Oven Fried Chicken Nuggets

For visual representation of this recipe, check out this YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vabjx8hS2zU&t=1s

This video and recipe are based on this Betty Crocker recipe: https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/oven-fried-chicken-tenders/46a69e4d-4c31-485b-9d43-67d40b353f2e

While this is based on a recipe, often, with items like this, it’s best to forge your own path. With baking, its important to follow the recipe as written because the outcome depends on the chemical and biological reactions. Chemical being baking soda and powder based, biological yeast based. With most savory recipes however, there is some wiggle room to be had.

The original recipe is for parmesan, oven fried tenders. The adaptations that I made for the video are converting to nuggets, leaving out the parmesan but only because I didn’t have it at the time. The reason it is important to be adaptable in making this recipe is that you will come across variables in size of the chicken, size of the crumbs, and how much flour and crumbs each piece takes that will change how much you need in the end of each thing. If you are bound to a particular amount of ingredients, you will probably struggle with making this recipe. This video gives you a framework that will help you to make it work, even if you never look at the recipe. Below I will give you some hints for each part of the breading process that will save you time and some possible heartache.

Flour/Dredge/Coat

  • The first step of any breading process is coating in flour. This can be called flouring, dredging, or coating. This is done for a lot o products so if you see this term, its interchangeable.

  • Most, if not all of your seasoning should be put in the flour. If you are oven frying, you can put some in the bread crumbs, but if you are deep frying, seasonings will escape into the oil, breaking it down or burning because they stay in the oil and making the oil add a bad flavor to later fryings. Use more seasoning in the flour than you think you will need. You can also sprinkle seasoning directly on the chicken before flouring. This helps you control more how much seasoning you add

  • Move the chicken from the flour to the eggs with tongs. Many recommend a wet hand, dry hand method, but it’s very difficult to remember which hand to use when you are working quickly. This also means that your hands are constantly in chicken. If you are multitasking with other tasks, it makes handwashing quicker when you are not washing off layers upon layers of flour, egg and breadcrumbs.

Egg wash

  • Use about an egg per pound of chicken, but don’t be surprised if it takes more.

  • Whisk the egg really well so that it doesn’t clump and cause thicker deposits of breading

  • Use lukewarm water to add to the egg wash. You can use up to 1/4 cup water per egg. Using lukewarm water helps the egg break up.

  • Use this mixture or throw it out. don’t use it for any other dishes. It will have raw chicken contamination and will be at room temperature.

Bread crumbs/ Breading

  • There are many options for breading that you can consider

    • breadcrumbs, homemade or store bought

    • cracker crumbs

    • cornflakes (it helps to crumble these as well)

    • crumbled chips or snacks

      • pretzels

      • Cheetos

      • potato chips

    • cornmeal

    • parmesan or other cheese (do not include if deep frying)

  • As I mentioned earlier, if you are oven frying, you can add seasoning to the breading but if you are deep frying, don’t. Especially if you plan on using the oil for more than one frying session.

  • You can use flour as the breading as well. You can stop at the flouring step and fry, or dip in egg and dip in flour again.

General tips

  • You can use this breading method with many food items

    • Fish (often dipped in egg then cornmeal)

    • Chicken fried steak

    • fried chicken (flour once or twice)

    • pickles (use egg then flour)

    • Onion rings (Cornmeal or batter)

  • Larger items need lower temp and longer cook time. If you increase the temperature, the outside will burn before the inside cooks. This applies for any type of cooking.

  • Check the proper temperature of all your meats. This is more accurate than cutting it open and means that the appearance of your product is better.

    • Chicken 165° F

    • Porkchops 145° F

    • Chicken fried steak (if steak is cube steak) 155°F

Leave a comment if you try this technique!

Erin Mercs