What makes a good chicken nugget? Ahead of this taste test, I put a call-out on Instagram asking this question. Dozens of messages essentially said the same thing: real chicken flavour, evenly textured meat and a crisp exterior.
Though a handful suggested I make my own, most understood the assignment: the appeal of a chicken nugget lies not in Nara Smith-ing it but in its convenience, especially during school holiday chaos. To that end, on the first day of winter break, I rounded up good friends, compliant siblings (including a 34-year-old nugget connoisseur-sister who still orders kids’ meals) and their respective children to rate frozen supermarket offerings for their overall appeal, texture and flavour.
Nuggets were cooked in an oven according to their packet instructions, but the consensus was that almost all the nuggets needed longer cook times. The battered nuggets, which came out on top, tended to stick to the baking paper, and some tasters felt that an air fryer would definitely produce a superior crispiness.
With 10 testers under 10, we learned fast that kids under seven are a little remiss in their paper scoring (lots of 10s and even more zeros, often for the same nugget) but great at verbalising feedback, so I prioritised their audible reactions and the scores of older children and adults as I pulled together the results.
Just as we were wrapping up, one child went screeching through the kitchen yelling “I NEED WATER”. I felt the sodium levels too, palming the leftovers off and declaring I’d be fine never seeing another chicken nugget again. My sister, meanwhile, sent me a picture of a small bowl of nuggets the very next day, with the message “Chicken Nuggets for life”.
Best overall
Steggles Tempura Chicken Dino Snacks, 1kg, $13.50 ($1.35 per 100g), available at major supermarkets
Score 7.9/10
It’s easy to assume these came out on top simply for their novelty. A cheer went out as they were brought to the table – surprising since we were six varieties in at that point. One little tester proudly declared she’d had three by the time I’d scouted everyone else’s reaction.
Younger kids declared them “really soft and nice” and “super good”; older kids said they were “just right” in both texture and flavour. The adults concurred, finding they had a “crispy outside”, “delicious and tender” inside and an overall “taste and texture that was consistent”.
Their listed ingredients have one of the highest percentages of chicken (not breast) at 52% and a tempura coating of 26%.
Could it be the shape? It’s possible, one tester said, that the dino shape contributes to an exterior that is crispier in some parts and softer than others, making the overall experience a little better.
Best value
Farmwood Chicken Breast Tempura Nuggets, 1kg, $9.29 ($0.92 per 100g), available at Aldi
Score: 6.7/10
Across many of the nuggets we tried, we found the exterior texture and flavour weighted a nugget up or down more than the inside flavour and texture, which was relatively consistent no matter the brand.
These budget versions from Aldi are a case in point: though three of the adults found they had a gummier inside than the other tempura varieties, they still ranked highly for inside taste, and exterior taste and texture.
While some of the batter came off during baking, younger testers gave them a thumbs up on the whole, with one noting their taste and “good exterior”. A similar ingredient makeup to the top scorer (52% RSPCA-approved chicken breast, 27% tempura coating) likely helps.
The rest
Steggles Tempura Chicken Nuggets, 1kg, $13.50 ($1.35 per 100g), available at all major supermarkets
Score: 6.6/10
These are essentially the same as their dino counterparts, with only a small variation in the ingredients (49% chicken and 30% tempura), yet testers found them “soft” and “bland” on the inside, with a superior outside thanks to their “crispy texture”. One tester said the tempura layer tasted “bread-like” and felt “thin”, which could suggest the dino shape theory has legs (pardon the pun).
Ingham’s Chicken Breast Nuggets Tempura, 1kg, $11 ($1.10 per 100g), available at all major supermarkets
Score: 6/10
These were my pick of the bunch, but other tasters found the inside to be better than the outside, describing them as “well-seasoned” and “peppery and salty”. But they were short on the crispy exterior that makes a nugget what it is. Despite their lower chicken content (48%) these nuggets are made from chicken breast, with a much-lower tempura coating of just 22% that allows the taste of real chicken to come through.
Woolworths Chicken Breast Crumbed Nuggets, 1kg, $9 ($0.90 per 100g), available at Woolworths
Score: 5.9/10
Adult testers found these to be “crumbly” or “sandy” in texture, but found their inside taste and texture redeemable: “flavourful” and “soft”. Younger testers were overwhelmingly negative, blaming a “no flavour inside taste” for their rejection of a second or third bite.
On checking the ingredients after the taste test, these had a whopping 41% crumb coating, but the highest percentage of RSPCA-approved chicken breast at 59%. Their ingredient panel was also more specific than many, naming flavours such as paprika and cumin over the more abstract “seasoning”.
Coles Crumbed Chicken Nuggets, 1kg, $11 ($1.10 per 100g), available at Coles
Score: 5.1/10
Younger testers described the inside of these nuggets as “weird” and “not nice”; older ones as “eggy” and “bland”. The outside fared a little bit better: although some described the exterior as “too crumbly”, others found it to be the best in flavour.
They do their job on a basic level, tasting sufficiently chicken-adjacent with a crispy enough outside, though coming out overall as kind of “mid”.
Farmwood Chicken Nuggets, 1kg, $6.49 ($0.65 per 100g), available at Aldi
Score: 3.3/10
At 25c cheaper per 100g than the nearest competitor, these tied for lowest-cost nuggets. Their results were divisive. Some praised their “good taste” and “nice crumb”, but one tester went so far as to say they should go “in the bin”. It was the “mushy” texture that let them down, with one person saying: “If you’d told me these were made of potato, I would have believed you.”
Black & Gold Australian Chicken Nuggets, 500g, $3.25 ($0.65 per 100g), available at independent grocers
Score: 0.9/10
Although tied for first place on low price, this was the only variety I spat out. Testers also concluded they “felt sandy”, “tasted horrible”, were “too hard” and had “no flavour”.
They have the lowest percentage of chicken at just 34% (and not specifically chicken breast), which I suspect affects the flavour. The rough, uneven crumb, noted as soon as they came out of the oven (and inferred when they were removed from the freezer), can’t help.
