The Key To McDonald's Iconic Chicken Nuggets Is In The Batter, Not How They're Fried

Many fast food loyalists desperately want to know what makes their favorite dishes so special. Fans of the Golden Arches might be surprised that there are more ingredients in McDonald's fries than you might expect, including a flavored oil used for frying those iconic potatoes. When it comes to McNuggets though, it's not a single element of the frying process, but rather the combination of ingredients that create the chicken's tempura-style batter. Tempura is traditionally made from flour, a beaten egg, and cold water, and does not feature breadcrumbs like many other fried food batters. This means it also requires less oil for frying, and the result is a light crispy exterior, rather than a weighty coating that can easily become soggy.

A major benefit of tempura batter is that, because of this distinction, your chicken nuggets' crust is less likely to overwhelm in both taste and texture. Instead, you have a better chance to taste the juicy meat (in the case of McDonald's, a blend of breast, rib, and tenderloin) and spices that make up the McNugget's signature flavor profile.

Tempura batter is most closely associated with Japanese food, but there is an argument that it actually has roots in Portugal and that the culinary practice migrated along with missionaries to Japan during the Edo period (which stretched from the early 17th to the late 19th centuries). Today, this versatile batter remains a staple preparation in Japanese restaurants (where it is used for everything from veggies to seafood), McDonald's iconically American take does share another similarity in that it also encourages dipping the tempura-fried bites in a tasty sauce.

Japanese tempura often comes with a soy-based dip called tentsuyu. Mickey D's array of condiments, on the other hand, includes stateside favorites like Tangy Barbecue, Spicy Buffalo, and Honey Mustard — which provide a creamy contrast to that light and crispy, hot and juicy chicken nugget. No matter what, this batter makes a better nugget experience.

At home, there are easy ways to upgrade your nuggets with simple swaps, but if you want to recreate these crispy icons of the classic McDonald's menu, make sure you opt for tempura batter. Former McDonald's corporate chef Mike Haracz did the work of finding a store-bought option for recreating the restaurant experience at home, and shared his recommendation via TikTok, suggesting that you seek out Pilgrim's Pride brand tempura-style chicken breast nuggets. Haracz emphasized that it's best to deep fry (or at the very least, air fry) these bites to most closely mimic classic McNuggets.