Gourmet Shake n' Bake Chicken

Chicken nuggets are something I love to eat whether it be from some chain store or just from an easy packet I pick up at the supermarket. I think they're super versatile because you can have them as a snack, or on the night or nights you don't feel like cooking, you just pair these with a bowl of spaghetti and some sauce and you have yourself a pretty good tasting meal.

I guess the only issue about getting it from a place like McDonalds is that you don't really know what's in it - fillers, oils etc., etc. And when you get them from supermarkets - yes, they are fairly inexpensive, but those are usually the ones with a ton of filler and whatever else the manufacturers choose to put in. Something like the Purdue all white meat ones can again get pretty pricey, and so, why not make your own? It's a pretty easy process and you can control all the spices, type of meat, and amount of salt you want in your chicken. To make this recipe a little more fun, I was reminded of the Shake n' Bake stuff I used to do as a kid. It was probably one of the first "meal meals" I have made, so I thought it would be fun to incorporate that in as well.

Tips: Some of the things I did find out after making this several times was that, sadly, I am more used to the ground up/processed chicken type of chicken nuggets. A good way around that is to actually use a meat pounder and pound your chicken - just gently. It's not meant to flatten the chicken, put just to tenderize it and make it easier for eating. Also, I fried mine in a shallow pan of oil, but you could easily just drizzle some olive oil on the chicken and bake it off in a pan at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Frying it just makes it a bit more crispy I think, but baking it is a much cleaner process and the results are not bad.

Chicken Breast Strips

Chopped Garlic, Paprika, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Dill, Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil Rub

Italian Bread Crumbs

All in a Zip-Lock bag

Shake!

Fry on Medium-Medium High Heat for 3 minutes on one side and 2 minutes on the other.

Drain on Paper Towels Before Serving

Ingredients - 10-12 pieces of chicken strips - 4-5 cloves garlic - 1 teaspoon paprika - 1 tablespoon garlic powder - 1 tablespoon onion powder - 1 tablespoon dried dill - 1 tablespoon black pepper - 1 tablespoon kosher salt - 3 tablespoons olive oil - 3/4 cup bread crumbs - scallions to garnish - oil for frying

Directions 1. In a bowl, sprinkle garlic, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dill, pepper, salt, and olive oil over chicken strips and toss. 2. Put chicken into zip-lock bag and add the bread crumbs. Shake bag and make sure all strips are coated with the bread crumb. 3. On medium-medium high heat, heat 1 inch of canola oil in a Dutch oven. Fry chicken for 2-3 minutes on one side, and 2 minutes on the second side. 4. Drain chicken on paper towels before serving. Garnish with scallion sliced on the bias.