Buffalo Chicken Nuggets - Made from Parts, Not Pieces

I’ve always wanted to show my method for making chicken nuggets. Not because I’m proud of how well they came out, which I am, but more so to plead my case for what I think qualifies as an actual chicken “nugget.”

Somehow people got the idea that a chicken nugget was supposed to be a solid piece of chicken. That’s not a nugget. That’s just a too small piece of fried chicken. A real nugget, at least in the fast food context, is more of a deep-fried, mostly-chicken sausage patty, fabricated from various parts of the bird, such as, every legal part.

I love any and all types of fried chicken, but the typical nugget, when made from a piece of breast, just makes me want to get a bucket of the full-sized stuff. No, as far as party food goes, I’ll take the classic, seems-bad-for-you version every time. Plus, since we’re making a paste out of the meat, we get to flavor it any way we want.

I loved the Buffalo approach, and it allowed me to dip something in blue cheese dressing, which is always nice, but there are lots of directions you can go with this. So, whether you make these as directed, or come up with your own game plan, I really hope you give these delicious chicken nuggets a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 24 Buffalo Chicken Nuggets:

1 1/2 pound chicken thigh

2 tablespoons fine dry breadcrumbs

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (here is a link to a copy cat recipe)

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 tablespoon Franks hot sauce

1 tablespoon melted butter

For the starch coating:

1/2 cup corn starch

1/3 cup self-rising flour (or mix 1/3 cup all-purpose flour with 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/8 tsp salt)

1/4 teaspoon salt

- After coating, let sit in fridge until starch on surface is absorbed. For best results, flip over once while in fridge.

- Fry for 1 minute at 300 F., then chill, and finish when ready to serve by frying for 2 minutes at 375 F., or until cooked through. Exact time depends on size and shape of your nugget.

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