Crispy Chicken Nuggets with Madrigal Dipping Sauces

It has been a busy few months in our house and sadly for the blog, we've had more things cooking off the stove than on. Many weddings, babies, and other fun things have kept me away FAR too long. I was scolded by a few friends and family this past week and knew I needed to come back, but I wasn't sure when or how.  Then it hit me.  The thing that brought me back was my deep and undying love for one of the greatest TV shows of all time: Breaking Bad.  We had a viewing party for the season finale yesterday with Friends of the Blog, Alex and Josh Bard along with their buddy Jeremy.  I tried to make all our favorite foods from the show to get us in the right mindset to watch.  The episode didn't disappoint and neither did the food.  These chicken nuggets were spectacular.  Extra crispy outside with tender and juicy meat inside.  This would be a healthier way to serve chicken nuggets to a fussy young eater and really all the adults loved them too.  I can't wait for another good excuse to make them.

Crispy Chicken Nuggets with Madrigal Dipping Sauces
Ingredients:
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 Tbs. paprika
1 Tbs. onion powder
1 Tbs. garlic powder
1 Tbs. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
vegetable oil (for frying)

1.  Slice the chicken breasts into about 1-inch pieces.  Try to keep them fairly uniform in size, so they cook evenly.  Place chicken in a bag or Tupperware and marinate in 1 cup buttermilk for 4 hours or up to overnight.  The longer it marinates, the more juicy and tender the chicken will be.

2.  Prepare the dry coating by mixing all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix up the egg and milk in another bowl.

3. Dip the chicken pieces in the dry mix, then wet, then dry again for a double coated, extra crispy crust.  Set the coated chicken pieces on a tray and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.  This will help the coating dry and adhere to the chicken better when frying for a very crisp nugget.

4.  Heat the oil over medium heat in a dutch oven or cast iron skillet.  When hot, add chicken to pot.  Cook 3 minutes and flip the chicken.  Then another 3 minutes on the other side, for a total of 6 minutes.
Cook the chicken in batches, so you do not overcrowd the pan and cool the oil too much.  If the oil is too cold, you'll end up with greasy, soggy nuggets.  Patience is key here.

5.  Set the nuggets on a paper towel lined plate to drain some oil.

If you aren't ready to eat them right away, you can place them on a tray in a warm oven until ready to serve.

For the official Madrigal Dipping Sauces, we had Ketchup , Mesquite BBQ, Honey Mustard, Kickass Cajun, and of course...

FRANCH!  A winning combination of Ranch and French Dressings that the Madrigal staff concocted themselves.  It was delicious and I am surprised that it hasn't caught on nationwide yet.

Serve the nuggets with your dipping sauces and enjoy.

For other fun Breaking Bad inspired foods, we served Rooftop Pizza,

Crystal Blue Meth (aka. Blue Jello),

Funyuns (a Jessie Pinkman favorite),

Chocolate Chip Pancakes (for Walk Jr. Flynn.),

and, of course, no Breaking Bad party would ever be complete without Schraderbräu!