Is there a more nostalgic kid food than chicken nuggets? Growing up, chicken nuggets (and their closely related cousins, chicken fingers) were my sister’s go-to order from the kid’s menu of any restaurant our family walked into. There’s something about that crispy breading and tender, juicy chicken that takes us back to age 9, Nickelodeon shows, and the concession stand at the town pool in summer.
A Different Take on Classic Kid Food
Homemade chicken nuggets were a rare treat. Usually, it was me or my sister spearheading some cooking experiment from one of the kid-oriented cookbooks that got us excited to get into the kitchen and try our hand at cooking (with some parental supervision, of course).
But despite all this talk about nostalgia and kid food, I STILL get excited at the prospect of a plate of chicken nuggets. THESE chicken nuggets in particular. Because these Sichuan-spiced homemade chicken nuggets have grown up. Breaded and shallow-fried like your standard kid-friendly nugget, they are then tossed in a mixture of toasted and ground Sichuan peppercorns, chili flakes, garlic powder, and onion powder.
They remind me of these Sichuan “spicy numbing” flavored potato chips that you can find all over China, because no one can get enough of those addictive spicy and numbing flavors.
Crispy, juicy, and packed with surprising flavor, these “Sichuan” spiced homemade chicken nuggets are the perfect appetizer or full meal for adults and kids alike!
Let’s talk about how to make them.
Sichuan Chicken Nuggets: Recipe Instructions
Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and fresh black pepper. Set aside.
In a dry pan, toast the Sichuan peppercorns and chili flakes until fragrant.
Grind the spice mixture with a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Stir in a teaspoon of salt, and set aside.
Prepare your breading assembly line by getting 3 shallow dishes. In the first dish, add 2/3 cup all purpose flour. In the second dish, beat 2 eggs together with 2 tablespoons water. In the third and final dish, mix together 1 1/2 cups plain dried breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, and more salt and pepper to taste.
Bread the chicken a few pieces at a time by first dredging them in flour…
Then coating them in egg…
And finally coating them in the seasoned breadcrumbs. Shake off any excess breadcrumb and set aside on a plate.
Meanwhile, heat a ½ inch of vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. When the oil reaches 375 degrees F, and all your chicken has been breaded, fry them in batches until golden on all sides. This will take about 3 minutes per batch, flipping the nuggets as needed. Ensure the oil temperature comes back up to 375 degrees before frying each batch.
After they’re fried, immediately sprinkle with your ground spice and salt mixture.
Repeat until all the chicken nuggets have been fried. Serve!
If you enjoy these Chicken nuggets, try Kaitlin’s Korean fried chicken tenders because they’re pretty alright too!
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Recipe
Homemade Chicken Nuggets with Sichuan Spices
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (680g)
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan chili flakes
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 1/2 cups plain dried breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and fresh black pepper. Set aside.
- In a dry pan, toast the Sichuan peppercorns and chili flakes until fragrant. Grind the spice mixture with a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Stir in a teaspoon of salt, and set aside.
- Prepare your breading assembly line by getting 3 shallow dishes. In the first dish, add 2/3 cup all purpose flour. In the second dish, beat 2 eggs together with 2 tablespoons water. In the third and final dish, mix together 1 1/2 cups plain dried breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, and more salt and pepper to taste.
- Bread the chicken a few pieces at a time by first dredging them in flour, then coating them in egg, and finally coating them in the seasoned breadcrumbs. Shake off any excess breadcrumb and set aside on a plate.
- Meanwhile, heat a ½ inch of vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. When the oil reaches 375 degrees F, and all your chicken has been breaded, fry them in batches until golden on all sides. This will take about 3 minutes per batch, flipping the nuggets as needed. Ensure the oil temperature comes back up to 375 degrees before frying each batch. After they’re fried, immediately sprinkle with your ground spice and salt mixture.
- Repeat until all the chicken nuggets have been fried. Serve!
Nutrition Facts
