Homemade Chicken McNuggets

Name: Homemade Chicken McNuggets
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Yield: Makes approximately 40 nuggets
Cuisine: Australian

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roubashahin.com.au

Mains Sides

Crispy, golden, and honestly better than the original — these homemade McNuggets will ruin fast food for you.

PREP TIME

20 minutes

COOK TIME

10–15 minutes

SERVES

Makes approximately 40 nuggets

About this recipe

Let me be honest with you — I have never bought myself a box of McNuggets. But have I dived into my kids’ box and pretended I had no idea what the fuss was about? Absolutely. Every single time. I always told them my homemade crumbed chicken was so much better anyway — and they believed me, until they challenged me to make the actual McDonald’s ones. I did. They took one bite and said these are better than McDonald’s. So here we are.

These homemade chicken McNuggets are crispy, light, and made with real minced chicken breast — seasoned properly and shaped by hand. The batter is the key. It is thin, like a pancake batter, just thick enough to coat each nugget without turning into a heavy crust. The cornstarch does the heavy lifting on crunch, and because the seasoning runs all the way through the meat, every single bite has flavour. These are nothing like the sad, thick-coated nuggets you might find elsewhere. These are the real deal.

What’s more, the best thing you can do with this recipe is par-fry the nuggets in their batter, let them cool, and freeze them. The mess is done and dusted — and from that point on, you have homemade McNuggets sitting in your freezer ready to go straight into the oil whenever you need them. No batter to make, no shaping to do. Just fry and serve. Once you have a batch in the freezer, you will never look at a drive-through the same way again.

If you love crispy chicken in this house, you are in good company. My Crispy Chicken Skewers and my Crispy Chicken Tenders Wraps are two of the most popular recipes on the site — and for good reason. Best of all, this recipe fits right alongside them as a weeknight win or a crowd-pleaser for the kids. Let’s get into it.

Ingredients

Chicken Mix

750 grams minced chicken breast
½ teaspoon onion salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon white pepper
Salt to season

The Batter

1 cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup water (plus up to 2 tablespoon extra if needed, added 1 tablespoon at a time)

For Frying

Mild Oil for frying

Notes from Rouba

Ask your butcher for minced chicken breast if you can — it is the easiest shortcut and most supermarkets carry it. If you cannot find it, see the Q&A below for how to process your own.
Portion each nugget at approximately 15 grams for even cooking and that classic nugget size.
The batter should look like pancake batter. If it’s too thick, add water half a tablespoon at a time — resist the urge to add too much at once.
Fry in batches — with a wet batter like this one, the nuggets will stick together if they are too close in the pan.
A wire rack to drain the nuggets is non-negotiable — it keeps the bottom as crispy as the top.

Method

Step 1. Prepare the Chicken

Place the minced chicken breast into a bowl, add the onion salt, garlic powder, white pepper and season with salt, and mix well until the seasoning is fully incorporated throughout the mince. Roll the mixture into approximately 15 gram balls and place them onto a tray lined with baking paper, spacing them apart as you go — you will be pressing them down on the same tray so give each one a little room.

Press each one down gently into a nugget shape. Lightly oiling your fingertips helps here — the mince can stick, and it makes the shaping much easier. They do not need to be perfect, just consistent in size so they cook evenly. Once shaped, pop the tray into the freezer for 30 minutes before battering — they will be much easier to handle and hold their shape beautifully when you dip them.

Step 2. Make the Batter

Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and 1 cup of water in a bowl and whisk until a smooth batter forms. The consistency should resemble a thin pancake batter — it needs to coat the nugget without being so thick it turns doughy. If needed, add extra water 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the right consistency.

Step 3. Fry the Nuggets

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat until it reaches 180°C (350°F). Working in small batches, dip each shaped nugget into the batter, letting any excess drip off, then carefully lower it into the hot oil. Fry for 4–5 minutes until deep golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the oil and place on a wire rack to drain any excess oil.

A FEW THINGS YOU’LL WANT TO KNOW

Can I use chicken breast fillets instead of minced chicken?
Absolutely. If you would prefer to process your own, cut two boneless skinless chicken breasts (approximately 750 grams) into rough chunks and pulse them in a food processor until you get a smooth, even paste with no large pieces remaining. From there, the recipe is exactly the same. It is a great option if you cannot find minced chicken breast at your butcher or supermarket.

Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes, and there are a couple of ways to do it depending on how far ahead you want to prepare. Once you have shaped your nuggets and pressed them onto a lined tray, you can freeze them unbattered. When you are ready to cook, let them defrost halfway — not fully — then batter and fry straight away. That said, the best make-ahead method is to batter and par-fry them first — see the question below for how to do that.

Can I par-fry and freeze for later?
This is honestly the ultimate make-ahead method and it is how you get that fast food convenience at home. Once your nuggets are battered, fry them for just a couple of minutes — you are not cooking them through, just setting the batter. Remove them and place on a wire rack to drain, then transfer to a tray lined with baking paper, keeping them apart so they do not stick. You can pile them up with baking paper between each layer. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. When you need them, pull them out and fry straight from frozen until golden and cooked through. No batter to make, no shaping to do — they are pretty much ready to go.

Why should I freeze the nuggets before battering?
A very cold, firm nugget is so much easier to work with. It holds its shape when you dip it into the batter, coats more evenly, and does not fall apart when you lower it into the hot oil. This is exactly what fast food chains do — pop your shaped nuggets in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before you batter and fry, and you will notice the difference immediately.

Can I bake these instead of frying?
Honestly, no — not with this batter. The batter is intentionally thin and wet, which is what gives you that light, crispy coating when fried. In the oven it will not set the same way and you will not get the result you are after. These ones are a fry-only situation, and trust me, they are worth it.

What dipping sauce should I use?
Completely up to you — sweet chilli, barbecue, honey mustard, or a good garlic aioli all work beautifully. My personal pick? A little sweet chilli mixed with mayo. Don’t knock it until you try it.

How do I store and reheat leftovers?
Store cooled nuggets in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat and keep them crispy, an air fryer at 180°C (350°F) for a few minutes is your best option. You can also pop them in the oven at 160°C (fan-forced) (320°F) until warmed through — low and slow enough that the inside heats up without the outside burning. The microwave will make them soft, so I would avoid that if you can.

Why are the nuggets in your photos not spaced apart?
Good eye! In my photos I have two separate trays — one showing the balls portioned out and one showing them pressed down. That was just to give you a clear visual of each stage. When you make these at home, portion and press on the same tray and make sure you space them apart from the start — they go straight into the freezer on that tray, so you want them separate and not touching.