Coating for chicken nuggets is our signature product, so we have a lot of experience when it comes to preparing chicken pieces in a golden coating.
We decided to share our knowledge and created a set of useful tips for preparing nuggets.
Every child knows what nuggets are. After all, they are one of the most popular dishes in the KIDS MENU. However, the answer to the question of how chicken nuggets are made is not as obvious. Use our tips to find out how to make chicken nuggets that you can successfully serve in your restaurant.
Coating for chicken nuggets – tried and tested solutions
Holly Powder chicken coating will ensure that your nuggets are perfectly crispy and crunchy and have a beautiful and appetisingly golden colour. Here’s what the chef of one of the restaurants we work with thinks of it:
“What makes Holly Power coating unbeatable? Firstly, it both looks and tastes great. Secondly, it sticks well to the meat. It is not hard, tough or rubbery, but properly crispy. It is also versatile – the flavour of the meat is provided by the marinade. So the same product works for preparing any type of chicken – whether mild or spicy”.
Reproducibility in food service is extremely important. That is why it makes sense to rely on proven solutions and benefit from the experience of others. Holly Powder offers both reliable products and professional support. They make it easy for you to achieve a satisfying result and prepare chicken dishes of the highest quality.
How to make a coating for chicken nuggets?
You don’t have to think about it anymore. Our brand’s ready-made coating for chicken nuggets will give your chicken dishes the desired golden colour, a pleasant crunchiness and an appetising, cornflake-like texture. The tried and tested recipe always ensures the same repeatable result.
Simply use the recommended ratios and prepare the chicken according to the instructions, and you (as well as the guests of your restaurant) will be constantly delighted with the result. A ready-made coating for chicken nuggets is the best choice, and it is also a convenient solution that significantly reduces preparation time.
What meat can be used to prepare delicious chicken nuggets?
The only correct answer is: from a fresh chicken fillet. Of course, some chain fast-food restaurants serve chicken nuggets made from a meat-based paste packed with chemicals. It is prepared using giblets and artificial additives, resulting in nuggets of poor quality and no nutritional value.
And yet, snacks from fast food menus can be more healthy! It is up to you, as the caterer and the cook, to ensure that the food you serve is not only tasty but also nutritious.
A healthier version of a crispy snack
We opt for a healthier version of the chicken nuggets that are popular in chain restaurants. How is it healthier? Because it is based on fresh poultry meat. We focus on creating dishes with the best quality ingredients. We focus on unprocessed food. If you care about this too, go for nuggets made with fresh poultry meat.
Marinade for chicken nuggets
The right coating for chicken nuggets is already half the battle. Choosing the right marinade is also extremely important. Holly Powder offers two types of marinade: spicy and mild. Choosing the level of spiciness will allow you to easily adapt the dish to the taste preferences of your restaurant guests. When preparing chicken snacks for children, use the mild marinade with a delicate flavour and aroma. Adults are sure to enjoy the spicier version of the nuggets.
The marinade gives the meat:
- flavour
- aroma
- proper tenderness
The Holly Powder marinade penetrates the meat completely, so that the flavours are intense and well-defined. Preparation of the marinade is extremely simple. All you need to do is add water mixed with ice according to the required proportions.
What to do to make the chicken pieces really tender?
The marinade not only gives the meat flavour, but also makes it juicy. By marinating the meat and massaging it properly, the meat retains its moisture even during long storage in the hot cabinet.
When preparing the marinade, it is very important to use the right proportions. Too much water will cause the chicken to cook instead of frying. Too little water will make the meat overly dry.
Massaging the meat as the key to success
The juiciness is also influenced by massaging the meat properly. To keep the meat flavoursome and suitably moist, massage it until it has absorbed all the marinade. Well-massaged meat means juicy and … crispy nuggets. This is because hydrating the meat properly causes the characteristic cornflake-like texture to appear during frying.
How do you get a cornflake-like coating texture?
There are several factors that contribute to the cornflake-like texture of the coating:
- Firstly, the hydration of the meat during marinating and massaging.
- Secondly, coating the meat according to the instructions provided by Holly Powder.
- Thirdly, frying at the correct temperature.
In order for the chicken nuggets to have a crispy coating with characteristic cornflake-like texture, they should be breaded according to the rules of breading, remembering to repeat this process a certain number of times. It is also worth bearing in mind to place the meat in the deep fryer immediately after breading. This will ensure that the coating does not have time to soak up the water from the meat, that it retains its juiciness and that it forms an attractive crispy texture during frying.
Perfectly golden chicken pieces aka perfect chicken nuggets
Chicken nuggets should be fried at 170 degrees Celsius. This will ensure the expected crispy effect, proper browning of the meat as well as a golden colour. The suggested frying time for the nuggets is 3,5 minutes. Frying for too long will result in a bitter taste of the coating and will change its colour. Instead of a golden colour, the chicken will be brown.
It is also worth knowing that even an ordinary deep fryer is sufficient for frying nuggets! The important thing is that the fat in it is at the right temperature and fresh.
What can be done to ensure that the coating sticks well to the meat?
The ideal coating is one that is both golden and crunchy, has a crispy texture and also sticks well to the meat. How to ensure that when you bite into a nugget, it doesn’t separate from the surface of the meat, slide off and fall off?
“The secret lies in the thorough dissolving of the coating ingredients” – explains the aforementioned chef – “According to the instructions, you should use cold water for the coating. In order to ensure that it sticks well to the meat, it is recommended to add a little bit of coating to the previously prepared water. That way, the coating dissolves in the water and adheres better to the meat”.
How to get perfectly white meat?
You already know how to get a golden colour and a cornflake-like texture effect. But what about the colour of the meat? What can you do to make sure it doesn’t have any discolouration? Chicken nuggets are not only characterised by a golden coating, but by the perfect whiteness of the meat. How do you achieve it? Here is an important tip:
“In order for the meat to remain consistently white, it must be properly chilled. Its temperature should be no higher than 4 degrees Celsius. This rule applies to every stage of the preparation of the nuggets: From the moment the supplier delivers the meat to you, through the storage stage to the marinating and breading of the meat.”
Higher temperatures cause discolouration of the meat. This can cause pink and red spots to appear. An effective way to keep the temperature low enough during marinating is to add ice cubes to the marinade.
Chicken nuggets like at home
Our breading for chicken nuggets is a tried and tested recipe. With Holly Powder, you can prepare the same tasty and appealing dish every time. You can easily reproduce the taste and aroma and achieve an identical result.
Your guests will appreciate the high quality, appetising appearance and aroma of the food served. You will love it – for the speed and convenience of preparation, reproducibility, the visual and taste WOW effect! You don’t have to waste your time experimenting. With Holly Powder and our set of practical tips, you are destined for culinary success.
