Buffalo Chicken Nuggets

Believe it or not, the following flow chart is the product of nearly a year of trial and error at my house:

Ask your husband if he wants some buffalo wings.	YES	Are the wings going to be boneless?	YES	Are the wings going to be breaded?	YES	Are you making a large batch at once?	YES	Bake them all at once in the oven.
NO		NO	NO	YES		NO
Sit back and relax.		Start over.	NO	Is the breading crunchy?		Pan fry them.

It all started as a nice gesture on my part to try to make one of my husband's favorite foods at home. He was appreciative of every batch, but would ask for some small tweak of the recipe every time I made them. First the bones had to go. Then it had to be breaded. Then the breading had to be crunchier. Decisions had to be made about white or dark meat, pan frying or baking, the amount of spiciness, and the size of the boneless wing.

After much trial and error, this is the recipe that we ended up with. The chicken is moist and flavorful, coated with a non-soggy breading, baked in the oven for healthiness and uniformity, (I could never fit enough in a pan to cook servings for both of us at the same time.) and uses all white meat. (Boneless chicken thighs also work. We just prefer the texture of the chicken breasts.) They have a very moderate amount of heat, but not so much that they are inedible. (Not as if that ever happened along the way. . . ) They are fast and easy to make and are a great way to get buffalo chicken taste without leaving your house.

After all the tweaking and changes, I have to say that I was pretty proud of myself when I finally came out with a batch that my husband liked. That is, I was proud until he paused while halfway through eating and asked me if they were chicken wings or chicken nuggets. He took a glance at the frustration on my face and wisely ate the rest of his dinner without saying anything else.

I've got a pretty smart husband, even if he is as picky eater.

Buffalo Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne) (1/8 tsp is mildly spicy; use more if you want your nuggets to have a little more kick.)
• 3 tablespoons canola or soybean oil
• 2 tablespoons red pepper sauce (like Tabasco or Frank's)
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat ranch dressing

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425°F. In 1-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag, place cereal; crush with rolling pin. Add flour, sugar, paprika, seasoned salt and red pepper; mix well.
2. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and placing a cooling rack on it.
3. In small bowl, stir together oil and pepper sauce. Coat chicken pieces with oil mixture.
4. Shake about 6 chicken pieces at a time in bag of cereal mixture until coated. Shake off any extra mixture. Place chicken pieces in single layer on the cooling rack set in the lined baking sheet. Spray with vegetable oil spray.
5. Bake about 10-15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. (If coating looks dry, remove chicken, turn, and spray with more vegetable oil spray halfway through baking.) Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir together sour cream and dressing. Serve sauce with chicken.

Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 15 min Ready in: 30 min Yield: 4 servings

Recipe Source: adapted from www.bettycrocker.com

Posted in: Main Dish