Chef John's Buffalo Chicken Nuggets

A real chicken nugget, at least in the fast food context, is not just a small solid piece of chicken. It's more of a deep-fried, mostly-chicken sausage patty, fabricated from various parts of the bird, such as every legal part. But I like to use chicken thighs.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 5 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Calories: 228 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ⅓ cup self-rising flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay®)
• 1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons fine dry breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon Buffalo-style hot pepper sauce (such as Frank's® RedHot)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place chicken thighs in bowl of a food processor. Add breadcrumbs, kosher salt, paprika, pepper, seafood seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Drizzle in hot sauce and melted butter. Pulse on and off until mixture becomes a coarse paste with very few big chunks, about 18 pulses.

Step 2

Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicon mat. Scoop out 24 portions of the chicken mixture with a small ice-cream scoop and place on mat. Cover sheet with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. (Or place pan in freezer for 15 minutes.)

Step 3

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 4

Place cornstarch, self-rising flour, and salt into a quart-size zip-top plastic bag. Shake bag to mix thoroughly. Place 3 or 4 scoops of chilled chicken mixture into the bag; shake gently to coat and place on parchment-lined pan. Repeat with the rest of the nuggets. Shape them into flattened ovals, about 5/8-inch thick. Refrigerate pan overnight or until starch on surface is absorbed, flipping over once while they're in the fridge.

Step 5

Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

Step 6

Fry nuggets in batches for 1 minute. Drain on a rack over a baking sheet; chill about 1 hour or until you're ready to serve them.

Step 7

Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Fry the nuggets a second time in batches for 2 minutes. Drain on rack.