Homemade fast food, but with real ingredients and a whole lot of heart. Now, my son Uku-Robin isn’t exactly meat’s biggest fan… unless we’re talking nuggets. One day, we struck a deal: I could try to make homemade nuggets just as delicious as the store-bought kind. He was sceptical—rightfully so. My first few attempts didn’t quite hit the mark. Regular breadcrumbs? Too plain. Sesame seeds? Too unexpected. And the chopped chicken breast? Too dense.
Both versions tasted fine to adult palates, but they failed the all-important kid test. Wrong colour. Too much chewing. In other words: “not the right nuggets, Mama.”
A few weeks later, standing by the meat counter, he asked for nuggets again. And I asked for one more chance. I promised golden nuggets—just like the ones he loved. A skeptical eyebrow, a small smirk, and the deal was sealed.
This time, I kept things simple: flaked Japanese-style panko for that ultra-crispy finish, tenderised chicken for that just-right texture. And it worked. Oh, it worked.
My tiny judge gave them a full 10 out of 10. And I? I may have done a little happy dance in the kitchen.
These nuggets have since become a staple at home—on our weeknight menus and in our freezer. And the best part? They’re not just for the kids. I love them every bit as much as they do.
Pro tip: Bread a larger batch at once. Fry what you need now, and freeze the rest. Come Thursday night, all you’ll need is a hot pan and a little oil—and dinner is sorted.
Crispy. Golden. Gone.
Homemade Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
Preparation
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Place the chicken fillet piece between two pieces of cling film and flatten it with a meat hammer. The flattened piece of meat will be about twice its original size. Remove the cling film and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Prepare the breading materials in three bowls - put the flour in one, whisk the eggs with salt, pepper and garlic in the second, and put the panko breadcrumbs in the third. Roll the meat pieces first in the flour, then in the egg, then in the panko, and then once more in the egg and panko - double breading gives an extra crispy surface. Repeat until all the pieces are breaded. If desired, you can freeze the unbaked nuggets at this stage.
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To prepare, fry the nuggets in oil on both sides until golden brown.
