Spicy Chicken Nuggets

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.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Author Heather

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.

Video

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.

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