Crispy Chicken Nuggets Recipe
Crispy ginger garlic fried chicken dusted with our signature moonspice blend and served with a dipping sauce of your choice served on the side. (GF)
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Ingredients
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For the Chicken
Moonspice Dusting (Signature Blend)
Dipping Sauce (choose one)
Method
For the Chicken
Prep the chicken and marinade
Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. In a medium bowl combine grated ginger, minced garlic, rice vinegar, tamari, and the lightly beaten egg. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes to allow flavor to penetrate.
Make the dry coating
In a shallow bowl or pie plate whisk together cornstarch, gluten-free all-purpose flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and black pepper until homogenous.
Coat the chicken
Remove chicken from the marinade, letting excess drip off. Working in batches, dredge each piece in the dry coating, pressing lightly so the mixture adheres. Place coated pieces on a wire rack set over a sheet pan to rest for 10 minutes; this helps the coating set and yields a crisper crust.
Heat the oil
Pour oil into a heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven to a depth of about 1/2 inch (enough to shallow-fry) and heat over medium-high until it reaches 350°F (175°C) or a small piece of coating sizzles immediately and browns in ~30 seconds.
Fry the nuggets
Fry the chicken in batches without overcrowding. Cook 3–4 minutes per side depending on piece size, turning once, until exterior is deep golden and an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part. Adjust heat as needed so coating browns without burning. Transfer cooked nuggets to a paper-towel-lined plate or wire rack to drain for a minute.
Keep warm and finish
If making multiple batches, keep finished nuggets on a baking sheet in a 200°F (95°C) oven to stay warm while you finish frying remaining pieces.
Moonspice Dusting (Signature Blend)
Mix the moonspice
Combine ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika, white pepper, ground cinnamon, ground star anise (or pinch of anise), and sea salt in a small bowl. Stir to blend evenly.
Dust the nuggets
Immediately after each batch of nuggets drains (while still hot and slightly oily), sprinkle a light even dusting of the moonspice blend over them and gently toss on the rack or flip to coat. The heat will bloom the spices and adhere them to the crust.
Dipping Sauce (choose one)
Sweet chili (quick)
Pour 1/2 cup store-bought sweet chili sauce into a small serving dish. Garnish with a pinch of chopped scallion if desired.
Sriracha mayo (quick)
Mix 1/4 cup mayonnaise with 1 tsp sriracha (adjust to heat preference) until smooth. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with a tiny drizzle of sesame oil or a scatter of scallion.
Soy-ginger dipping (quick)
Whisk together 2 tbsp tamari, 1 tbsp rice vinegar and 1/2 tsp sesame oil. Taste and adjust: add 1 tsp honey for sweetness or a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat. Pour into a small bowl for serving.