Our Favorite Store-Bought Chicken Nuggets Are Actually Meatless

Chicken nuggets are one of those foods that not only packs some comforting nostalgia, but also fits the bill perfectly when you're looking for something pretty affordable, relatively easy to make, and not completely devoid of nutrients or macros. They're tasty on their own and great as an add-in to other items for more filling meals. Still, some nuggets out there are better than others. In our list of grocery store chicken nuggets, ranked from worst to best, the winner was a little surprising: Yummy Meatless Plant-Based Nuggets. In a sea of chicken nuggets, the chicken didn't actually win.

When asking the question what are chicken nuggets even, the answer is: they're small pieces of chicken blended and shaped into nuggets and then (often) fried, which makes them extra delicious. You can bake chicken nuggets instead for a slightly healthier take. While Yummy Meatless nuggets obviously don't have any chicken, they still maintain the spirit (and taste) of a chicken nugget by being a blended concoction shaped into nuggets and fried or oven-baked. These nuggets crisp up beautifully on the outside, have a juicy and chicken-like interior, and include a good dose of omega-3s. The nuggets are on the large side, which is a good bang for your buck on top of that. Tasty, filling, and something that won't break your bank is a triple win.

First and foremost, the easiest thing to do is just serve up some nuggets on their own with your favorite dipping sauce. Air fryer is the way to go with this one, since it gives you the most evenly crisped exterior while preserving the juicy, tender interior. They pair great with mustard, ketchup, Kewpie mayo, relish, buffalo sauce, and probably tons of other things, but those were the ones I gave a try first. If you want to level it up a bit, though, chicken nuggets are a great sub-in for other breaded chicken in dishes. Want a chicken salad? Just cut your nuggets up and toss them in with the greens. Make an easy chicken nugget wrap by placing some in a tortilla with leafy greens, cheese, tomatoes, onions, and a drizzle of honey mustard or another favored nugget-dunking sauce.

If you love chicken patties but don't have any on hand, you can also toss three or four of these onto a bun and just dress it up like you would a normal chicken sandwich; you can't go wrong with lettuce, mayo, and tomatoes. Or, if you don't feel like using it as an ingredient but still want a more robust dinner, just serve it alongside some mac and cheese and a side salad. Yummy Meatless Plant-Based Nuggets are a far cry from the grocery store chicken nugget brand that uses the worst ingredients, so you'll be getting something that's delicious and that you can feel good about.