It's funny how your childhood memories of certain things can be shattered so quickly. This feels even truer when it comes to your memories of food. For example, remember how amazing Dunkaroos were?? They are cookies that you dip in frosting - how can these not be as delicious as we remember? My sister Lauren recently got to try these amazing snack foods (that we begged Susan for endlessly). Apparently they are disgusting. Memory shattered. So the following is how I learned that Dunkaroos are not luxurious desserts, Ring Pops are not suitable engagement rings, and McDonalds Chicken McNuggets do not taste like chicken. *Shattering Sound* Sometimes you just crave junk. This week, my good friend Lauren and I discussed how it has been at least 15 year since our last Chicken McNugget - and how crazy is that? They are delicious. And so we planned a lovely night of McNuggets, wine, and watching Drunk History (I recommend). |
Now I remember McNuggets being crispy, airy little nuggets that way surpassed any chicken dish my mama could ever make. I even remember her once making chicken nuggets at home and refusing to eat them. These were...not what I remember. Rubbery, bland, and sort of similar to the taste of chicken. Well, my children will not live the same lie as I did. So I set out to create my own chicken nugget recipe. After some trial and error, I have finally come up with a recipe for all of you! It's a little messy, but a lot of yummy. Chicken Nuggets That Taste Like Chicken Ingredients - Ground Chicken (I used ground dark meat) - 1 egg - Spice Blend: equal parts garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper - Worcestershire sauce - Equal parts white and whole wheat flour for coating - 2 eggs mixed with 2 tbsp water for coating Breading Option 1: - 1 cup Panko bread crumbs - 1 cup regular breadcrumbs Breading Option 2: - Cornmeal Start off by prepping all of your breading options. I chose to make my own breadcrumbs for Option 1 because we happened to have the hardest loaf of bread I have ever seen in the house. Now mix your spice blend, egg, and a few solid shakes of Worcestershire Sauce with your ground chicken. I had a Costco-sized package of chicken, so this was a lot of work. Here is where it gets messy. Your chicken mixture will not hold together when you shape it into nuggets. Roll it in your flour mixture, and if you need to, mix some flour directly into the chicken (not too much, as you don't want a weird bready consistency). Place your floured nuggets onto a baking tray. Once they are all done, I coated them in a second layer of flour, followed by some whisked eggs, followed by either the Panko coating or the cornmeal coating. To get a nice golden colour, spray your chicken nuggets with some vegetable oil. Pop in the oven at 425 F for 20 minutes. Pull them out of the oven, flip over, and spray this side with vegetable oil. Pop back into the oven for another 15-20 minutes. |
Verdict: Delish. I may prefer the Panko Coating though. One Note: The cornmeal coating may be better suited for frying, but it still adds some nice texture to your dish. Serve with BBQ Sauce for dipping - yum! Good luck with these! And let's leave memories of yummy treats in the past. Really, stop revisiting them. Especially if they contain large golden arches at the entrance. |