Kids and adults would agree on one thing: chicken nuggets are amazing. These bite-sized, flavorful treats have a crunchy exterior, tender flesh, and their incredible flavors are well-dispersed across each piece. They’re also boneless, making them all the more convenient to eat.
Another thing that makes chicken nuggets so popular is their versatility. You can eat them anytime, anywhere, with anything! Although ketchup or cheese powders are a classic tandem with nuggets, you can also have them with other dips, fries, pasta, and waffles. Thus, check out this article and try fantastic sides for chicken nuggets!
1. Honey Mustard Sauce
Besides ketchup, honey mustard is the classic condiment for chicken nuggets. Despite the name, it has more than honey or mustard. There are also mayo, sour cream, and lemon juice or vinegar. Moreover, it uses two kinds of mustard: yellow and Dijon. With all those ingredients, this recipe makes the perfect blend of tangy, sweet, and spicy flavors, which is why it’s so popular with these chicken treats.
2. BBQ Sauce
Ketchup is a classic pairing with chicken nuggets. If you want to elevate that tandem, take your ketchup and combine it with apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire, sugar, paprika, cayenne, garlic, onion, salt, and molasses. This results in BBQ sauce, where you can dip your nuggets, so each piece is coated with sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors. Thus, the perfect cookout snack as you wait for the grilled meats!
3. Sweet & Sour Sauce
Even though chicken nuggets are a typical American treat, they’re still fantastic with Asian-flavored condiments. If you want to test that claim, pair them with this Chinese-style sweet and sour sauce. It’s made only with cold water, cornstarch, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, tomato paste, and oil. However, that’s the basic recipe; you can improve it and add flavors by including Worcestershire, garlic, chili flakes, or sriracha!
4. Thai-Style Peanut Sauce
Another Asian-style sauce that would be terrific with chicken nuggets is this Thai-style peanut sauce. It’s less popular than sweet and sour, but that only makes peanut sauce the underrated option. It’s noted for its creamy texture and unique flavor blend of sweet, sour, spicy, and earthy flavors. Such qualities result from combining peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, sriracha, and warm water.
5. Chick-Fil-A Sauce
The nuggets at Chick-Fil-A are fantastic because of their unique sauce. Good for you; you won’t have to drive to get that condiment. Instead, replicate it at home with only honey, yellow mustard, barbecue sauce, and lemon juice. It’s like the cross between honey mustard and BBQ sauce. Thus, the flavors are a complex of sweet, tangy, and spicy tastes, albeit our taste buds perceive them differently.
6. Ranch Dressing
For those who don’t want any hint of spiciness in their chicken nuggets’ dip, ranch dressing could be the best fit for you and your nuggets. This American favorite is creamy and tangy, as it’s made from buttermilk, sour cream, mayo, vinegar, herbs, and seasonings. There are many bottled ranch dressings, and you can use those. But if you want to control the flavors, homemade is the way to go!
7. Tzatziki Sauce
While ranch dressing is an American classic, tzatziki is for the Greeks. It’s also creamy and tangy, but this sauce has other ingredients that make its flavor profile unique. For instance, tzatziki has Greek yogurt and olive oil instead of mayo or sour cream to achieve that thick, rich texture and flavor. It also has cucumbers, lemon juice, garlic, salt, dill, and mint, so expect it to taste fresh.
8. Sriracha Mayo Sauce
If you’re a fan of mayo-based sauces but find them lacking a bit of spiciness, follow this sriracha mayo sauce. Besides mayo and sriracha, the other ingredients are lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Thus, the tangy and spicy flavors come through, and as it’s a homemade recipe, you can adjust it! Add more sriracha if you want, or make add-ons like gochujang, chili flakes, hot sauce, or pepper.
9. Chipotle Mayonnaise
Many of the dips above flaunt spicy hot flavors. But if you want that smoky fire effect, they won’t deliver as well as chipotle mayonnaise. As the name implies, it’s made from a combination of mayo and chipotle peppers; however, there are also sour cream, adobo, lime juice, cumin, and salt. This condiment is often intended for Tex-Mex treats, but no one will stop you from having it with nuggets.
10. French Fries
Besides condiments, chicken nuggets are incredible with side dishes. In that aspect, its most frequent pair is French fries. Fast foods popularize such tandem, and now we can’t have our 16-piece without grabbing fries. You can recreate such a combination at home with a bag of frozen fries. It’s the best option for those who want quick and effortless, and with this recipe, it won’t be mushy.
11. Baked Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese are fantastic with chicken nuggets. They contribute extra cheesy flavors and velvety textures. Moreover, they make you feel fuller after the meal. This recipe also makes the baked mac have a crunchy crust on top for a more exciting feel. It takes over an hour to make, but homemade is always much better than pre-mixes or microwaveable packs.
12. Homemade Buttermilk Waffles
You’ve probably heard about the chicken and waffles combination. Well, in a way, chicken nuggets are still fried chicken – just smaller and boneless. Nonetheless, the crisp, crunch, and flavors that make the two an undeniable combo are still there, so give this pairing a shot! These buttermilk waffles are quick and easy to make at home, especially when you have a waffle maker and all the essential ingredients.
