These homemade spicy chicken nuggets are crispy, packed with spicy flavor, and ready in 30 minutes or less! Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce like ranch or blue cheese.
If you love my recipe for homemade chicken nuggets, you'll want to try this spicy version next! They're packed with heat and taste even better than your favorite fast food nuggets.
Spicy chicken nuggets are made with cubed chicken breasts coated in a crunchy, seasoned panko crust that turns out extra crispy when fried. They're seasoned with cayenne pepper and hot sauce for a medium spice level, and are easy to adjust to suit your tastes.
Serve spicy chicken nuggets with your favorite dipping sauces like homemade ranch dip or blue cheese dressing.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Panko bread crumbs - Crunchier than traditional breadcrumbs, panko adds an extra crispy, crunchy crust to the outside of your nuggets.
- Flour - We're lightly coating our nuggets in a thin layer of flour to help the egg and panko layers adhere.
- Seasoning - Salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper add a warm, spicy flavor to the nuggets. Adjust the spiciness of your nuggets by increasing or reducing the cayenne pepper.
- Eggs - Help the panko crust adhere to the chicken pieces.
- Hot sauce - We're adding hot sauce to the egg mixture for extra warmth. Use a spicier hot sauce for spicier nuggets.
- Chicken - You'll need boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs for this recipe.
- Oil - Pick up some vegetable oil with a high smoke point. We're frying our chicken nuggets at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for a nice, crispy crust.
Tips and tricks
Pat chicken dry - Arguably one of the most important steps when breading chicken is to pat it dry all over with a paper towel before beginning. This soaks up any excess juices that may cause the breading to slide off while frying.
Prepare your shallow bowls - Prepare all three shallow bowls along with a plate to place your breaded chicken. One bowl for the flour mixture, another bowl for the egg and hot sauce mixture, and a third bowl for the panko crust.
Adjusting spiciness - As written, these nuggets are about a medium spice level. Add more cayenne pepper and use a hotter hot sauce for spicier nuggets. For mild nuggets, cut the cayenne pepper in half and use a milder hot sauce. I don't recommend omitting either ingredient entirely because they also add flavor when added in smaller quantities.
Shake to remove excess - While it may seem like more is better, it's best to shake off excess ingredients before continuing to the next layer. A thin layer of each ingredient (flour, egg, and panko) is ideal. Thin layers are less likely to fall off while frying and cook up nice and crispy.
Preheat your oil - Cooking oil should be 350 degrees Fahrenheit before beginning. If the oil is too cold, the breading will soak up the oil and nuggets will turn out greasy. If the oil is too hot, the nuggets will burn before they're cooked through in the center.
Use a meat thermometer - I highly recommend using a meat thermometer for best success. An instant read thermometer can help you determine your oil temperature as well as the internal temperature of your nuggets while they're frying.
Storage
Leftover spicy nuggets will keep for 3 to 4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
To freeze chicken nuggets, prepare them as directed below, then allow the nuggets to cool completely to room temperature. Place nuggets on a parchment lined sheet pan and freeze until solid. Transfer frozen nuggets to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Frequently asked questions
The cayenne pepper and hot sauce add spiciness to this recipe. I recommend adding more cayenne pepper and using a hotter hot sauce for a spicier nugget. I don't recommend adding more hot sauce to the egg mixture because you need a high ratio of egg to hot sauce for the breading to adhere.
To reheat leftover nuggets, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake your nuggets for about 10 minutes or until heated through.
Yes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a skillet over medium heat, add panko bread crumbs and toast for about 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Pour into a shallow bowl and prepare the rest of the recipe as directed. Place your breaded nuggets on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the center.
Don't forget to pat your chicken dry with a paper towel before beginning. Breading will fall right off of wet, slimy chicken. Add thin layers of each ingredient (flour, egg, and bread crumbs). Thick layers of ingredients are more likely to fall off while frying. Take care not to nudge your nuggets around too much while they're frying. Allow the breading to crisp up all around the nugget before moving it around.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Spicy Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
- 16 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ⅓ cup (40 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper, divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 2 large eggs
- 4 teaspoons hot sauce
- 1 ½ cups (75 g) plain panko bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Cube your chicken breasts into bite size chunks, trimming off excess fat and removing tendons. Pat chicken dry on all sides with a paper towel.
- In a shallow bowl, add your flour, half of the salt, half of the cayenne pepper, and half of the black pepper. Stir to combine.
- In a separate shallow bowl, add the eggs and hot sauce. Whisk to combine.
- In a third shallow bowl, add the bread crumbs and paprika, as well as the remaining salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Toss chicken pieces in the flour mixture, lightly shaking to remove excess. Next, dip in the egg mixture and shake to remove excess. Then, toss your chicken pieces in the bread crumb mixture, lightly pressing to adhere the mixture to the chicken. Last, shake to remove excess bread crumbs and place on a clean plate.
- In a pot or pan with tall sides over medium heat, add 1 inch of oil. Heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cook chicken nuggets in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Flip halfway through and cook until golden brown on the outside and no longer pink in the center. Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure chicken has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the center.
- Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain off excess grease before serving.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Breading falling off?: Don't forget to pat your chicken dry with a paper towel before beginning. Breading will fall right off of wet, slimy chicken. Add thin layers of each ingredient (flour, egg, and bread crumbs). Thick layers fall off easily.
- Leftovers: Leftover chicken nuggets will keep for 3 to 4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
- Baking directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a skillet over medium heat, add panko bread crumbs and toast for about 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Pour into a shallow bowl and prepare the rest of the recipe as directed above. Place your breaded nuggets on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the center.
I had so much fun creating this recipe! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you have a question, check out the post above, which is packed with information about the recipe. Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment and a star rating to share your feedback!