These crispy Parmesan chicken nuggets are built to solve one problem: chicken nuggets that actually taste like chicken. A crust that shatters instead of turning mealy, real chicken flavor under the coating instead of "mwah," and on the table in fifteen minutes, faster than the drive-thru line ever moves.
My kids are wild about chicken nuggets. Any trip to the drive-thru, and that's what they order, no discussion needed. I'll admit something, though: they're not my thing. Store-bought and drive-thru nuggets are mealy, never actually crispy, and the flavor is... fine, I guess.
If the package didn't say chicken, I honestly wouldn't be able to tell. I still eat them, dunked in that sweet-and-sour sauce I love a little too much (you can get it at that famous drive-thru), but I always thought: this has to be possible to do better.
So I made these. Tender chicken, a coating that's genuinely crispy, and a flavor you can actually taste. Then came the real test: the kids. Three of them, one plate of nuggets, you can guess how fast it emptied. And the verdict was exactly what I was hoping for: "These actually taste like chicken, Mom."
Jump to:
- Crispy & Delicious Parmesan Chicken Nuggets: An Easy Recipe, The Whole Family, will love!
- What do you need for Fried Parmesan Chicken Nuggets?
- Why This Crust Stays Crispy
- How to prepare Kids-Proof Chicken Nugget Parmesan
- Tips, Substitutions, and Variations
- Frequently Asked Questions
- 📖 Recipe
- 3 x Fast Recipes
Crispy & Delicious Parmesan Chicken Nuggets: An Easy Recipe, The Whole Family, will love!
It's Friday again; the weekend is just starting. And then the kids love to eat fast food on Fridays. The shawarma wraps, as are the kroketten and hot dogs, are very popular, but they also like chicken nuggets. Of course, now you can buy them ready-made (and I have done that sometimes), but we as a family agree that the tastiest are the homemade ones.
And preparation is not difficult at all.
Because these Parmesan chicken nuggets will make your tasting buds jump for joy. And you can make this easy recipe over and over again. Juicy chicken with a crispy crust flavored with Parmesan cheese. Delicious as a snack, but also when having a party. Served with a delightful dipping sauce.
What do you need for Fried Parmesan Chicken Nuggets?
To prepare these Parmesan Chicken Nuggets, you require the following ingredients. You can find the correct amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog:
- Chicken breast: For this recipe, I used chicken breast. But chicken breast fillets are, of course, also possible.
- Cornstarch and Flour: Creates a protective layer and makes the meat more tender. With these ingredients, a batter is made that binds the breadcrumbs.
- Breadcrumbs: For breading the chicken with breadcrumbs. This gives the chicken a crispy outer layer, so you'll get the perfect Parmesan crusted chicken.
- Sunflower oil: For deep-frying the chicken nuggets.
- Parmesan cheese: A delicious salty cheese from Italian cuisine, which gives the crispy outer layer a delightful taste.
Why This Crust Stays Crispy
The flour-and-cornstarch batter isn't just glue for the breadcrumbs. Cornstarch has almost no gluten-forming proteins, so the batter stays light instead of turning gummy, and it gelatinizes fast in hot oil. That's what gives you the thin, crisp shell instead of a thick, doughy one.
The breadcrumb-and-Parmesan layer on top does the browning: as it fries, the sugars and proteins in the crumbs and cheese brown and crisp through the Maillard reaction, which is also where a lot of the flavor comes from, not just the color.
How to prepare Kids-Proof Chicken Nugget Parmesan
You can find a printable recipe with a detailed description at the bottom of this blog.
- Cut the chicken fillet into 1 × 1 inch (2 × 2 cm) cubes.
- Mix flour, cornflour, salt, and pepper in a bowl and add ¼ cup of water to make a batter. Mix the breadcrumbs with the grated Parmesan cheese in a second bowl with a fork.
- Dip the chicken pieces into the batter.
- Then dip them in the breadcrumb mixture. Heat the deep fryer to 350 °F (ca. 177 °C) and fry the chicken nuggets until golden brown and cooked through. Cook in the oil for 5 minutes, turning halfway through. Drain on kitchen paper.
Serve them with fries from the oven and a delicious cucumber dill salad. Or serve as a snack with a tasty dip, such as this BBQ sauce.
Tips, Substitutions, and Variations
- Fresh: add some lemon zest to the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese bowl.
- Spicy: Mix the breadcrumb mixture with Parmesan cheese and ¼ teaspoon chili powder.
- Crunchy: Instead of breadcrumbs, use Japanese Panko. This breadcrumb is a bit coarser and even crispier. Or use cornflakes. Put it in a bag and crush it with a rolling pin. Use that as a coating.
- Herbs: Mix a teaspoon of Italian seasoning into the breadcrumbs mix for even more flavor.
- In the Oven or Air fryer: You can also bake the chicken nuggets in the oven or Air fryer. They will then be slightly less golden brown, but still very crispy.
- Oven: Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Cover a baking tray with baking paper and divide the breaded chicken pieces in one layer over the baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes until the chicken is well cooked.
- Air fryer: Spray the heads with baking spray or olive oil spray. Put the breaded chicken in the Air fryer. Not too much; they should still have room to bake. Bake the chicken for 10 minutes at 180 °C. Turn the chicken nuggets halfway through the baking time.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can you use other cheese instead of Parmesan? Yes, you can, mozzarella, cheddar, and Gouda grated cheese are also possible. But since these cheeses are melting more, the crust's crispness will differ.
- Why did my breading fall off? Usually excess moisture. Pat the chicken cubes dry before dipping, and don't skip pressing the breadcrumb mixture onto the chicken by hand, that's what makes it stick through frying.
- Can I bread these ahead of time? Yes , bread the nuggets, lay them in a single layer on a tray, and refrigerate up to 4 hours before frying. Don't stack them, or the coating will stick together.
- What should I serve as a dipping sauce? My personal favorite is BBQ sauce, but my kids reach for mayonnaise every time. To each their own - both work.
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Recipe Help
Two easy tools to make cooking even easier. Cooking mode keeps the screen on. The easy-step recipe displays the recipe step by step, including the ingredients needed. And you can adjust servings easily
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup water
- 5 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 pound chicken breasts, cut into 1 x 1 inch (2 x 2 cm) cubes
- sunflower oil, for deep frying
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
- Put the flour, cornflour, salt, and pepper in a bowl and add the water. Mix well until you get a batter.2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ cup water
- In a second bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the Parmesan cheese5 tablespoons breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
- Dip the chicken pieces in the batter, then dip them in the breadcrumbs and cheese mixture. Finally, press the breadcrumbs into the chicken, so they'll stick.1 pound chicken breasts
- Heat the deep fryer to 350 °F (ca. 177 °C) and fry chicken nuggets for 5 minutes. Do not put too many nuggets in the pan at once because they will not turn golden brown. Turn the chicken halfway through.sunflower oil
- Prepare a plate with kitchen paper and let the chicken nuggets drain.
Notes
- Fresh: Add some lemon zest to the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese bowl.
- Spicy: Mix the breadcrumb mixture with Parmesan cheese and ¼ teaspoon chili powder.
- Crunchy: Instead of breadcrumbs, use Japanese Panko. This breadcrumb is a bit coarser and even crispier.
- Herbs: Mix a teaspoon of Italian herbs into the breadcrumbs mix for even more flavor.
- Oven: Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Cover a baking tray with baking paper and divide the breaded chicken pieces in one layer over the baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes until the chicken is well cooked.
- Air fryer: Spray the heads with baking spray or olive oil spray. Put the breaded chicken in the Air fryer. Not too much; they should still have room to bake. Bake the chicken for 10 minutes at 180 °C. Turn the chicken nuggets halfway through the baking time.
Allow the chicken nuggets to cool quickly to room temperature.
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Freezer: Put the chicken nuggets with Parmesan cheese in a freezer container or bag and store for up to 2 months. Place baking paper between the chunks to prevent them from sticking together. Let thaw in the refrigerator.
- Reheat:
- Oven: Spread on a baking sheet covered with baking paper and bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven.
- Air fryer: Bake at 350 °F (ca. 180 °C) for 5 minutes. Flip the nuggets halfway through. Don't overfill the Air fryer's container. Otherwise, they won't heat up that quickly.
- Microwave: You can also heat the nuggets in the air fryer, at ½ minute intervals. But heating in the microwave ensures that the chicken nuggets are no longer crispy.
Nutrition
Leave a Reply