Batter Dipped Chicken Nuggets (chunks or strips if that's how you roll)

It's an iconic American kids food.  Wouldn't you say?  I would definitely say.

Why is it that every kid in America, if given a choice between anything and chicken nuggets, picks the nuggets?  How many times do you hear from your friends or other people, "My child will not eat anything, but CHICKEN NUGGETS"? It's almost like a kid drug!  Or in honor of Halloween, they are zombies, wanting nothing but NUUUGGEEETTSSS!!  I have a niece and nephew who as kids knew the difference between the white and dark meat ones and would only eat the dark meat ones.  My son, well, let's face it, he would eat anything so never-mind .......



Great color on these babies, I love this recipe!  Chicken Nugget love!

Here is where my nugget discretion comes in.  Batter dipped or breaded?  I know, neither are great for us but, we aren't going there.  I rarely fry anything but once every couple of months, I get a hankerin' for the golden chicken nugget!   I am not a fan of breading of any sort.  I will eat it, obviously, but, nothing I would choose on purpose.  Batter dipped is an entirely different world.  BEER batter makes me whistle like a dwarf on his way to work.  My nuggets are in fact batter dipped, I will share the recipe, along with some dipping options, AND another dish my son used to love using the nuggets.  You can't mess this one up, I promise.  You can thank me with monetary gifts later for changing your chicken nugget world.

Anyway, being a grown up fan of the nugget, I decided to update, and validate why I love them so much!  Let me first remind you, if you use the soda, your batter will have a sweet background flavor.  If you use the beer, it will have the beer flavor in the background.  Point being, you WILL taste whatever you use as your liquid.

Here is what you should grab at the store:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts OR thighs
3-4 cups of oil (veg, canola, peanut)
2 cups flour + 2 tbsp for dusting
1 cup beer or soda of choice
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1 TBSP of your favorite all purpose grill seasoning

-Cut chicken into 1 inch chunks.
-Put oil in deep saucepan or pot and bring to 350 degrees.
-Combine all other ingredients.  Should be thick enough to cling to chicken but thin enough to just drip off the excess.  Dust chicken chunks with 2 tbsp of flour and then pour into batter.  Combine thoroughly.  *I use a glove because I am so sensitive to raw chicken and get sick easily*

The sky blue gloves add a nice pop of color don't you think? Or do they scream "PROSTATE EXAM"??

-Drop into 350 degree oil as many as the size pot you used can take and fry for approx 4 minutes.  Remove with spider or slotted spoon and place onto a newspaper laid out flat or paper towels on a platter to drain.  You can lightly salt while they are still hot.

Now, I married and raised "dippers"  These guys always seem to need something to dip into, to the point of extreme ridiculousness.

In the photo above, my husband had made a small batch of RANCH DIP using my Ranch Dressing Mix Recipe.

Spicy Ketchup
1 cup ketchup
1-2 tbsp of hot sauce

Honey Mustard
1/2 cup yellow or dijion mustard
2 tbsp honey

Family Mustard Sauce
1/2 cup mustard
3 tbsp milk
3 tbsp sugar

Marinara Sauce

Cheese Sauce

You can also morph these nuggets into one of my son's favorite dishes, "KFC BOWLS"  nuggets on the bottom, topped with mashed potatoes, corn and gravy.  Listen.....do you hear that?  It's my arteries clogging.

Pretend you are 7 and play with your nuggets while you eat them.  Have your barbie or G.I. Joe in one hand while you eat nuggets with your other hand.

Your "batter dippin', finger lickin'" chefwannabe

Chris

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