31 Fancy Chicken Nugget Recipes That Prove Finger Foods Aren’t Just for Kids

Here, the typical breading gets a sophisticated (and healthy-ish) twist. Bonus: Your kids will love them too.

It’s all about that crispy-sweet coating. We suggest pairing these with a spicy barbecue or Thai chili sauce for dipping.

Chicken katsu is a Japanese dish of crispy panko-breaded chicken cutlets. Here, we made them bite-size for maximum snackability.

This is one dish where a knife and fork are optional (but honey mustard is not).

We found your new favorite party app. It goes without saying that you should serve maple syrup on the side.

Once you pop, you just can't stop. Psst: The spicy, sticky glaze is just five store-bought ingredients.

A little sprinkle of cheese (OK, fine, an entire cup of Parmesan) goes a long way.

They’re basically chicken nuggets on a stick. What’s not to love? (Don’t get us started on the garlicky yogurt.)

They’re still *technically* in nugget-form, just served over a bed of rice. Very adult.

Twenty-five minutes is all you need to make these babies, which just so happen to be gluten-free.

We’d put this four-ingredient citrus glaze on just about anything.

The key to the crispiest nuggets of all time? Toasting the breadcrumbs beforehand. (Genius).

You know what they say: Two sauces are always better than one.

These nuggets are fried in rice flour and cornstarch for the lightest crunch possible, then glazed in a spicy gochujang-honey sauce.

These just might be—dare we say?—better than the real thing.

These chicken nuggets have a secret: They’re coated in potato chips.

To us, boneless wings are really just another excuse to eat chicken tenders. (And there’s nothing wrong with that.)

You had us at “raspberry hot honey.”

The best part about game day? These lil’ cuties.

If you like honey mustard, just wait ’til you try honey mayo.

Cream cheese, spicy peppers and bacon…yep, you might want to make a double batch.

These bites are coated in finely crushed cornflakes, which mimic that deep-fried texture we can’t get enough of.

You’ll want extra napkins on hand for these saucy tenders.

We give you permission to double dip, just this once.

FYI, you can bake them in the oven or even bust out your air fryer if you’re not into deep-frying.

Baked tenders and yogurt dipping sauce? These are practically a salad.

These are twice-baked to ensure a crackly coating.

Three words: sweet chili mayo.

Pretzels + honey + BBQ sauce + jalapeños? It's like the Take 5 of chicken tenders.

Proof that chicken nuggets can be downright gorgeous.

OK, so these aren’t chicken, but you definitely won’t miss it. (Besides, they’re still nuggets and that’s the most important part.)