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These homemade chicken nuggets are soaked in pickle juice before they ever see a skillet—and let me tell you, that little step makes all the difference. This quick marinade makes these chicken nuggets tender and juicy, adding a tangy kick in every bite. The breading’s light and not at all greasy, so the chicken remains the star of this recipe. If you’re tired of store-bought nuggets or just looking for something to add to your cooking repertoire, give these a go!
One of the things I love about this recipe is it is so adjustable! Cut the chicken into strips to make tenders if you are shorter on time. Make it spicy by adding cayenne. Pair it with a creamy, homemade dipping sauce, ketchup, or BBQ sauce. Make it more savory by adding a dried herb blend. The options are endless!
Why You’ll Want This Recipe
Learn a new technique: The pickle juice marinade is a great cooking technique to learn for a variety of chicken dishes! Try it out here and then apply it to chicken tenders, fried chicken, or even un-breaded, diced chicken for an extra tang.
Tender, juicy chicken: This recipe makes the chicken tender and juicy beyond compare!
Great for kids: This recipe is a hit with kids and toddlers!
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Chicken Nuggets Ingredients
Chicken Breast – Cut into bite sized pieces. You can also use chicken tenders or boneless, skinless thighs
Pickle Juice – The secret ingredient! We use a mixture of dill and spicy from our home grown pickles, but if you are averse to spice, just dill pickle juice will do beautifully.
Milk
Plain, Greek Yogurt – unsweetened
Flour
Rice Flour – This adds a bit of texture to the breading. You can substitute with cornstarch or even breadcrumbs.
Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Paprika
Chili Powder
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Cayenne – For the spicy variation only
Coconut Oil – This can be substituted with beef tallow or another high heat oil
Tools You May Need
How to Make Homemade Chicken Nuggets
Step 1: Cut the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces and soak it in a bowl of pickle juice for one to two hours. It will be a bit whitened on the edges from the acidity in the pickle juice by the time it is well marinated. Drain the pickle juice
Step 2: In a shallow dish or small bowl, mix the milk and yogurt together until it is well combined. In another shallow dish or bowl, mix together the flour, rice flour, and all seasonings.
Step 3: Dip chicken pieces into the yogurt mixture and then cover in the flour mixture. Repeat this step a second time so that all chicken pieces are coated in the yogurt and flour twice before frying.
Step 4: Fry the chicken nuggets in coconut oil or beef tallow on medium heat until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side for bite-sized pieces. Make sure to flip or remove the chicken as soon as you see it turning golden! It goes from gold to burnt real quick.
Tips
- Cut your chicken into somewhat equally-sized pieces to cook evenly.
- Preheat the oil in the cast-iron before adding the chicken to keep it from sticking to the pan as much.
- If you feel your breading is burning before the chicken is cooked, turn your heat down. You can also finish off the chicken in the oven at 350° until it is cooked thoroughly if needed.
More Dinner Recipes
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Homemade Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken Breast Cut into bite sized pieces
- ⅔ Cup Pickle Juice
- ½ Cup Milk
- ½ Cup Yogurt
- 1 Cup Flour
- ⅓ Cup Rice Flour Can be substituted with cornstarch or breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Paprika
- ¾ tsp Chili Powder
- ¼ tsp Onion Powder
- ¾ tsp Garlic Powder
- ¼ tsp Cayenne If you want it spicy
- Coconut Oil or beef tallow
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and soak them in a bowl of pickle juice for 1 to 2 hours.
- Mix together the milk and the yogurt until well-combined. Add the chicken into it.
- Mix together the flour, rice flour, and all seasonings.
- Take pieces of chicken from the yogurt, milk mixture and coat them in the flour. Repeat this step so that each piece of chicken has been dipped in the milk and breaded twice.
- Fry in a cast-iron skillet pre-heated at medium heat with coconut oil or tallow until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side.
- Remove from the skillet and serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- Cut your chicken into equal-sized pieces to cook evenly.
- Preheat the oil in the cast-iron before adding the chicken to keep it from sticking to the pan as much.
- If you feel your breading is burning before the chicken is cooked, turn your heat down. You can also finish off the chicken in the oven at 350° until it is cooked thoroughly if needed.
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