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Much to the delight of my 5-year-old self, who was known in the family as the one who had a nearly daily chicken nugget habit, there are countless options to get your fried chicken bite Rx these days.
Of course, you could swing through the drive-thru to order one of the best fast food chicken nuggets. Or if you’re in the mood to cook, you could DIY using something like Cindy’s Chick-fil-A Copycat Chicken Nuggets, crunchy baked Homemade Chicken Nuggets, The Best Ever Fried Chicken Nuggets, or quick and easy Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets that fans say “do not disappoint!”
Or you could fill your freezer with a fast food-like option that you can reheat and devour in a matter of minutes—and for far less cash than ordering take-out.
Even when you zoom into the frozen chicken nugget market, options abound. You can hunt for heart-shaped nuggets around Valentine’s Day, keep things plant-based with one of several frozen vegan “chicken” nugget brands, or reach for one of the dozens of store- and name-brand chicken nuggets at the supermarket. With so many choices, how do you know which ones are worth buying? We decided to call in the professionals to help us sort through the freezer aisle to determine the best brands.
Our Panel of Chicken Nugget-Rating Chefs
- Meggan Hill, the Valencia, California-based executive chef and CEO of Culinary Hill
- Mary Payne Moran, chef and owner of The Silver Lake Kitchen cooking school in Los Angeles and the author of “The Vita Gang Mysteries: Who Stole Vita D?”
- MacKenzie Schultz, morning prep and sous chef at Harbinger in Des Moines, Iowa
Qualities of the Best Frozen Chicken Nuggets
Soggy, bland, pale, and overly salty nuggets are not invited to the party, the chefs confirm. Instead, look for nuggets that:
- Are golden brown. Chef Mary Payne Moran of Los Angeles admits, “I take the picture on the box for face value, so if it doesn’t look golden brown on the box then I assume it won’t be golden brown after I cook them,” and that’s not so appealing.
- Have a reasonable ratio of breading to chicken. The breading should be substantial enough that kids (and kids at heart) can notice and taste it but not so much that it overwhelms the chicken, “because balance is important,” notes California-based Chef Meggan Hill.
- Crisp up nicely—and stay crisp. Moran says a crispy exterior and moist interior are key. “A lot of frozen chicken nuggets get crispy while cooking and lose their crispy once they’re out of that heat source almost immediately,” adds Chef MacKenzie Schultz of Des Moines, Iowa. “I like ones that can hold up and stay crispy while cooling,” so it’s not necessary to rush through the meal or snack. Since home-cooked frozen chicken nuggets are oven-baked or air-fried, “they can tend to be limp,” Moran says. “If a chicken nugget can come out of the oven crisp and golden brown, I’m sold.”
- Don’t immediately get “naked” the moment you take a bite. If you ask Schultz, “The breading must stay on the nugget. I hate when you bite into a chicken nugget and the breading just falls right off! It tells me that the chicken nuggets were not assembled properly.”
- Taste delicious without sauce. Nuggets only get better when you dunk them in BBQ sauce, honey mustard, ketchup, ranch, or secret sauce. Still, Hill believes the chicken nuggets should be savory, seasoned, and delicious (but not too salty) on their own: “Even though my kids love to eat nuggets with a dipping sauce, I personally believe nuggets should be able to stand alone and still taste great.”
- Include instructions for different methods of cooking, including the air fryer. Many frozen chicken nugget labels share heating instructions for the microwave and oven. Ideally, they’ll also explain how to cook them in an air fryer “because that is a quick, easy way to prepare frozen nuggets without added fat or firing up the oven,” Hill says.
Sara Haas/Allrecipes
The Best Frozen Chicken Nuggets, According to Chefs
There’s not just one, but actually several frozen chicken nugget brands that check those boxes, the chefs confirm. What a time to be alive!
The following products earn the chefs’ stamp of approval:
- Just Bare Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Original Bites: Chef Hill happily shares these frozen chicken nuggets with her two kids, and applauds the fact that “these bites are made with chicken breast rather than anonymous ground-up chicken pieces.” Her kids adore the size, shape, and flavor, both with and without sauce. (Hat tip to the paprika and celery seeds in the seasoning blend!)
Hill also appreciates that she doesn’t have to hunt to find them. “Just Bare nuggets are economical and widely available at Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart, Target, Albertson’s, Ralph’s, and Sprouts,” she notes. Just Bare is the only brand on this list that comes with oven, microwave, and air fryer instructions, by the way.
- Earth’s Best Chicken Nuggets: Chef Moran raves about “the real chicken flavor and crisp exterior” of these white meat nuggets. Garlic powder, onion powder, and sea salt infuse the breading and the batter with flavor. Although they’re usually a couple dollars more than their conventional peers, these organic nuggets are “made with high-quality ingredients, which clearly you’re paying for as the price is more than the others.”
The ingredient list is fairly short and features whole wheat breading that sneaks in a little more nutrition. “Quality is the utmost important to me when it comes to food,” Moran says, and she doesn’t hesitate to add these to her meal plan in dishes like Southwest salads or Buffalo sauce-tossed nuggets.
- Kirkwood Honey-Battered Chicken Tenders: This Aldi store brand, sometimes referred to as “yellow bag chicken” by Aldi superfans, is Chef Schultz’s top pick. “They are different from others. That’s why I like them!” she admits. The batter is sweeter and they’re tenders, not nuggets. They’re also a steal, clocking in at a fraction of the price per ounce compared to the two other frozen chicken products on this list.
“The batter reminds me a little bit like a tempura batter: it’s light and crispy,” Schultz tells us. “The addition of honey powder in the breading not only gives you a sweet savory vibe to the tenders, but it also gives you a great crisp while heating them up because the sugars help brown the batter.” The breading clings to the chicken “so well,” she adds.
How to Upgrade Your Frozen Chicken Nuggets, Chef-Style
Regardless of which brand you choose, when it comes time to cook your frozen chicken nuggets, the chefs have a few secrets to share:
- Spritz with oil. Before you add the nuggets to a sheet pan to bake them, coat the sheet pan with a thin layer of oil to “increase the golden brown exterior,” Moran suggests. Then add the nuggets, and give them a spritz with oil spray so the top crisps, too.
- Stir frequently. No matter if you bake, air-fry, or microwave, Moran recommends rotating the nuggets frequently during cooking “to ensure they are cooked evenly.”
- Use your air fryer (if you have one). Schultz is a firm believer that “an air fryer will be your best friend in making good chicken tenders.” Again, spray the bottom of the basket or tray with oil, spritz the top with oil, and if your label doesn’t have instructions, air fry around 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) until they reach your desired doneness level, Schultz says.
- Bend the rules. Keep in mind that “the instructions on the bag are always a recommendation in my eyes. If you like super-crispy tenders, leave them in the air fryer a little longer,” Schultz explains. “Just don’t forget a timer so you don’t burn them!”
- Try re-frying them. “For the ultimate experience in chicken nugget dining, use a deep fryer,” Hill says. She swears her Just Bare bites taste “just like Chick-fil-A nuggets” when you do so, although she admits she “would only do this for special occasions!” Air frying or baking in the oven are A-OK methods, too.
- Don’t be afraid to dress them up. “Serve them straight from your oven, air fryer, or deep fryer—alongside a high-quality dipping sauce—for a piping-hot nugget experience,” Hill recommends. Or transform your frozen chicken nuggets into something totally new, like:
- 4-Ingredient Orange Chicken
- Chicken Parmesan Pizza
- Mini Hot Chicken and Waffle Sliders
- Chicken and Waffles Casserole
- Chicken Nugget Chicken Parm
- Sheet Pan General Tso’s Chicken and Broccoli
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