Annabel Karmel's Rice Krispie chicken nuggets recipe

Annabel Karmel's Rice Krispie chicken nuggets are a perfect homemade version of one of our favourite kids' meals - always popular at teatime. 

Making your own chicken nuggets is easy and they are ready in just half an hour - not much longer than the store-bought version. Doing them from scratch means you can choose the chicken you use and you know exactly what is going into them. And the results are delicious too - crisp, golden crunch on the outside and lovely meaty centres. Serve with some ketchup or mayonnaise, depending what your little ones prefer. This is also a nice recipe to get the kids helping with - they can crush the Rice Krispies themselves if you put them in a plastic bag and give them a rolling pin. It's always a fun job.

Ingredients

• 200g (7oz) boneless skinless chicken breast
• 100ml (3½fl oz) milk, plus 1 tbsp for dipping
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 45g (1½oz) Rice Krispies
• 15g (½oz) mature Cheddar, finely grated
• 1 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp flour
• 3-4 tbsp sunflower oil, for frying
• Salt and black pepper, to season

Method

1. Cut the chicken breasts into 1.5cm (½in) cubes and put in a bowl. Mix together the milk, garlic, thyme, lemon juice, ¼ tsp salt and some black pepper (the mixture will separate a little from the lemon juice but this is OK), and pour over the chicken. Cover, and marinate in the fridge for 4 hrs or overnight. (You can skip the marinating stage if you don't have time, but it does add a delicious flavour to the chicken).
2. Put the Rice Krispies in a food processor and whiz until reduced to fine crumbs. Add the cheeses plus salt and pepper to taste, and whiz to combine. Transfer to a large plate.
3. Whisk the egg in a small bowl with the tablespoon of milk. Mix the flour with a little salt and pepper, and spread out on a large plate.
4. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade, shaking off any excess. Toss in the seasoned flour then dip in the egg and roll in the Rice Krispie coating.
5. Put the oil in a large non-stick pan over a medium heat. Fry the nuggets for 2-3 mins each side, until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and cool slightly before serving.
6. Alternatively, use the oven method. Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6/fan 180ºC. Reduce the oil to 2 tbsp. Add 1 tbsp to the Rice Krispie crumbs with the cheese and whiz to combine evenly (you may need to stop and stir a couple of times). Grease a baking sheet with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Coat the chicken (as above) and put on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 mins, until cooked through, turning over halfway.

Top Tip for making Rice Krispie chicken nuggets

Put the uncooked, coated chicken on a baking sheet lined with cling film. Cover with more cling film, freeze until solid then transfer to a freezer bag. Cook direct from frozen, adding 1 min of extra cooking time for frying and 3-4 mins for baking. Reheating is not recommended.

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