a single layer for about 2 hours before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag or storage container. Reheat the frozen nuggets in the oven or air fryer.  

More Weeknight Dinner Recipes:

Print

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup pickle juice
• 2 egg

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with some parchment paper and brush some olive oil over the surface of the paper. This will keep the nuggets from sticking to the pan.
2. Form ground meat into 20 small round chicken nuggets.
3. Prep your breading bowls – in one bowl, whisk together garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, fresh dill, flour, and panko bread crumbs. In another bowl, whisk together egg and pickle juice. 
4. First dip a chicken nugget in egg, then coat it in bread crumb breading mixture. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. 
5. Cook in a preheated oven for 15-18 minutes until golden brown, flipping over halfway through. Let the nuggets cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the baking sheet. Use a spatula to gently lift the nuggets from the pan.
6. Serve with ketchup, BBQ sauce, or your favorite dipping sauce.