Chicken Nuggets & Bites

Chicken nuggets are bite sized pieces of chicken, either whole pieces or formed from chopped or minced meat, coated in batter or breadcrumbs and part fried before freezing. Bites and popcorn chicken are smaller still, and some carry a spiced or chilli coating. The label tells you whether the pieces are whole or formed, what is in the coating, and whether the product is halal certified, so check it before you choose.

For a child's dinner, serve nuggets with chips, sweetcorn and ketchup. For a grown up plate, toss hot bites in a little chilli sauce or a pinch of chaat masala and serve with raita, or roll them in a warm chapati with onion and chutney. For larger pieces to put in a bun, see chicken fillets and burgers.

Cook from frozen in a single layer so the coating crisps all round. In the oven, use a preheated tray and turn the pieces halfway; in the air fryer, shake the basket once or twice. Cut the largest piece open to check it is steaming hot with no pink inside. Fold the bag closed after use, return it to the freezer at -18°C, and do not refreeze any that have thawed. More chicken is under frozen chicken and kebabs.