What Cuts Of Chicken Are Used In Fast Food Nuggets?

Fast food chicken nuggets are the basis of many a debate. On the one hand, people can't get enough of the crispy, juicy bites. On the other, the texture of the meat leads some people to be suspicious of the quality of the food they're ingesting. Primarily, chicken nuggets are made from white meat cuts like the breast or rib area, though sometimes dark meat cuts like the thigh are also used — yes, chicken has white and dark meat.

For the most part, restaurants do indeed use white meat cuts from the pectoral region like breast meat — though they are ground up and combined with other chicken parts like skeletal muscle and connective tissue. Across the board, breast meat is the most popular cut. White meat is the leanest while dark meat contains more fat. This makes thigh-based chicken nuggets juicier, but breast-based nuggets will be more substantial, and the juiciness can be compensated for by additives like vegetable oil.

The sources you encounter detailing what actually goes into fast food chicken nuggets will vary widely. Chains like McDonald's dedicate a whole Q&A section to burning questions on their famous McNuggets and even provide the ingredient list along with other nutritional information. While this level of transparency is commendable, it is worth noting that ingredient lists don't display ratios. It's true that ingredients are listed in order of highest concentration to lowest — though it does not mean that the first ingredient alone will necessarily constitute the biggest percentage of the final food item. 

It's hard to compete with your local fast food chain given their experience and large-scale manufacturing, but there are a number of ways to make your favorite restaurant chicken nuggets at home. Firstly, choose the best quality white meat chicken. Don't be nervous that lean chicken breast will end up too dry, as moisture can be made up for by soaking it in a buttermilk marinade. Alternatively, buy ground chicken meat that already blends dark and white meat, and you won't have to work as hard to achieve the ideal level of juiciness.

Next, don't skimp on the seasonings. You can recreate Wingstop's much-loved fries seasoning for yourself and get that takeout taste from the comfort of your own kitchen. To cook your chicken nuggets, you can try your hand at deep frying or taking the route of baking them in the oven. The former will give more of the traditional fast food feel, but if you want to meet in the middle, you can air fry your chicken nuggets. While the nuggets are the main event, you can cheat a little by getting your favorite fast food sauce and pairing it with your homemade bites.