Homemade Chicken Nuggets with Sichuan Spices

Method8 steps · about 50 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Cut all 1½ lb chicken breast into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Keep the raw chicken refrigerated while preparing the spices and breading.

   Uses 1½ lb boneless skinless chicken breast · Salt to season the chicken, to taste · Freshly ground black pepper for the chicken, to taste

   
2. 2

   Step 2: In a dry pan, toast all 2 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns and 1 tbsp Sichuan chili flakes until fragrant, watching carefully to prevent burning. Grind them with a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Stir in 1 tsp of the salt and set this topping aside, separate from the raw-chicken breading dishes.

   Uses 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns · 1 tablespoon Sichuan chili flakes · 1 tsp salt for the toasted spice topping

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Set out three shallow dishes. Put all ⅔ cup dredging flour in the first. Beat the 2 eggs with all 2 tbsp water in the second. In the third, mix all 1½ cups breadcrumbs with 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, and additional salt and black pepper to taste.

   Uses ⅔ cup all-purpose flour for dredging · 2 eggs · 2 tablespoons water · 1½ cups plain dried breadcrumbs · 2 teaspoons garlic powder · 1 teaspoon onion powder · Additional salt for the breadcrumbs, to taste · Additional black pepper for the breadcrumbs, to taste

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Bread all the seasoned chicken from step 1, a few pieces at a time. Dredge in the flour dish from step 3, coat in its egg mixture, then coat in its seasoned breadcrumbs. Shake off excess crumbs and put the coated pieces on a raw-chicken plate. Keep waiting raw batches chilled. Discard unused breading mixtures that have touched raw chicken after coating is finished.

   Uses Seasoned raw chicken pieces · Flour taken from the separate dredging dish · Egg-and-water mixture taken from its separate dish · Seasoned breadcrumbs taken from their separate dish

   
5. 5

   Step 5: After the chicken is breaded, add enough vegetable oil to form a ½-inch layer in a cast-iron skillet. Heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 375°F (190°C). Have a clean plate or rack ready for cooked nuggets and keep it separate from the raw-chicken plate.

   Uses vegetable oil for a ½-inch-deep frying layer

6. 6

   Step 6: Put a manageable batch of coated chicken from step 4 in the hot oil from step 5. Fry for about 3 minutes in total per batch, watching and turning the nuggets as needed throughout so all sides become golden. Check that their centers reach 74°C and continue frying if needed. The timer is a batch check, not a signal to wait before turning.

   Check one nugget frying batch · 3 minUses Coated raw chicken pieces for this frying batch · Hot shallow-frying oil in the skillet

7. 7

   Step 7: Lift the fully cooked nuggets from step 6 out of the oil and let excess oil drain. Immediately sprinkle them with some of the toasted ground spice-and-salt mixture from step 2 while they are hot.

   Uses Fully cooked nuggets lifted from the frying oil · Toasted ground Sichuan spice-and-salt topping for this batch

8. 8

   Step 8: Return the remaining frying oil from step 6 to 375°F (190°C), then repeat steps 6–7 with the remaining breaded chicken from step 4 and spice topping from step 2 until all nuggets are fully cooked and seasoned. Serve the collected cooked nuggets from step 7 hot; the number of frying batches and finished pieces is not specified.

   Uses Frying oil remaining in the skillet, excluding lifted nuggets · Remaining coated raw chicken for repeated batches · Remaining toasted spice-and-salt topping · Collected cooked and seasoned nuggets