Homemade Chicken McNuggets Inspired by Steve Vivaldi’s Viral Recipe

The crispy little chicken bites everyone understands immediately.

It’s fried chicken time — tiny, crispy, dippable fried chicken time. These Resto Vivaldi-inspired homemade Chicken McNuggets are made with real chicken, and after you try them, the frozen bag starts looking suspicious.

This recipe is inspired by Steve from Resto Vivaldi, whose fast-growing YouTube channel makes restaurant food actually practical to make at home. He made these nuggets for his kids because everyone loves McNuggets, so why not make a version where you know what goes inside?

Here’s the homemade McNugget method, with a few practical tweaks for a real home kitchen.

🍗 Fast-Food Crunch, Real-Chicken Ingredients

These aren’t regular chicken bites. They are McNugget-style nuggets: smooth inside, crisp outside, and built for dipping.

The chicken gets processed with seasoning and cornstarch, shaped into small nuggets, lightly coated, briefly frozen, dipped in a thin batter, then fried until golden with a thin, crisp shell.

That short freezer rest matters. It helps the nuggets hold their shape. Also, the thin batter gives them that signature nugget coating instead of a thick, bready crust.

🍗 The Chicken Breast Test Wins

I tested this recipe a few different times. First, I made Steve’s 1-pound chicken breast version. Another time, I tried all chicken thighs. In the video, I made a 2-pound batch with both white and dark meat.

All were good. But if you want the closest McNugget-style texture, 100% chicken breast wins. It gives you that smooth, tender, white-meat bite Steve was aiming for.

My vote is 2 pounds of chicken breast, because if you are already frying nuggets, you might as well make enough for leftovers, freezing, or teenagers who appear suddenly.

🍗 A Few Nugget Rules Worth Following

• Don’t over-process the chicken. Stop when the mixture comes together and rolls around the food processor. If making 2 pounds, process the chicken in two 1-pound batches so the texture stays right.
• Fry only 4 to 5 nuggets at a time. This keeps the oil hot and the coating crisp.
• Use wet hands for shaping. The mixture is sticky, and fighting it helps no one.
• Keep a few favorite dipping sauces in rotation. Honey mustard, sweet and sour sauce, barbecue sauce, ranch, tonkatsu sauce, Thai sweet chili sauce, and hot sauce are all popular around here.

If you’re ready to fry, jump to the recipe card below.

Robin Ward

Vivaldi-Inspired Homemade Chicken McNuggets

Crispy, dippable homemade Chicken McNuggets made with real chicken — familiar, freezer-friendly, and far better than the frozen bag.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 5 ,22 to 23 nuggets

Course: Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the chicken mixture:

• 2 lb. chicken breast, cut into small chunks
• 2 tsp salt
• ½ tsp white pepper
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch, plus extra for rolling

For frying

• about 48 oz. oil (I used beef tallow from my local butcher (three 16‑oz containers). Any neutral frying oil works.)

For the batter:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 350 to 355 ml cold sparkling water or club soda (add gradually, just until the batter is thin and loose, like a very thin pancake batter)

Optional honey mustard sauce:

• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• pinch of salt

For serving:

• Tonkatsu sauce, honey mustard, barbecue sauce, ranch, sweet and sour sauce, or Thai sweet chili sauce

Equipment

• food processor (needed to create the McNugget-style chicken texture)
• Deep heavy pan, Dutch oven, or flat-bottomed wok

Method

 

1. Process the chicken. Add the chicken chunks, salt, white pepper, and cornstarch to a food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth and forms a ball that rolls around inside the processor. Do not over-process.
2. Shape the nuggets. Transfer the chicken mixture to a bowl. With wet hands, pinch off small nugget-size portions and shape them into balls or slightly flattened ovals. Place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
3. Coat lightly. Roll each nugget in cornstarch until all sides are coated. Do not pack on a thick layer.
4. Freeze briefly. Freeze the coated nuggets for 30 minutes, or until firm enough to hold their shape.
5. Heat the frying fat. Heat beef tallow or neutral oil in a flat-bottomed wok, Dutch oven, or deep heavy pan to 350°F.
6. Make the thin batter. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, paprika, salt, white pepper, and garlic powder. Gradually pour in the cold sparkling water or club soda, stirring until the batter is thin and loose, like a very thin pancake batter.
7. Make the honey mustard sauce, if using. Whisk all honey mustard ingredients until smooth and glossy. Taste and adjust: for a sweeter sauce, add 1/2 teaspoon honey; for more tang, add 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard; for a creamier sauce, add 1 teaspoon mayonnaise.
8. Dip and fry in small batches. Working with 4 to 5 chilled nuggets at a time, dip each nugget into the batter. Let the excess drip off, then carefully lower the nuggets into the hot oil.
9. Fry until crisp. Fry for 5 to 6 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the oil close to 350°F. The nuggets should be crisp and golden, and the internal temperature should reach 160°F.
10. Drain and repeat. Transfer the cooked nuggets to a wire rack to drain. Skim out any loose batter bits between batches so they do not burn in the oil.
11. Serve hot. Serve with homemade honey mustard, Bull-Dog tonkatsu sauce, sweet and sour sauce, barbecue sauce, ranch, Thai sweet chili sauce, or hot sauce.

Notes

I used beef tallow from my local butcher (three 16‑oz containers) for the cleanest flavor and the most McDonald’s‑style crispiness. After frying, let the oil cool completely, then strain it through a fine‑mesh strainer to remove any crumbs. Pour it back into the original containers and freeze it for next time — tallow freezes beautifully and actually develops deeper flavor after one fry.

Batter Note: Stir the batter before each batch. The flour can settle at the bottom, and a quick stir helps every nugget get an even, crisp coating.

 

Salt Note: Steve’s original 1-pound version used 2 teaspoons salt in the chicken mixture. I found that too salty, so I use 1 teaspoon salt per pound of chicken. The batter stays the same.

 

Tonkatsu Sauce Note: Bull-Dog Tonkatsu Sauce is my family’s favorite bottled tonkatsu sauce for these nuggets — tangy, savory-sweet, and easy to keep on hand.

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

🍗 Helpful Tools for Crispy Homemade Chicken Nuggets

• My medium KitchenAid food processor works well for 1 pound of chicken; for 2 pounds, use a larger processor or work in two batches.
• Sheet pan
• Parchment paper
• Flat-bottomed wok or deep pan— the sloped sides make frying and scooping easier, especially when working in small batches.
• skimmer— helpful for lifting nuggets and clearing stray batter bits.
• Wire rack
• Instant-read thermometer
• Fine-mesh strainer— for straining cooled frying oil before saving it.

🍗 The Highly Optimistic Freezer Plan

These nuggets freeze beautifully after frying. Freeze them in a single layer first, then move them to a freezer bag or container.

To reheat from frozen, do not thaw. For the crispiest result, use an air fryer at 375°F for 6 to 8 minutes. The oven also works well: 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes on a wire rack. A skillet works quickly with a little oil to re-crisp the coating.

The microwave is the least crispy option, so only use it if you finish the nuggets with a quick blast in the air fryer, oven, or skillet.

🍗 More Easy Handheld Lunches and Dinners People Actually Eat

• Healthy Pesto Rosso Pizza Rolls
  Crispy baked pizza rolls with a cheesy, tomatoey pesto rosso center. Bold, savory, easy to grab, and much better than the frozen snack box.
• Fennel and Herb Fish Sticks
  Crispy, dippable fish sticks with a fennel-and-herb coating. Familiar enough for kids, fresh-tasting enough for adults, and better than the freezer box.
• BLT Tacos
  Bacon, lettuce, tomato, and creamy sauce tucked into tortillas for a fast, funny little lunch or dinner that eats like a sandwich but feels like taco night.
• Gochujang Buffalo Chicken Wraps
  Crispy chicken tenders, fresh veggies, and a smoky-sweet sesame gochujang sauce tucked into a fast wrap. Easy, punchy, and very handy when dinner needs to happen now.

If you’d like to see more, come find me on YouTube, 𝕏, and Instagram. You can also follow James T. here on the blog and on Instagram at @WarpSpeedWags. If you make this Homemade Chicken McNuggets recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out. And if you’re enjoying these posts, a comment, like, or share really does help.