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Chicken nuggets.
Now there are two words which instantly bring a smile to mine and Hungry Hubby’s faces. Being forever the kids we were when we met, trapped in the 30-something bodies we begrudgingly find ourselves today, we love all sorts of food which is typically thought of as kid’s food. I
n Nigella’s magnum opus, How To Eat
, I recall reading how she felt the very notion of “children’s food” was an unnecessary one as there is no need for food to be specifically designed for children – they should be encouraged to eat good food, full stop.
Commercialisation and mass production of breaded or battered strips of chicken and packaging them in brightly coloured cardboard boxes served out of driveway hutches may have devalued them and bring to mind mistreated chickens and E-numbers galore but when made at home with good quality, free range chicken, these Ranch Chicken Nuggets are one seriously delicious treat, fit for the dinner tables of any grown up or child!
If I had to pick a cut of chicken, it would almost always be chicken thighs for their flavour and how tender they become with slow and low cooking. Like in my Piri Piri Chicken with Chorizo and Black Beans.
However, I use chicken breast for my nuggets (am I the only one giggling here?!) as after a swim in some buttermilk over night before cooking, they are super, super soft and tender. Adding in some ranch seasoning to the marinade along with some fresh garlic gives these luscious nuggets bags of flavour. I sneak some seasoning into the seasoned flour I use to coat them in too to be sure they are flavour packed.
Like in my Homemade KFC recipe, I only use flour instead of going to the bother of making a batter or remembering not to eat all the bread to make breadcrumbs. If anything, this fine layer of seasoned coating is far superior to both options and a lot less work. Plus the buttermilk acts as glue so it adheres without having to dip them in egg first. This is my own Ranch Seasoning recipe, in case you can’t buy it ready made where you live (pin this for future reference):
The thing with frying food at home (a rare treat in the Apple Chapel) is that it makes me conscious of the need to balance it with a mountain of salad on the side. A side effect of home cooking, rather than ordering a takeaway 😉 Hungry Hubby may have preferred baked beans and chips in the past but his personal trainer is now following my blog so salad it is for us… What would you serve yours with? A bottle of Sriracha is just out of sight for me!
Ranch Chicken Nuggets
The softest, most tender and tasty chicken nuggets you will ever eat!
Servings: 2
: 594 kcal
Author: Just Jo
Ingredients
- 400gchicken breast
- 284mlbuttermilk
- 1large clove of garlicminced
- 1rounded tsp ranch seasoning
To coat
- 150gplain flour
- 1rounded tsp ranch seasoning
- Sea salt and black pepper as liked
- Oil for shallow fryingI like rice bran oil but veg oil, canola or light olive oil will work too
Instructions
If the chicken breast is of uneven thickness, beat it with a meat mallet, pestle or rolling pin to an even thickness, slightly under 1cm thick would be just right. Cut into 1-2 inch size pieces, no bigger.
Mix the buttermilk and seasonings together then thoroughly coat the chicken with it. Cover and chill over night (a couple of hours in the fridge is the minimum I would leave it to get good and tender).
When ready to cook, place a baking tray in the oven and set it to low/about 100˚C.
Whisk the flour and seasoning together then retrieve the chicken in it's marinade and drop the chicken in, shaking off most of the buttermilk as you go. I use one per of tongs for this and a second pair later on for transferring to the pan and turning with. Makes for less mess!
Place a large frying pan or buffet style casserole on the hob and add enough oil to come up about 5mm. A larger pan means you can cook more nuggets at once but you will need more oil.
Test with a nugget to see if it sizzles when placed into the hot oil and if so, add as many as you can without overcrowding the pan. Cook for approx 5 mins per side until golden brown then turn and cook the second side.
Transfer briefly to a pile of kitchen roll then transfer to the preheated baking tray in the oven to keep warm as you finish the rest of the nuggets.
Serve as soon as the last nugget is done!
This post contains affiliate links, meaning I will earn a little commission if you chose to buy items I’ve advertised, helping me to bring you all these recipes for free!
Like this post? Then why not try these recipes:
- KFC Kievs
- Homemade KFC Zinger Burger
- Homemade KFC Bargain Bucket
By Just Jo|2018-12-30T17:31:00+00:00June 2nd, 2016|Categories: Chicken, , Homemade Takeaway, Midweek Meals, Traditional Home Cooking, Weekend Cooking|Tags: chicken nuggets, dinner, food, midweek meal, ranch seasoning, recipe|17 Comments
17 Comments
Lisa2nd June 2016 at 11:10 pm
Those look so good!!! The whole family would love them!
Lisa @ garlicandzest.com2nd June 2016 at 11:47 pm
I never do chicken nuggets because they always seemed like “kid-food”, but these look and sound wonderful! I like that you’ve got that mound of salad, too. It’s all about moderation!
Just Jo2nd June 2016 at 11:49 pm
Zackly! Call them chicken goujons if nuggets are too childish 😉
Kelly @ Mostly Homemade Mom3rd June 2016 at 12:48 am
I totally laughed reading your post, this is SO me and my husband, too! We love kid food, but the REAL kind – not the frozen variety found in grocery stores. These chicken nuggets sound awesome with ranch, too!
Just Jo3rd June 2016 at 6:42 am
It’s totally acceptable to eat “kid’s” food when you make it yourself from scratch Kelly lol 😉
Sarah3rd June 2016 at 2:17 am
I don’t fry food often…ever…but this recipe has me rethinking that logic! Looks absolutely amazing!!
Just Jo3rd June 2016 at 6:42 am
Thanks Sarah. Not an everyday recipe but of course, it’s all about balance 😀
Sarah8th June 2016 at 4:33 pm
Is that all there is to homemade Ranch seasoning?! SO easy! I’m sure the nuggets were good too. Could you just add some sour cream and milk to the seasoning to make dressing?
Just Jo8th June 2016 at 5:43 pm
Yes indeedy, to both points Sarah! You can whisk some of the seasoning into buttermilk, sour cream or mayo (or a combination of them) to make a ranch dressing.
Debra9th October 2016 at 10:52 pm
What did you serve on the side with the chicken nuggets?? Please tell because it looks so good!!
Just Jo11th October 2016 at 8:10 am
Hi Debra – it was a very simple little salad. Butter lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions, avocado and a big fat dollop of coleslaw. Thank you!
Platter Talk12th October 2016 at 10:18 pm
These look rather delicious, if I do say! Wish I had the ingredients to make for dinner tonight. Love the recipe for the ranch coating, too!
Just Jo13th October 2016 at 10:31 pm
You’re very welcome – I hope you get chance to try them soon 😀
Helen21st October 2016 at 7:07 pm
Just made these for dinner and they were delicious! Will certainly be making them again.
Just Jo21st October 2016 at 8:42 pm
Fabulous! SO glad you enjoyed them Helen – keep cooking 😀 x
Dave27th August 2017 at 10:12 am
I’m not sure between steps 4 and 6 what happens, did you form the nuggets out of the chicken breast / cut it into smaller strips or something like that so that they not only become fried breasts. Sorry for my noob ignorance.
Just Jo29th August 2017 at 7:50 pm
Hi Dave – I’m so sorry a step was missing but thank you for alerting me to it! I cut the chicken into little nuggets in step one, which I have now updated. Sorry for the confusion and I hope you enjoy the nuggets when you make them x
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