italian chicken nuggets

Italian Chicken Nuggets

May 11, 2022 1 Comment

Covered in crispy seasoned breadcrumbs and served with warm marinara sauce the whole family will love these Italian chicken nuggets.

Italian chicken nuggets

From the recipe collection of Tara Ippolito

Italian chicken nuggets are the unique recipe that the whole family will love.

I really mean that, too! These are absolutely delicious.

italian chicken nuggets cover photo

I feel like people generally assume that chicken nuggets are reserved for kids but that’s not necessarily true.

And these aren’t really even traditional chicken nuggets anyway.

italian chicken nuggets with marinara sauce

They’re pretty much just chicken cutlets cut into little bite size pieces with warm marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

The marinara sauce makes it!

I love making this family friendly recipe as a snack, side dish or main course.

fried chicken draining

My kids request that I make these all the time.

I’m sure If you give this recipe for Italian chicken nuggets a try you’ll love them just as my family does.

Dipping Sauces

I really love these with warm marinara sauce on the side. I have an awesome simple recipe for that HERE.

If marina sauce isn’t your thing, here are a few dipping sauces you might love, too.

nuggets dipped into sauce

If you like more simple sauces ketchup, bbq sauce and honey mustard are also great options.

What Chicken Should I Use?

I used the chicken tenderloins for this recipe but you can easily use breasts, too.

raw chicken tenderloins

I like tenderloins because it requires less cutting on my part. The tenderloins are the perfect width.

If you want to use breasts, just cut them into little cubes.

chicken tenderloins cut into pieces

Chicken thighs would absolutely work, too. Just do the same and cut them into pieces.

What Breadcrumbs Should I use?

I highly recommend Italian seasoned breadcrumbs for this recipe.

They are Italian chicken nuggets after all.

italian seasoned bread crumbs

You can find Italian seasoned breadcrumbs at any grocery store.

If you prefer panko breadcrumbs you can use those, too. I just feel for these nuggets, the breadcrumbs are a little too “chunky” if that makes sense.

chicken going into seasoned breadcrumbs

If you don’t have seasoned bread crumbs on hand, you can always use plain breadcrumbs and add some seasoning to them like this:

  • Parsley
  • Basil
  • Italian seasoning
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Salt & pepper.

What oil should I use?

Vegetable, canola or even peanut oil is the best for frying these chicken nuggets because they all have high smoke points.

vegetable oil

I prefer canola or vegetable oil personally. I feel like they both don’t have any flavor to them to transfer to the chicken itself.

Italian Chicken Nuggets Ingredients:

fried chicken nuggets
  • Chicken tenderloins
  • Eggs
  • Milk
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Garlic powder
  • Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
  • Canola oil/ vegetable oil

Instructions:

First, cut the chicken tenderloins into 1”-2” pieces.

cubed chicken tenderloins

Then generously season them with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

seasoned cubed chicken

Toss the chicken into the seasoning until it’s evenly coated.

mixing seasoning into the chicken

Now in one shallow bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. (Make an egg wash)

mixing egg wash

In another shallow bowl, add the Italian seasoned breadcrumbs.

seasoned bread crumbs

Next, in batches, take the pieces of chicken and dip them into to egg wash. Let the extra egg run off.

chicken dipped into the egg wash

Then place them into the breadcrumbs and toss them until they’re completely coated.

chicken dipped into the breadcrumbs

Now in a large lipped skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat.

vegetable oil going into the pan

Once it’s hot and ready, carefully add the chicken in batches. Don’t overload the pan.

chicken getting fried

Fry them on all sides until they’re golden brown. This should take only a few minutes on each side because they’re small.

nuggets browning

Once the chicken nuggets are cooked all the way through, remove them from the oil and place them on a wire rack or paper towels to drain.

nuggets draining on a paper towel

Let them cool slightly and place them in a serving dish.

friend italian chicken nuggets in a serving dish

Finally serve them with warm marinara sauce on the side and enjoy!

italian chicken nuggets and marinara sauce

What to serve with Italian chicken nuggets

This is entirely up to you of course but I do have some suggestions that I think would go together perfectly.

Here are a few:

Italian Chicken Nuggets Recipe Video:

Italian Chicken Nuggets

The whole family will love these Italian Chicken Nuggets with warm marinara sauce.
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: chicken nuggets, italian chicken, italian chicken nuggets

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken tenderloins
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbs garlic powder
  • 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • canola/ vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

  • cut the chicken into 1-2 inch cubes.
  • season the chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Toss the chicken into the seasoning until its evenly coated.
  • In a shallow bowl, beat together the eggs and milk
  • in another shallow bowl, add the bread crumbs
  • dip the chicken pieces into the egg wash (let the extra egg run off) and then coat them in the breadcrumbs (shake off the extra breading, too)
  • Heat the oil over medium high heat in a tall lipped skillet and add the chicken to fry in batches
  • fry the chicken on both sides until its golden brown and cooked all the way through.
  • drain the chicken on either a wire rack or paper towels.
  • serve warm and with marinara sauce on the side for dunking.
Tara Ippolito

About Al Dente Diva

Tara Ippolito is a self taught home cook from New Jersey and cookbook author of Fast, Simple, Delicious. Better known as “T” across social media, she makes easy to follow recipes using familiar ingredients. T uses her Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest channels to share recipes and cooking tips for everyday people. Her motivation to share with her followers is simple. To inspire people to cook and become more comfortable in the kitchen.

As a wife and busy mother of two little boys she she’s always cooking fast family friendly meals. Sharing her kitchen with others that want to learn is a true passion of hers. As her social media platforms continue to grow she is committed to delivering consistently delicious content to her followers.

Al Dente Diva

Hello there! My name is T & I’m a home cook from New Jersey. I love to share easy to make recipes, cooking tips & kitchen hacks with people who love to cook like I do. My recipes are all easy to follow & use ingredients most people are familiar with. Being a busy stay at home mother of two, I have to cook delicious budget friendly meals that are fast to make. I hope you find something helpful here. Thanks for coming by.

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1 Comment

  • Garlic Parmesan Fries June 2, 2022 at 11:45 pm

    […] Italian Chicken Nuggets […]

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