This homemade chicken nugget recipe is a lifesaver (my son loves them!). To make things extra easy, we use potato chips for the coating, then bake until crispy.
You only need three ingredients (really!). And instead of frying them in oil, which can be messy, we bake them right in the oven for that same satisfying crunch.
Before kids, I already loved this recipe. But once my son came along, it quickly became one of my go-tos. I love that I can make homemade nuggets in minutes, with almost no cleanup, and I know he’ll eat every bite. For more like this, see our homemade popcorn chicken!
Key Ingredients
- Chicken: You can use either chicken breasts or thighs for this recipe. Chicken thighs are a bit more tender and flavorful, but both work nicely.
- Potato Chips: Use your favorite kind! I love dill pickle or sour cream and onion for extra flavor. The chips make this a naturally gluten-free breading (double-check the package to be sure they’re certified GF). You can also choose between baked and fried chips, depending on how light or indulgent you want them.
- Egg: The egg helps the crushed chips stick to the chicken. Since we’re skipping the traditional three-step breading (flour, egg, breadcrumbs), one beaten egg is all you need.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Chicken Nuggets at Home
Tip 1: Crush potato chips. The more crushed the chips, the better they will coat your chicken. Crush them right in the bag they came in (I open the corner, releasing the air inside, and then go to town with a heavy can). Another option is to pulse them in a blender or food processor.
Tip 2: Bread them. Cut your chicken into bite-sized pieces, dip them in beaten egg, then roll them in crushed potato chips.
Tip 3: Bake them. Line the chicken nuggets on a baking sheet, spray with a bit of cooking oil, then bake until they are cooked through in the middle and golden on the outside. I like flipping them halfway for even browning.
Tip 4: Air fry them. When we first shared this recipe, air fryers weren’t a big deal, but now that’s a whole different story. You can make these chicken nuggets in the air fryer. Add them to your basket, give them a spritz of cooking oil, then air fry until golden and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
These are classic with some ketchup or BBQ sauce on the side. Add a side of roasted potato wedges or baked fries and some roasted broccoli with homemade ranch, fry sauce, or creamy honey mustard.
I also love a side of sweet potato fries or serving these on top of a fresh salad. They are also amazing tossed with buffalo sauce!
More Easy Chicken Recipes
Easy Chicken Nuggets
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
Forget store-bought, frozen nuggets! These kid (and adult) approved homemade chicken nuggets is so easy, and the secret is that crispy potato chip coating!
You Will Need
1 ¼ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast or thighs (566g)
5 ounces favorite potato chips, 3 heaping cups (140g)
1 large egg, see notes
Nonstick cooking spray or olive oil
Directions
1Prep: Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, foil, or a silicone baking mat. See below for using an air fryer.
2Prepare breading: Add the potato chips to a resealable bag, then crush them into bits using a rolling pin. You can also add to a food processor and pulse until crumbled. Add the crushed potato chip crumbles to a wide bowl. Beat the egg in a separate bowl.
3Bread the chicken: Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces (about 24 pieces). With one hand, dip a piece of chicken into the beaten egg. Shake any excess egg off to prevent soggy nuggets. Roll the chicken into the crushed potato chips with your other hand or kitchen tongs and place them onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken.
4Bake: Spray the tops of the chicken with nonstick cooking spray or add a drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes, flip, and then bake until an internal thermometer inserted into the chicken reads 165°F, another 8 to 12 minutes more.
5Air Fry (optional): Instead of baking them, place the coated chicken nuggets in your air fryer basket in a single layer. Spray them lightly with cooking spray. Air fry at 390°F for 4 minutes. Shake the basket, spray lightly again, then air fry for another 3 to 5 minutes (or until golden brown and cooked in the middle).
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Store leftover nuggets in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Or, freeze the cooked, cooled nuggets on a sheet pan for an hour or two until solid. Then, transfer them to an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months. To reheat, bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or air fry at 390°F for 4 to 7 minutes.
- One egg is usually enough. If you run out, whisk a second egg into the bowl.
- For crispier chicken nuggets, insert a wire baking rack into a rimmed baking sheet. Then, bake the nuggets on top of the wire rack. Since air flows around the chicken, there is no need to flip the chicken.
- Recipe inspired by Gimme Some Oven.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We assumed full-fat salted potato chips. For fewer calories and fat, use baked chips.
Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe and tips
Wow! What a delicious and simple recipe, I was craving chicken nuggets and this did the trick! Taste exactly like a nugget, I didn’t have the Italian seasoning and still tasted great… have you ever froze these before and reheated? If so, what temperature?
So glad you loved them! They are easy to freeze. For best results, freeze uncooked nuggets individually on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. Reheat in an oven preheated to 400°F until warmed through and crispy.
I made this tonight for the third time in the past week, it is outrageously delicious and so easy to make! (Also, in the past couple of weeks I made your fry sauce, simple strawberry smoothies, black bean soup, and blueberry muffins, and every single thing was out of this WORLD. (For the fry sauce I subbed pickle juice from the jar because I didn’t have vinegar on hand, and for the muffins I replaced the milk with vanilla caramel flavored coffee creamer – only because I was out of milk – and it all turned out lovely :)). I will never buy soup to-go from a restaurant again, there is no need to. The simplicity of the recipe and quality of the outcome supersedes anything I can find elsewhere, you guys are amazing and I appreciate you sharing your talents for all to enjoy. Instead of just preparing food, you have helped me evolve into a person that can “cook” 🙂
Wow! What a wonderful comment to start our day! 🙂 Thank you so much for coming back to let us know that you love our recipes 🙂
I did three of the potato chips BBQ , Dill pickles, salt & vinegar. I also added cayenne pepper to the chips to give it a little kick . Great recipe idea . Keep it up! Oh by the way I used the air fryer when I make them they turn out out great.
Tips… allergic to eggs – no worry – marinade chicken in a little water, GF corn starch and little salt or your favorite spice blend, add chicken pieces to bag of crushed chip or torlilla, very easy and less handling of raw chicken.Try this ckicken in a ceasar salad, so yummielicious
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I just made this recipe in my air fryer and they are delicious! My daughter has allergies and has gradually become allergic to every chicken nugget we have bought. She is able to eat Organic Kettle Brand Plain and Vinegar and Salt potato chips, so I thought this would work out great for us. I kept the ingredients very simple. First I brined a boneless thigh for about 45 minutes. I then cut it up and dipped the pieces in just egg and rolled in the crushed chips. I cooked them at 370 in the air fryer for nine minutes. They turned out great and she loves them (so do I)! This recipe is a blessing to us!
they are awesome
Oh so easy. Why bother with pricey chicken nuggets when these are so quick, and you control everything about them. The meat is tender and not dry, crunchy and not soggy. It’s so simple that I’m calling it a “how to” not a recipe. This “how to” is a win.
Seems like a good recipe for an air fryer and shorter time
I hate to be the one to tell you this, but flavored potato chips do contain gluten, unless they are certified gluten free, you have to assume always, that they have gluten in them. Read the labels to be certain. Some frozen vegetables contain gluten as well as they are dusted with a light coating of flour before being frozen to prevent them from sticking together.
Hi Wendy, thanks for the tip. We do recommend that readers check the packaging of the chips used.