Chicken Nuggets On The Fly
You will need: Chicken (I use boneless chicken breasts, you can use strips or whatever you like), milk, and some good old $1 a box chicken seasoning and coating mix.
Yes my dears, not only do I use Shake and Bake, I use generic shake and bake – and I proudly proclaim to all that can hear that “It is good!”.
Of course Southerners are known for their fried chicken, typically made from scratch with a well seasoned coating of flour and spices. I can do that, sure I can do that. But do I want to all the time? Heck no, and neither would my great granny if she were still here. Its little modern conveniences like this coating that my ancestors would have marveled at. We are nothing if not a practical culture.
Now you can make a seasoning coating from scratch, too but like I said, this box costs around a dollar.
For a great homemade coating recipe check out TipNut.com’s posting here.
I don’t fry very often but don’t y’all start a worrying that I’m gonna go over to the “other side”. It’s not because of health reasons at all. I just don’t like the mess. That’s why I love this oven fry chicken. Its not messy, can be put together quickly, and If i want, I can adapt it to make strips for the “big people” and nuggets for the “little people”.
And today, it’s also migraine friendly. If cooking anything can be migraine friendly.
This is an example of how I cut up my chicken breasts. I am using a boneless skinless chicken breast here and as you can see I get six large nuggets out of it. You can use a knife to do this of course but i have a nice pair of dishwasher safe kitchen shears that make cutting up meat a breeze so I just scissor cut right through this.
This is three chicken breasts cut up. I am only using three for a family of four because cooking chicken this way actually causes it to “plump up” and be more filling. You won’t need as much as you normally would.
Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
Pour your coating into the plastic bag that comes in the box. Now the box comes with two bags of coating and two plastic bags. I gotta tell ya that I use both of them at once each time I make this. Technically you are only supposed to need one but we don’t fret over technicalities when we want a nice thick coating on our chicken.
Pour a little milk in your bowl and place your chicken pieces in it.
Some recipes call for using egg, some just water, some milk. Milk works for me.
You just do whatever cranks your tractor. 🙂
Put a few pieces of chicken in your bag and give it a good shake.
I just do about half of my chicken in this bag and then I pour the rest of my coating in and finish with the other half.
Place on your baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes for nuggets, thirty or more for whole chicken breasts. Whenever I cook chicken breasts, I always cut one open in the center to see if it is done rather than go by any set time frame.
Some of these boxes of coating will tell you that whole boneless skinless breasts will be done in fifteen minutes.
I hope to find those people someday and sell them some prime swampland.
And that, my dear friends, is my little non-gourmet, super cheap secret to quickie chicken nuggets that the kidders and the big people all enjoy.
Ain’t no shame in my game!
Ingredients
- 1 Box seasoning and coating mix or homemade
- 3-4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless - or can use tenders or whatever you prefer
- 1 -2 cups milk
Instructions
- Cut each chicken breast into nuggets. Place in bowl with milk. Pour coating into bag and add a few chicken nuggets at a time, shaking to coat. Place coated pieces onto baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for about twenty minutes for chicken nuggets, thirty minutes or longer (until it tests done) for chicken breasts.
Serve with MeMe’s mashed potatoes!
I have migraines too–I feel for you. Hope you are better soon. I must admit that I have been using some(lots) of “Great Value” products too–I’ll have to pick up some of this next time I grocery shop–I wasn’t too sure of how it would taste but I trust you!! My Ma-Maw used shake n bake sometimes and my sister and I always did our own commercial–you know the one–said in a very southern accent–“It’s shake n bake and we helped”!!! Your blog sure brings back some good memories and tastes of growing up in the south–Louisiana. Feel better soon. Sheila
I have never made homemade chicken nuggets, but I will now. Thanks for the great, yet simple recipe my whole family can enjoy.
Oh, honey, I feel for you with the migraine. I have *so* been there. Round here, they’re lucky to get food that comes to us when I have one! Glad they know how to fend for themselves!
Take good care of yourself, you deserve it.
These do look good — and easy, too! Hope you feel better soon.
Bettye
I don’t like frying foods much, either, because it makes my face feel greasy haha. I just feel so yucky and greasy after eating fried foods, even at burger places, but that doesn’t stop me from going to What-a-burger, does it? haha
SO sorry about the migraines. They are so awful. But as always you have come through with another wonderful recipe. I think you and Southern Plate are fabulous and am telling everyone I know. Feel better!
Hey Christy! Thanks for the recipe I’m gonna have try this one. I think I might try it homemade! I’ve kinda been on this homemade frenzy lately! I made your biscuits yesterday and they we’re really good thanks! I hope your migrane gets better! I’ll be praying for you! I just wanted to say I LOVE your website you are just so funny and I just really enjoy reading your blogs!
Vickie-Louisiana