How to Get Breading to Stick on Chicken Nuggets

A light batter works better for smaller nuggets.

Creating homemade chicken nuggets requires patience and a lot of counter space but once you get the hang of it they are relatively simple to make. You can use preprocessed bread crumbs or quickly make your own by drying out crustless bread in the microwave or oven and pulsing it in a food processor with your favorite seasonings. Low-sugar breads like sourdough will stick better to the chicken and brown less quickly. You will also need eggs and flour. It's best to have plenty of paper towels handy, not to mention bowls.

Things You'll Need

• 3 chicken breasts
• Sharp knife
• Paper towels
• Meat pounder
• 3 large shallow bowls
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups Bread crumbs/breading
• Wax paper
• Skillet
• Oil
• Spatula

Instructions

Preparing the Nuggets

1. Rinse raw chicken breasts in cold water and use a sharp kitchen knife to cut them into 1 inch long pieces. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels, then immediately throw away those paper towels.

2. Pound the pieces flat to about 1/4-inch thickness with either a meat pounder or the flat side of your cutting knife. By evening out your pieces, you make a more smooth surface area to which the batter can adhere and prevent it from clumping.

3. Fill three bowls with 2 cups flour, two beaten eggs and 2 cups bread crumbs, respectively. Do not combine the ingredients. The eggs must be well beaten and your bread crumbs should be fine and not too course.

4. Dip one nugget into the bowl of flour. Coat evenly, then pat off any excess.

5. Pull the chicken gently through the beaten eggs after coating it in flour. Hold it above the bowl and let any excess drip off. Do not shake the nugget or pat it dry.

6. Lay the nugget flat in the breading, then flip it over and gently press so that the bread crumbs stick tightly to the egg liquid.

7. Repeat the above process with each nugget, placing them on a long strip of wax paper when finished. Try to move quickly, before the nuggets get too warm and begin to lose their breading.

Frying the Nuggets

1. Heat the skillet to medium heat, then add about 2 inches of oil to the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is hot, add four or five nuggets at a time. Do not flip or move the nuggets for two minutes.

2. Turn over the nuggets with a spatula and cook the other side for about two minutes or until golden brown.

3. Remove nuggets from the skillet using a spatula and dry on paper towels to remove excess grease and ensure that the breading sticks.

Tips & Warnings

• The chicken should not be damp or frozen when you begin breading it.

References

• Breaded Chicken Cutlets Recipe: FootNetwork.com, Food Network Kitchens, 2004.