In Absolute Best Tests, our writer Ella Quittner destroys the sanctity of her home kitchen in the name of the truth. Shes mashed dozens of potatoes, seared more porterhouse steaks than she cares to recall, and tasted enough types of bacon to concern a cardiologist. Today, she tackles chicken nuggets.
Leah Shutkever, 31, woke up on November 17, 2020, nine months after the global coronavirus shutdowns began. She had one goal in mind. She donned a Jobsian turtleneck, tied back her hair, and took a seat at her counter in Redditch, England, with only a bottle of water and a large container of processed meat by her side.
For the next 180 seconds, Shutkever used a specially developed double-decker pinch-and-cram technique to jam 60 chicken nuggets into her mouth and down her throat in rapid succession.
“During lockdown, no [Guinness World Record eating] title was safe,” she told me recently. “I would search the internet to see how likely it was that a record could be broken. If there was even a small chance, I would go for it.” ”.
She describes Nugget Day in particular as “exhilarating, nerve-racking, fast-paced, and daunting,” and says she was hit with “flavor fatigue” around the 20-nugget mark. Still, she persevered, and to this day holds the Guinness World Record for “Most Chicken Nuggets Eaten in Three Minutes. ”.
I got in touch with Shutkever after spending many more minutes cramming significantly fewer nuggets into my own mouth for Absolute Best Tests. I’d been trying for days to determine the perfect combination of chicken blend, breading, and cook method to produce maximally crushable nugs.
Shutkever’s take: The ideal chicken nugget should contain both breast and thigh for texture, and no matter how it’s breaded or battered, the seasoning should be ample. But despite those preferences, she’s not picky. “Nuggets are iconic!” she said. “I will take them in any form. ”.
Some people aren’t as accepting, but it’s true that a good nugget can be a beautiful little golden treat. It elicits the specific pleasure offered only by foods that can be popped into the mouth whole (cocktail meatballs, those little mozz balls) without sacrificing the gratification presented by the sort of properly crispy shell that’s more commonly found on larger foods (fried drumsticks, arancini). The ideal chicken nugget meets three criteria: thorough and harmonious seasoning, breading that won’t wilt or yield to a gentle poke, and innards as tender as any Jack White lyric.
On the seasoning front, Shutkever is with me. “It would have helped if the McDonalds nuggets I used for the World Record were more flavored, to avoid hitting that flavor wall so quickly,” she lamented.
Before I let Shutkever off the hook, I had one more question. Did she puke? “No throwing up,” she said. “It was a pretty easy three minutes!” From Our Shop
After a few initial rounds of testing, I settled on a 50-50 mix of chicken thigh and chicken breast, pulsed together in a food processor with seasonings until mostly minced. (Specific proportions of seasonings are noted below.)
Chicken nuggets are a classic fan favorite that both kids and adults love. When cooked just right, they become crispy and golden on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside But knowing exactly how long to cook chicken nuggets in the oven is key to achieving this perfect texture and taste
In this comprehensive guide, we will cover everything you need to know about getting the best oven-baked chicken nuggets, including:
Selecting The Right Chicken Nuggets
Not all chicken nuggets are created equal. When selecting your nuggets to bake consider
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Quality ingredients – Opt for nuggets made from all-natural chicken breast rather than processed chicken This ensures better texture and flavor
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Breading—The breading is very important for making oven-baked nuggets crispy. Look for panko breadcrumbs or cracker-style coatings.
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Size and shape – Uniformly shaped nuggets will cook evenly. Aim for bite-sized pieces or uniform strips.
You can choose Tyson® All Natural* Chicken Nuggets, which are made with good white meat chicken and a golden, crispy breading.
Preheating The Oven
Preheating is a must for getting your chicken nuggets nice and crispy in the oven. Heat your oven to 400°F before baking. This allows the oven to fully reach the desired temperature.
Prepare A Baking Sheet
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. The nonstick surface prevents sticking and makes cleanup a breeze.
Arrange The Nuggets In A Single Layer
Lay the chicken nuggets out in a single layer on the baking sheet, making sure they don’t touch or overlap. Even spacing allows for maximum airflow circulation for crispiness.
How Long To Cook Chicken Nuggets In Oven
The optimal oven bake time for chicken nuggets is 12-15 minutes at 400°F. However, always defer to the package instructions, as cook times can vary slightly by brand.
Here are some general cooking guidelines:
- Standard frozen nuggets – Bake for 15 minutes, flip halfway
- Larger nuggets or strips – Increase bake time to 17-18 minutes
- Smaller bite-sized nuggets – Decrease bake time to 12-13 minutes
The included microwave instructions are a quick and easy cooking method as well.
Internal Temperature For Doneness
The best way to ensure your chicken nuggets are fully cooked is to use an instant-read thermometer. Insert into the thickest part of a nugget to check the internal temperature.
Chicken nuggets are done when the internal temperature reaches 165°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, cut into a nugget to check for no pink interior.
Golden Brown Exterior
In addition to monitoring temperature, check that your chicken nuggets have developed a crispy, golden brown exterior. If not browned enough, increase oven temperature by 25°F and bake for 2-3 more minutes.
Flipping Halfway Through
For evenly cooked and browned chicken nuggets, flip each nugget over using tongs halfway through the baking time. This allows both sides to bake and crisp up nicely.
Cooking Frozen Nuggets
For frozen chicken nuggets, an additional 1-2 minutes of bake time is often needed. And as always, verify with a thermometer that the minimum 165°F temperature is reached.
Preventing Soggy Nuggets
To prevent sogginess, avoid overcrowding and let nuggets fully cool on the baking sheet before serving. Steam from hot nuggets can soften the exterior.
Reheating Leftovers
To reheat leftover baked chicken nuggets, place them on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 4-5 minutes until warmed through. The oven is best for retaining crispy textures.
Serving Suggestions
Chicken nuggets pair wonderfully with all kinds of dipping sauces like ketchup, ranch, barbecue, or honey mustard. Serve them alongside crispy fries, coleslaw, fruit, or veggie sticks for a complete meal.
Oven-Baked Chicken Nugget Recipes To Try
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Parmesan Chicken Nuggets – Toss nuggets with Parmesan, paprika, garlic powder, and olive oil before baking.
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Buffalo Chicken Nuggets – Toss cooked nuggets in Buffalo hot sauce then bake until crispy. Serve with blue cheese dressing.
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Chicken Nugget Kebabs – Thread nuggets and veggies onto skewers for fun individual snacks.
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Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets – For an extra crispy crunch, try air frying your nuggets.
Key Takeaways
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Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet.
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Arrange nuggets in a single layer without crowding.
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Bake for 12-15 minutes, flip halfway through.
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Chicken nuggets are done at an internal temperature of 165°F.
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Let nuggets cool slightly before serving to maintain crispiness.
Baking chicken nuggets in the oven takes just minutes and results in crispy, golden nuggets the whole family will love. With the proper cook times and these easy tips, you can achieve oven-baked perfection every time. Enjoy these tasty nuggets as a quick weeknight dinner or fun party snack.
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The Best Ways to Cook Chicken Nuggets
Shallow fry your nuggets! The deep fry method worked well, too, though the nuggets in the shallow fry batches were markedly juicier across all breading and battering trials.
If you’re not trying to avoid fry oil, you might want to put your air fryer on the back burner while you search for the perfect nugget. The air fryer nuggets were tasty and had a good amount of crispiness and tenderness, but the shells were not cooked evenly and the insides were a bit dry.
The baked nuggets were much juicier than the air fryer nuggets. That said, the air fryer specimens had crunchier jackets, so, pick your battle.
The Best Breadings & Batters for Chicken Nuggets
Panko produced a cartoonishly appealing tone when tested across most cook methods (except bake), and unlike some of the other breadings and batters, it didn’t call for extra cook time to properly darken, which meant the resulting nuggets didn’t dry out at the expense of color. The panko-coated nuggets were, as one tester pointed out, “like little pucks of chicken Parm” and would have paired well with marinara.
When I used Italian-style bread crumbs instead of panko, the golden nuggets were only about half as crispy, more like crusty throw blankets than glassy swaddles. I can’t honestly say that they were better than panko.
Rice flour batter produced the most enticing exteriors by far. Biting into these nuggets was like driving a Mack Truck over a Zalto glass, and yet each shell still managed to retain the faintest bounce, distantly reminiscent of the texture of tahdig. (All-purpose flour batter did not disappoint—especially with its delightfully golden color and crunch boost from cornstarch—but it offered none of the textural nuance of rice flour.)
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FAQ
How long are chicken nuggets cooked for?
How long to bake Chicken Nuggets? Preheat to 400 °F. Place frozen nuggets in a single layer on a foiled-lined baking sheet. Heat 13 to 15 minutes or until heated through.
How long do you cook chicken nuggets for?
Bake: Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread frozen nuggets on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes. Pan Fry: Heat vegetable oil (1/8″) in skillet until hot. Fry nuggets in the hot oil over medium heat 10-12 minutes, turning over after 5-6 minutes.
How long do you cook frozen chicken nuggets for?
Definitely deep fried. From frozen, 3 minutes at 375 degrees F is perfect.
How long should nuggets be cooked for?
Preheat oven to 200°C. Place Chicken Nuggets on a lightly greased oven tray and cook for approximately 16-18 minutes, turning once. Place Chicken Nuggets into air fryer basket in a single layer only. Cook at 200°C for approximately 10-12 minutes.