A chicken nugget is a piece of chicken, either whole or composed from a paste of finely minced meat or chicken skin, which is then coated in batter or breadcrumbs before being cooked. The chicken nugget was invented in the 1950s by Robert C. Baker, a food science professor at Cornell University.

Fast-food restaurants typically deep-fry their nuggets in oil. Oven baking is the usual method of preparation at home.

Composition

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Chicken nuggets are often made using a high proportion of chicken skin. This is because without the skin the consistency would not be sticky enough for the nuggets to hold together. Food labelling law dictates that skin used to make the nugget need not be distinguished from the muscle tissue consumers normally think of when they hear the word "meat". The remainder of the nugget is most likely to be made up of mechanically recovered meat, with some processing additives such as anti-foaming agents (usually polydimethylsiloxane). The meat of the nugget may also be comprised of a reconstituted meat slurry.

Trivia

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In his TV documentary miniseries Jamie's School Dinners, British TV chef Jamie Oliver campaigned especially against the use of chicken nuggets in school dinners.

See also

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• Fish finger
• Chicken finger
• Chicken McNugget
• Chicken fries

American cuisine | Fast food | Chicken | Chicken Nuggets | チキン・ナゲット