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Home » Recipes » Appetizer Recipes

Ground Chicken Nuggets with Lemon Rosemary Aioli

Published: Feb 17, 2021 · Modified: Dec 1, 2022 by Nicole B.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
30 minutes

These homemade, golden-brown ground chicken nuggets are surprisingly easy to make. They are juicy on the inside and have an ultra-crispy, butter-fried panko bread crumbs shell. Serve them with a lemon rosemary aioli dipping sauce.

For more crispy fried panko chicken dishes, also try this lemon pepper chicken dish!

Ground chicken nuggets with aioli on a plate.
Fresh rosemary adds flavor and dimension to these extra-crispy homemade ground chicken nuggets.
Jump to:
  • Recipe Highlights:
  • What’s in ground chicken nuggets?
  • Ingredient notes:
  • What’s in the aioli?
  • How to make the chicken nuggets:
  • How to store leftovers:
  • Variations on this recipe:
  • Recipe notes, tips and questions:
  • More delicious chicken appetizers:
  • Full Printable Recipe

Recipe Highlights:

  • This recipe is surprisingly mess-free. That’s because the ground chicken mix has enough texture and stickiness so that you can roll it directly in the panko.
  • No egg and no milk are needed in this recipe. The panko sticks like a charm to the chicken patties and there is no need for dredging in beaten egg or milk.
  • The chicken nuggets are delicious, won’t get soggy, require only a few ingredients and are fast and easy to make.

What’s in ground chicken nuggets?

Ground chicken nugget ingredients on a kitchen counter.
You need chicken, Parmesan, pepper, rosemary, panko and butter to make the chicken nuggets.

Ingredient notes:

  • Panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs) works great in this recipe and I don’t recommend substituting regular bread crumbs. Panko crumbs are larger than regular bread crumbs and have a flaky shape. When fried, they create a light and extra-crispy shell with a coarse texture that’s perfect for chicken nuggets. (That coarse, crispy texture is also why panko works well as a binder, like in these Italian pork sausage meatballs.)
  • The Parmesan cheese provides enough saltiness in this recipe so you don’t need to add any actual salt to the chicken.

What’s in the aioli?

You need fresh lemon, fresh garlic, mayonnaise and fresh rosemary to make this aioli.

Note: Traditionally, an aioli was simply an emulsion of olive oil and garlic. Today, however, the term aioli includes flavored garlic mayonnaise sauces, such as the one in this recipe.

For a variation of this sauce, also try this rosemary aioli with crumbled bacon.

Rosemary aioli ingredients on a kitchen counter.

How to make the chicken nuggets:

See full ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below!

Step 1. Grind the chicken in the food processor.

Ground chicken in a food processor.

Step 2. Mix the ground chicken with Parmesan, rosemary and black pepper.

Ground chicken nugget ingredients in a bowl.

Step 3. Form the chicken into balls and roll in panko.

Raw ground chicken nuggets being rolled in panko.

Step 4. Flatten the balls into nuggets and fry on both sides in melted butter.

Raw panko-crusted ground chicken nuggets.

How to store leftovers:

Store any leftover aioli and nuggets in separate airtight containers in the fridge. Re-heat the chicken nuggets in a 400-degree oven or in an air fryer.

Variations on this recipe:

For a spicy alternative for this recipe, leave the rosemary out of the nuggets and dip them into a spicy sauce. This smoked paprika aioli, this burger sauce or this apricot sauce are excellent with ground chicken nuggets!

Recipe notes, tips and questions:

What’s the best way to make ground chicken breast?

The best way to grind chicken is in the food processor or blender. (See this tutorial: How to make ground chicken breast.)

How do I make ground chicken without a food processor?

If you have a sharp knife, you can cut chicken breast finely enough to produce ground chicken. To do that, cut the chicken into chunks, then transfer them to the freezer for about 30 minutes to partially freeze them. Take the chicken out of the freezer and slice each chunk as thinly as you can. Then cut each slice into thin strips and then into tiny cubes.

Can I freeze the chicken nuggets?

Yes, you can transfer the raw, breaded chicken nuggets into a freezer bag and freeze them. To cook, don’t thaw the nuggets, instead fry the frozen nuggets in the same way you would fry them fresh.

More delicious chicken appetizers:

  • Grilled Curry Chicken Bites Appetizer with Mango Basil Sauce
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  • Ginger Cilantro Soy Sauce-Marinated Asian-Style Chicken Wings
    Cook Time1 Hours 45 Minutes
  • Orange Maple Glazed Chicken Wings
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  • Mexican Shredded Chicken Dip
    Cook Time35 Minutes

See all appetizer recipes →

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating or comment! Thanks!

Full Printable Recipe

Ground chicken nuggets with aioli on a plate.

Ground Chicken Nuggets with Lemon Rosemary Aioli

The Spice Train
These homemade ground chicken nuggets are delicious, easy to make and mess-free!
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Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American, French
Servings 2 people
Calories (estimated) 442 kcal

Equipment:

  • measuring cups and spoons
  • knife and cutting board
  • garlic press (optional)
  • citrus zester
  • mixing bowls
  • whisk
  • food processor
  • spring-loaded metal scoop (optional)
  • plate
  • small metal spatula (optional)
  • nonstick pan or a cast iron pan

Ingredients:
  

For the lemon rosemary aioli:

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • ½ teaspoon very finely chopped fresh rosemary (you need about 3 inches of a sprig or an equivalent amount for that)
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced or pressed through a garlic press
  • ¼ teaspoon lemon zest

For the chicken nuggets:

  • ½ pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (you need about a 6-inch sprig or an equivalent amount for that)
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ cup panko
  • 1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions:
 

For the lemon rosemary aioli:

  • Whisk all ingredients together. Keep the aioli refrigerated until you're ready to serve it.

For the chicken nuggets:

  • Process the chicken chunks in the food processor for a few seconds until uniformly ground.
  • In a bowl, mix the chicken with the Parmesan, the rosemary and the pepper.
  • Spread the panko onto a plate. Using a spring-loaded metal scoop or your hands, form the chicken into 8 balls and roll them each in panko until fully coated. Flatten each ball with a metal spatula or your hands into a disk.
  • Melt the butter in a nonstick pan or a cast iron pan. Fry the nuggets on both sides until they're golden-brown and reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. (about 6 minutes per side).

Notes:

The Parmesan cheese provides enough saltiness for the chicken nuggets so you won’t need to add any actual salt.

Nutrition Information (Estimated):

Calories: 442kcalCarbohydrates: 27.9gProtein: 29.1gFat: 23.5gSaturated Fat: 7.7gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 492mgPotassium: 496mgFiber: 1.7gSugar: 3.6gCalcium: 102mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition values provided on this website are generated from a nutrition database and are estimates only. The accuracy of the nutrition information for any recipe on this website is not guaranteed. Nutrition values can vary quite a lot depending on which brands are used.

Keywords: food processor chicken nuggets, ground chicken nuggets, panko chicken nuggets

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