Spicy Chicken Nuggets

This is my go-to spicy chicken nugget recipe. I keep a big batch of the seasoning on-hand in the pantry. The chicken comes out slightly crispy, with an out-of-this-world flavor that’s just a tad smoky and spicy. I serve them with whatever dipping sauce I have on hand, which is usually out of a bottle of wing sauce I have in the fridge. Wing sauces were made for nuggets, too.

Spicy Chicken Nuggets

This approach for making spicy chicken nuggets also makes for absolutely great chicken sandwiches. Just use thin-slices of chicken breast instead of bite-sized cubes. Fry them up (they’ll take a bit longer than the nuggets to cook through), place on hamburger buns with spicy mayonnaise, lettuce, onion and tomato and you’ve got one heck of a sandwich.

I make these in my go-to fryer, a Fry Daddy.

I use a pretty straight-forward air fryer, that doesn’t have a lot of bells (ok, it has a bell for when the timer goes off!) and whistles. It gets the job done.
Spicy Chicken Nuggets
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5 from 1 vote

Spicy Chicken Nuggets

This is my go-to spicy chicken nugget recipe. I keep a big batch of the seasoning on-hand in the pantry.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken nuggets, spicy
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 223kcal

Ingredients

For the chicken

  • 1 ½ cups buttermilk
  • hot sauce optional, but nice
  • 2 small chicken breasts boneless, skinless, cut into bite-sized bites
  • oil for frying

For the seasoning

Instructions

For the chicken

  • Place the chicken breast pieces into a shallow dish. Add the buttermilk and hot sauce, if using. Turn the chicken pieces a few times to coat.
  • Let chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes.
  • Make the seasoning (see below).
  • Heat oil to 350 F in a Dutch oven, skillet or deep fryer.
  • Working in batches if needed, remove chicken bites from the marinade. Shake off excess and transfer to the seasoning. Coat well on all sides.
  • Transfer to the hot oil and fry 5-6 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked thoroughly. Remove to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain.
  • Serve with your favorite dipping sauces.

For the seasoning

  • In a shallow baking dish or large resealable bag or container, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Whisk together.
  • Add in a few tablespoons of the buttermilk from the chicken marinade and mix.

Nutrition

Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 734mg | Potassium: 427mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 696IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.