Your Chicken Nuggets Recipe Needs a Little Fungi in It

If you want to serve up a fairly universally-adored snack food (for meat eaters) at your next gathering, chicken nuggets are generally a pretty safe bet. These golden mouthfuls of crunchy deliciousness are a popular option for good reason, but today we’re going to be sharing a fresh take on the chicken nugget recipe, written by celebrity chef Adam Liaw.

Following a study from Australian Mushrooms that highlighted a solid percentage of Aussies (59%) “have improved their diet and eating habits over the last 12 months” Liaw has teamed up with the veg, along with Kingsmore Meats, and designed a handful of recipes, including this one for mushroom and chicken nuggets.

Here’s how to make it at home.

Mushroom and chicken nuggets with Southern barbecue sauce

Serves: 40 nuggets | Preparation: 90 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes

What you’ll need for mushroom chicken nuggets:

• 1 cup cornstarch
• approx. 1-litre vegetable oil, for deep frying

Mushroom and chicken nuggets

• 250 g button mushrooms, halved
• 2 chicken breasts, diced
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp salt

Nugget batter

• 1 egg
• 1 cup water
• ¾ cup self-raising flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp American mustard

Smoky barbecue nugget sauce

• ½ cup tomato sauce cup ketchup
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp malt vinegar
• 1 tbsp American mustard
• 1 tsp smoked paprika

Directions for mushroom nuggets:

1. Combine the mushroom, chicken, egg and salt in a food processor and process to a paste. Roll about a tablespoon of the mixture into a small ball and then press down to flatten into a nugget shape on a tray lined with baking paper. Repeat for the remaining mixture. Dust with cornflour and freeze for 30 minutes. 
2. Combine all the ingredients for the nugget batter and whisk to a smooth batter. Dip the nuggets into the batter and return to the tray and freeze for a further 1 hour. For the nugget sauce, mix the ingredients all together. 
3. Heat the oil to 150C and fry the nuggets for about 10 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool completely. Return the oil to 180C and fry for a further 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Serve with the nugget sauce.

And if you’d rather try a plant-based recipe instead, may we recommend this eggplant pizza dish next?