Go Back
–+ servings
A white bowl of spicy chicken nuggets
Print Recipe
No ratings yet

McDonald's Spicy Chicken Nuggets with Mighty Hot Sauce

Battered up in a crispy tempura batter and seasoned to the high heavens, these Spicy Chicken Nuggets are incredibly juicy and bursting with so much spicy flavor. Dunk them in this homemade Mighty Hot Sauce and wowza! It's fruity, spicy and utterly addictive.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Freezing1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 20 spicy nuggs
Author: Mallory Austin

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground chicken or ground chicken breast
  • oil for frying vegetable oil or peanut oil

Ground Chicken Seasonings

  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon seasoning salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Wet Batter

  • 1/2 cup all pupose flour
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1/2 tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2/3 cup club soda COLD, may need a little extra. Batter should not be runny or too thick

Flour Dredge

  • 1/2 cup flour

Mighty Hot Sauce

  • 1/4 cup apricot jam or preserve
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon chili paste sambal oelek
  • 4 tablespoons hot sauce Texas Pete or Frank's
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water combined
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

Prep & Shape Nuggets

  • Combine the ground chicken with it's seasonings and a few dashes of olive oil in a bowl. Mix well until chicken is very smooth. Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  • Take a few pinches of the ground chicken and form them into patties about 1/4" thick. I try to make shapes similar to McDonald's (the boot, round, bell, etc). Place them side by side on the baking sheet. Freeze the tray of nuggets for about 1 hour so they are easy to handle when battering.
  • Just before removing the chicken, heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or deep fryer to 350 degrees. I like to attach a thermometer to ensure the proper temp control throughout frying.

Batter & Fry Nuggets

  • In a shallow dish add 1/2 cup flour.
  • In a medium bowl add flour, cornstarch and seasonings. Then slowly whisk in the club soda, stirring slowly just until combined (it can be a little lumpy).
  • Remove the nugget tray from the freezer. Dredge each of them in the plain flour, coating all sides. Fully submerge into the wet batter, allowing the excess to drip off and place them carefully into the oil.
  • Cook them for 4-5 minutes total, about 2-ish minutes on each side. Remove them and place onto a wire rack to cool. Do not place them on paper towels and it can cause them to get soggy. Each immediately for optimal crunch.

Mighty Hot Sauce

  • In a small bowl combine all mighty hot sauce ingredients. Whisk until combined. Microwave for 30-45 seconds until warm through and to thicken. You can also prepare this over the stove in a saucepan.

Notes

These freeze very well. I like to pack them up in a zip-top bag and freeze them. To reheat, either put them in an air fryer at 400 degrees for ~7 minutes or reheat in the oven at 425 for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
 
For regular McDonald's Chicken Nuggets
Instead of the spices listed in the wet batter, use this instead:
  • 1 tbsp. Onion Powder
  • 1 tbsp. Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp. Seasoning Salt
  • ½ tsp. Pepper
  • 2 tbsp. Mustard (added after the club soda)