Thursday, January 26, 2012

Fast Food at Home

_MG_3848.jpgI'm sure many of you have seen this photo floating around the world wide web. Who doesn't love chicken nuggets? We hardly get the chance to eat fast food, and by the look of those highly processed nuggets it may be for the better that we don't eat out much. I think Chick-Fil-A chicken nuggets are a little different than your McDonalds or Burger King nuggets. They actually look like little chunks of chicken. Since it can get a little pricey taking our whole family out I've been wanting to find a recipe that came close and tasted good. I've made these chicken nuggets a few times and even had a gal tell me they taste just like Chick-Fil-A nuggets. I never told her that was my goal. That's just what she said. They were a huge hit and devoured quite quickly by everyone. The best thing about making them yourself is that you can make the nuggets any size you want. I made mine bigger than those tiny nuggets you get at the restaurant. ;)
_MG_3830.jpgI think one of the tricks to making them taste so good is by marinating the chicken to make them soft and tender.
_MG_3833.jpgAfter a few hours drain chicken and marinade in a colander.
_MG_3834.jpgTo give the chicken a brown and golden crust that we all love we're going to to dip the chicken chunks in a flour/powdered sugar mixture. If you've ever had Chick-Fil-A nuggets you know they're slightly sweet. 
_MG_3837.jpgWith just a little oil you can fry these babies in a skillet.
_MG_3842.jpgFlip them once when they're golden brown and cook the other side until it's got a beautiful crust.
_MG_3846.jpgFind that adorable Pyrex dish in your cabinet and line it with a paper towel. Carefully place the chicken nuggets in the dish.
_MG_3849.jpgBake up a side of sweet potato fries to enjoy with your nuggets.
_MG_3852.jpgPull out some more of your fun Pyrex to serve the masses. Enjoy it all quickly because it won't last long. I thought I'd have some leftovers, but my children and husband loved this so much that it was gone in minutes.

Sweet Chicken Nuggets (Chick-Fil-A Copycat Recipe)
6 skinless and boneless chicken breasts 
3 cup milk 
3 egg 
2 cups flour 
6 TBSP powdered sugar 
4 tsp salt 
2 tsp pepper 
Canola or Peanut oil for frying

In a medium bowl whisk the egg and stir in the milk. Trim any fat away from chicken. Cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks. Place chicken in milk mixture for 2 hours or longer in the refrigerator.

Combine flour, powdered sugar, salt, and pepper in a shallow baking dish or ziploc bag. Add chicken pieces, coating well.

Place about 2 inches of oil in a skillet or use deep fryer. Over medium high heat, heat oil until hot. If you are fortunate to have  candy thermometer or something similar heat oil to 375°F.  Using tongs carefully place chicken pieces in skillet of hot oil. Cook until golden brown then flip and continue cooking until the other side is golden brown as well. It should take just a few minutes per side. Remove chicken and place on a dish lined with a paper towel to soak in the remaining grease. Repeat until all nuggets are cooked. Serve with your favorite sauce and maybe a side of sweet potato fries.
_MG_3848.jpg

2 comments:

Katie {katie lately} said...

These look amazing!! Thank you for sharing!

Unknown said...

nice! cool!