| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 12 hr 45 min |
| Prep: | 25 min |
| Inactive: | 12 hr |
| Cook: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 12 to 16 nuggets, to serve 3 to 4 children, or 2 adults |
Ingredients
- 2 (each weighing approximately 8 ounces with the peg bone, less without) chicken breasts
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup oil (if you are frying the nuggets)
- 1 3/4 cups cracker crumbs (recommended: Ritz crackers)
- Serving suggestion: Capery Salad, recipe follows
- 1 head romaine or 4 little butter lettuces
- 2 large gherkins, diced
- 1 to 2 tablespoons capers
- 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves, to garnish
- 2 teaspoons gherkin brine
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Cut off the chicken peg bone if there is 1, and put the chicken breasts one at a time into a freezer bag so that it lies flat. Bash with a rolling pin until the chicken is quite thin, and then take it out and slice into about 6 to 8 slices. Repeat with the other chicken breast. This is easiest done with scissors.
- Put the slices into a freezer bag with the buttermilk and leave in the refrigerator to marinade for up to 2 days.
- When you are ready to cook them, heat the oil in a large frying pan, or preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Tip the cracker crumbs into a wide shallow bowl, and then shake off the excess buttermilk from the nuggets and dip them in the crumbs. Coat them well before lying gently in the hot oil, and cooking for about 2 minutes or so a side until they are golden brown. Transfer to a kitchen towel on a plate to blot the excess oil.
- Alternatively, you can lay the crumb-coated chicken nuggets on a lined baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. They can also be frozen once marinated and crumbed. If cooking from frozen, add 5 minutes to the oven cooking time.
- Slice the lettuce into 1/2-inch slices across and put into a bowl. Add the diced gherkins and capers.
- Combine the dressing ingredients, whisking together, and then pour over the salad tossing it to mix. Arrange on a couple of plates and sprinkle over the parsley. Serve with the chicken nuggets.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 14 servings |
| Calories | 177 |
| Total Fat | 13 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 6 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Protein | 10 g |
| Cholesterol | 29 mg |
| Sodium | 361 mg |
Reviews
Excellent – both the adults and kids in our family LOVED this. Easy and quick for a working mom (me to make. Few ingredients required are easy to keep on hand. AND the combo of salty (Ritz crackers and sweet (buttermilk put it over the top. Also, liked this heathly back alternative to fried / frozen chicken strips and nuggets.
A weeknight favorite. I followed the recipe and allowed them to marinate all day. Tender, juicy and easy every time.
love these! the recipe it easy, but i always forget to marinate the chicken over night, makes the nuggets very moist and tender. another go to recipe for the family on a busy night.
Really tasty. As other reviewers did, I also sprinkled the nuggets with oil before baking and I didn’t miss the frying taste. The chicken is moist from the marinade and the ritz crumbles very savory. Will make again.
On the show she made these in the oven and they were beautiful. She also mentioned that you can marinate them in plain yogurt if you don’t have buttermilk.
I tried this with yogurt to which I added some powdered garlic, salt and pepper. Next time I will try buttermilk, because it’s harder to remove the excess yogurt and some of the nuggets ended up a little soggy.
These are way too yummy. :
I tried this with yogurt to which I added some powdered garlic, salt and pepper. Next time I will try buttermilk, because it’s harder to remove the excess yogurt and some of the nuggets ended up a little soggy.
These are way too yummy. :
Always a winner. I bake and do not pound out the meat, I just cut it up very small pieces. I use lowfat buttermilk and whole wheat crackers, sometimes with fresh basil. I also sometimes put olive oil over the top. It is not crispy but that is ok because we no longer eat fried food. My 4 year old twin girls love it! One has DS and is a very very fussy eater and eats them every time. For my husband, I make a big salad and then add the nuggets! Thanks Nigella.
Tasted good, but wouldn’t crisp no matter how long I baked it.
Reading the reviews before I made these, I decided to use veggie flavored Ritz crackers. I also added fresh ginger and red pepper. I baked them spraying olive oil on top, first. They were yummy. I could see this being bland, though, if I’d use plain crackers.
I baked these tenders for my two teenaged boys, who really liked them. They used no dipping sauce and found them tasty when served with stuffing and gravy.
These are so delicious!!! I bake them instead of frying and they turn out just as good!