McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets are iconic. Next to french fries, nuggets go hand-in-hand with fun times and Happy Meal toys. However, they’re also delicious in their own right, with curiously uniform meat, a deeply savory and salty flavor, and a crisp exterior (assuming they haven’t gotten too wet inside their box). Those qualities create reverse-engineering McNuggets a tall task.
Fortunately, McDonald’s publicly lists each ingredient in their food products on their web site so gave me a pretty good start. True to the original, I begin with a paste of chicken thighs (which provides a more tender texture) and fortify it with plenty of msg (in the shape of chicken broth powder) and white pepper. To duplicate the crisp, crisp coating, I dredge the nuggets in a dry mixture of flour and cornstarch before double-dipping them in a batter. I double-fry the nuggets, which removes additional water from the exterior than a single fry will, making the coating extra-crispy.
McNugget clones wouldn’t be complete without a sauce. I’m more of a sweet ‘n’ sour guy myself, so I went in that direction. Apricot jam and white vinegar are key ingredients, as well as a few sneaky dashes of soy sauce and yellow mustard for color and spicy tang.
Why It Works
Chicken thighs allow for extended cookery time, whereas still producing juicier, more flavorful meat.
Chicken broth powder provides essential msg, and white pepper provides that defining flavor of the real deal.
Dredging the nuggets in a flour mixture before battering ensures the nuggets are equally coated and produces a more substantial crust.
A small amount of cornstarch ensures a crispier nugget. Baking powder makes the crust a bit lighter.
Double frying ensures a crisp and long-lasting exterior by driving off excess moisture.
