Crispy Chicken Nuggets
Homemade chicken nuggets made from real chicken mince, not reformed off-cuts. Lighter than the drive-thru version at 85 calories a nugget, and just as good dunked in the umami mayo on the side.
Dusting the frozen nuggets in seasoned flour first, then dipping them into the same mix turned into a light, bubbly batter with soda water, builds a shell with real crunch instead of a thick, heavy coating. Freezing the shaped nuggets for 30 minutes before dredging keeps them firm enough to handle without falling apart.
Fry, bake, or air fry, whichever you’ve got the energy for. They’ll keep in the fridge for 3 days or the freezer for 2 months, and reheating in the oven or air fryer brings the crunch straight back. Skip the microwave, it’ll turn the coating soft.
Crispy Chicken Nuggets
CHICKEN · SNACK · MEDIUM
Crispy on the outside, light on the calories
These aren't your average freezer nuggets. A dry flour dust followed by a light soda water batter builds a genuinely crunchy shell, and freezing the shaped mince first keeps everything holding together through the double coat.
Fry them for the crispiest result, or bake or air fry if you'd rather skip the oil — all three methods get you to the same 74°C internal temp and a golden, crunchy finish.
The umami mayo on the side isn't an afterthought. Sriracha, oyster sauce and mustard turn a basic dip into something worth making extra of, and it keeps in the fridge for the better part of a week.
Lower Calorie Crispy Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
Nugget Mix
- 1 kg Chicken Mince
- 13 g Cornflour Cornstarch
- Salt & Pepper Pinch
Flour Mix & Oil
- 225 g Plain Flour All Purpose
- 150 g Cornflour Cornstarch
- 12 g Sweet or Smoked Paprika
- 8 g Onion Powder
- 6 g Garlic Powder
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
- 430 ml Soda Water (Club Soda/Seltzer)
- Neutral Oil If Frying
- Spray Oil If Oven Baking or Air Frying
Umami Mayo (Sauce)
- 1 Free Range Egg You Can Use Pasteurised If Needed
- 7.5 ml White Vinegar
- 1 tsp Yellow (American) Mustard
- 180 ml Nuetral Oil
- 40 g American Mustard
- 30 g Sriracha Sauce
- 10 g Oyster Sauce
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
Method
- Place the chicken mince, cornflour, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Mix well and roll into even-sized nuggets (use a scale for best results).
- Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and freeze for 30 minutes, or until firm but not solid.
- In a separate bowl, combine the plain flour, cornflour, paprika, onion powder, garlic salt, white pepper, and salt to taste. Mix well and set aside.
- To make the mayonnaise, add the egg, white vinegar, mustard, and oil to a tall jar or container. Blend with an immersion blender until thick and emulsified. Add the remaining mayonnaise ingredients, mix well, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Heat a pan half full of cooking oil of your choice to 180°C (350°F).
- Dust the nuggets with the flour mix in batches and place them on a tray or plate. Pour the soda water into the remaining flour mix and whisk until smooth to create a batter. Add the dredged nuggets to the batter in batches.
- Fry the battered nuggets in the hot oil for 2½ minutes on each side, or until golden, crispy, and cooked through to an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F). Remove and place onto a wire rack over a tray or kitchen cloth to drain. Serve alongside the umami mayo. Dig in.
- To cook in the oven, prepare a baking tray lined with parchment paper and follow the steps up to frying. Place the battered nuggets onto the lined tray, lightly spray with oil, and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (390°F) for 14-16 minutes, or until golden, crispy, and cooked through to 74°C (165°F), flipping halfway.
- To cook in an air fryer, follow the steps up to frying. Place the battered nuggets into the air fryer basket and lightly spray with oil. Set to 200°C (390°F) and air fry for 8-10 minutes, or until golden, crispy, and cooked through to 74°C (165°F), flipping halfway.
Why freeze the shaped nuggets before coating them?⌄
Freezing them for 30 minutes firms them up just enough to hold their shape through dredging and battering. Straight from the mixing bowl, they're too soft and tend to fall apart in the flour and batter.
Can I make these without deep frying?⌄
Yes — bake them at 200°C (390°F) for 14-16 minutes or air fry at 200°C (390°F) for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway either way. Both get you to the same 74°C (165°F) internal temp with a lot less oil.
Is the umami mayo safe to make with raw egg?⌄
Use a pasteurised egg if you can, especially if serving pregnant, elderly, very young, or immunocompromised eaters. It'll keep in the fridge for 5-7 days rather than the couple of weeks you'd get from a store-bought jar.
Can I swap anything in the umami mayo?⌄
Easily. Drop the sriracha for a milder dip, or swap the oyster sauce for a splash of soy if you don't have it on hand. The base emulsion of egg, vinegar and oil is what holds it together, the rest is flexible.
