Homemade Chicken “Things”
Ingredients
- 3 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 cup complete (just add water) pancake mix
- 3/4 – 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp hot sauce
- 2 tsp salt and black pepper
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Trim chicken breasts and cut into desired size nuggets or fingers.
- In a large bowl whisk together pancake mix, 3/4 c. water, hot sauce and salt & pepper. Add more water to thin if needed. (Note: You want the mix to be a little thinner than you would for making pancakes, but not very much.)
- Heat oil in a fryer or in a medium-sized pot. Add chicken pieces to the batter and stir to coat completely.
- When oil is hot, use a slotted spoon to transfer chicken from the batter to the oil. Depending on the size of chicken pieces, only cook about 5 to 10 pieces at a time.Cook about 3 – 4 minutes per side, until batter is browned and chicken is completely cooked.
Notes
Some Tips and Notes:
- This recipe makes a lot and I did that on purpose. The process takes some effort and time so I would rather invest all that time at once and be rewarded with some extras for the freezer. (We will get 3 meals out of this.)
- Yes, these do freeze very well. Freeze in a single layer in a freezer bag. To reheat, place frozen chicken nuggets on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, until fully warmed.
- These chicken nuggets are similar to the “chicken crispers” you can get at Chili’s. They are crispy but not crunchy.
- I do not have a thermometer that I use in my kitchen. I judge the heat of my oil with the handle of a wooden spoon. When bubbles form around the handle, the oil is hot enough. If the chicken starts browning too quickly, I turn the heat down a little.
- This is a super versatile item to have on hand in your freezer. They taste great as is or as part of a meal. I have a great recipe for that coming up later this week.