Who doesn’t love chicken nuggets from McDonalds? They’re one of my favourite treats!

But we can’t be eating it every week, so luckily I have a decent recipe for homemade nuggets that’s cheaper to put together and I think is healthier too.

This involves using breadcrumbs to coat the chicken, rather than a batter. It’s quick to put together for an evening meal, which means we make it quite regularly as a family dinner in our house.

My children love to get involved with making this too, as it involves three different bowls of ingredients you need to roll your chicken pieces in.

Making homemade chicken nuggets

The great thing about making your own chicken nuggets at home is you can cut them into any shape that you want (or can manage).

If you prefer chunkier nuggets, then go right ahead! If you are cooking for kids then smaller bite-sized nuggets are not a problem.

I personally cut my chicken breast to a thumb length piece that’s around 3-4cm wide.

What you need to make homemade chicken nuggets

This recipe is super simple and what I love about it is that I usually have the bulk of the ingredients required in already.

You will need:

• Chicken breast – to serve four people I suggest having 3 chicken breasts. If you want to save time on cutting up the breast then try mini breast fillets.
• Eggs – beaten.
• Plain flour – around 4 tablespoons.
• Panko breadcrumbs – you can make your own breadcrumbs by putting a couple of slices into a food processor and whizzing them into crumbs (use stale bread for texture, or put in oven for 3mins to dry out). Panko is far superior. Some people add seasoning and even some paprika to their breadcrumbs. I say go for it, but as I am feeding my kids I like to avoid spice and added salt.

Alternatives to chicken

If you want something a little different to chicken then why not try turkey nuggets instead? Simply switch your chicken breasts for turkey breast fillets instead.

I love buying turkey breast for this recipe, as we eat so much chicken at home already.

Turkey is a more expensive meat to purchase, so that is worth considering, but it cooks so well with this recipe!

What to serve with chicken nuggets

There are lots of different ways to serve your nuggets! Here are some options for what to serve with your nuggets:

• Side salad
• Broccoli and cauliflower
• Potato wedges and veggies
• Sweet potato wedges
• Baked potato and veggies
• Add nuggets to wraps and serve with salad and your child’s choice of sauce.
• Try dips such as sweet chilli mayo, sriracha, sour cream or chipotle.

Tips for your chicken nuggets

To air fry: If you want to use your air fryer then go for it! Your nuggets will cook in around 20 minutes instead of 30.

For cooking ahead: Place nuggets separately on a baking tray and freeze, then transfer to a freezer storage bag.

Egg alternatives: The egg is essential to getting the breadcrumbs to stick to the meat. IF you prefer to not use eggs, then consider using Greek yoghurt instead. Do not coat your chicken too thickly in the yoghurt.

Parmesan cheese: Want a little extra flavour? Add 25g of grated parmesan cheese to the breadcrumbs before coating your chicken.