Description
The three-step coating of flour then egg then crumbs creates a mechanical lock that survives frying heat and steam. Proteins from the chicken and amino acids in the breading react with sugars above 140 degrees Celsius to form new brown compounds through the Maillard reaction.
Cultural Background
Robert C. Baker, a poultry scientist at Cornell University in New York State, created the first version in 1963. He called the pieces chicken sticks. American chicken farmers faced falling sales after World War II ended in 1945 because people returned to eating beef. Baker ground chicken with salt and vinegar to pull out moisture and bind the meat without a sausage skin. He added powdered milk and ground grains as a binder. Baker mailed the full method to companies instead of filing a patent. In the fryer the chicken proteins unfold from their folded shape and link together, squeezing out some water while trapping the rest inside the meat. Starch grains packed in the breading swell as heat breaks their neat crystal-like order, then set into a rigid shell when water escapes as steam. The first flour layer dries the surface so the egg can glue the outer crumbs in place. That glue and the crumb texture together resist the expansion and bubbling that would otherwise strip the coating off. Baker’s shared process reached fast-food developers who scaled it for mass freezing and frying. McDonald’s introduced its version nationwide in 1983 after testing in 1980. Baker never earned royalties from the product now produced in the billions of units each year.
Recipe Info
PREP TIME: 25 minutes
COOK TIME: 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes
SERVINGS: 4
DIFFICULTY: Medium
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Adult: Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces and place them in a bowl with the buttermilk and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Stir to coat the pieces and let them sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- In one shallow bowl stir together the flour.
- In a second shallow bowl whisk the eggs with the 2 tablespoons milk.
- In a third shallow bowl mix the panko breadcrumbs with the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper.
- Adult: Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pot or fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, using a thermometer to check.
- Remove one chicken piece from the buttermilk, let excess drip off, then coat it in the flour bowl, shaking off extra.
- Dip the floured piece into the egg bowl, letting excess drip off.
- Press the piece into the panko bowl so crumbs stick on all sides, then set it on a plate.
- Repeat steps 7 through 9 with the remaining pieces.
- Adult: Fry the coated pieces in batches for 3 to 4 minutes until the coating is golden and the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit inside.
- Adult: Remove the nuggets with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
- Repeat frying with the rest of the batch.
Tips
- The coating slides off if the first flour layer is skipped or if pieces are crowded in the fryer; watch for loose crumbs floating in the oil early.
- Use plain breadcrumbs if panko is unavailable.
- Press the crumbs firmly during the last coating and rest the pieces 5 minutes before frying for better adhesion next time.
Nutrition
Calories: 520
Protein: 38g
Carbs: 42g
Fat: 22g