Have you ever been to Nashville, or tried their so called Nashville Hot Chicken? If not, you are in for a treat! These nuggets are crunchy, spicy and sweet! Some of my favorite flavor combinations if you ask me. The heat from the nugget combined with the sweet honey drizzle and pickle just really hit the spot! And you can turn up the heat or turn it down depending on your spice level so they work really well for all levels of spice. While these can be made using whole tenderloins for a sandwich situation, the nuggets are a fun take and are easy for a grab and go appetizer! Which makes them PERFECT for the super bowl this coming weekend! Just serve them with a toothpick and your guest will surely be coming back for more. Serving them with pickles are optional, as I find you either love or hate bread and butter pickles but I for one am a pickle lover! Don't be intimidated by making these either! While it may seem like there's a lot of steps, it really is quit simple and even the most novice cook should easily be able to throw these together, I promise! If you don't know my story, then believe me when I say that I learned everything I know from growing up with my mother and through trial and error in the kitchen myself. If you aren't comfortable in the kitchen, the best thing you can do is spend some time in the kitchen having fun! Nothing has to be perfect, not even edible- you can throw it out and start again. But I really want to encourage you to try something new! I promise you will be glad you did later. And as always, feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns you have about my recipes, or just cooking in general. I would love to help you get more comfortable in the kitchen! :)
Now that I have convinced you to hop into the kitchen, add these to your list of appetizers to make for this weekend! You won't regret it, trust me! Are you making any other fun appetizers this weekend? Feel free to share below or send me a message directly to share!
Serves: Approx. 40 nuggets
Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken tenderloins, cut into 1 inch pieces
Breading:
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup cassava flour (if not gluten free, feel free to use your choice here but this keeps it healthier)
1 cup gluten free Panko crumbs
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch of kosher salt
EVOO
Sauce:
1 cup oil (I use avocado)
1 tbsp buffalo sauce
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp pickle juice or vinegar
1 tsp cayenne pepper (*see note)
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 pinches kosher salt
Additional honey for drizzling (optional, but highly recommend)
Bread and butter pickle chips (optional)
Note:
Gluten free
Can be dairy free- use eggs as a wash instead of buttermilk and be sure to use dairy free buffalo sauce.
Cayenne pepper- this can make these SUPER hot or mild/medium. Prepared as is these are more mild to slightly medium. If it tells you anything, I do no do well with spice and can eat these fine. BUT, if you are a heat lover like my husband, feel free to turn it up a notch! I would likely start with 2 tsp instead of 1. You can always add more but you can't take it away once you have added it and cayenne can be very strong. Especially if you have never cooked with it! :)
Directions:
First cut the chicken into nuggets and then place in a bowl or bag to soak in the buttermilk while you prepare everything else.
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Combine the spices with the flour and panic crumbs and set aside.
Lay out your stations, including the bowl with buttermilk and chicken, then the breading, then a sheet plan (with a wire rack if you have one, if not it's okay). Dip each nugget into the breading and dredge it until fully covered. Shake it off and place on the pan. Repeat until all nuggets are done. Drizzle with EVOO to make them extra crunchy. Put them in the oven. Cook for approx 30 minutes, or until cooked through, and turn them about halfway through. Then, turn to broil for an additional 5 minutes to really get that crunch- careful not to burn them!
While the chicken is cooking, make your sauce. Heat the oil in a pot. Once heated, remove from heat and add the spices, honey, hot sauce and pickle juice and stir well. Of note- be careful not to heat oil too much (I may have slightly overdone mine!) or it will boil up at you. The goal here is to infused the oil with the spices and flavors. Do not be alarmed when they do not dissolve- this is NORMAL. You will basically be using the oil to brush the chicken while the spices should be sunken to the bottom of the pot.
When chicken is ready, remove from oven and immediately brush with several coats of hot honey oil. Flip the chicken and brush the other side too. Remember, the spices should be on the bottom while you use the oil to do the brushing. Then generously sprinkle with a pinch or two of kosher salt.
This last step is optional, but I HIGHLY recommend it! Drizzle honey over top of the nuggets to finish them off.
Serve them up while they're hot! For a group, toothpick them and serve with bread and butter pickles if desired.
I hope you enjoy these as much as my husband did! And stay tuned for more recipes to come this week, although geared toward a slightly different theme...think pink and hearts! :)
Until next time, Cheers!
Magen Check
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