Chicken nuggets are everyone’s favorite savory. Be it the kid’s lunchboxes or parties, chicken nuggets are the first pick.
However, nuggets only taste good when they have been properly stored and are served warm, but who has the time to fry them during a party? Most of us prefer to get things done ahead of time.
So, if you have to make a batch of chicken nuggets for a party and don’t know how to keep them warm, keep reading and we’ll tell you how! By the way, these tips will work for most types of fried, crumbed foods.
How To Keep Chicken Nuggets Warm For a Party
1. Thermos
When you are having a hard time keeping the nuggets warm, the first and the most effective method we recommend is to use a wide-mouthed thermos flask. A thermos is every homemaker’s secret weapon!
Just be sure it’s a good quality one. The cheaper ones don’t work well and tend to break easily. Plastic thermoses especially don’t work well at keeping food and beverages warm.
So, get your hands on good quality, wide-mouthed steel thermos, and you will be able to keep your nuggets, among other things, warm until you are ready to serve them.
Here’s how to use a thermos flask to keep your nuggets warm:
- Pour some boiling water into the thermos to pre-warm it.
- Leave it for a minute or two. We recommend doing this in the sink to minimize the chance of burns.
- Now, discard the water and use paper towels to dry the inside of the flak completely.
- Leave a couple of dry paper towels in the bottom of the flask to ensure that the nuggets don’t become soggy but retain some of their crispiness.
- Immediately put the hot chicken nuggets inside and close the lid.
2. Use your Oven
Your oven is most useful for keeping foods warm proving it is set at a low enough heat. Anywhere between 170 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit is good. If you go hotter than this, your nuggets will overcook.
It is best to cover the dish of nuggets with foil in the oven to prevent them from drying out. Some ovens have a specially designed warming drawer that is preset at the perfect temperature for keeping food warm.
3. Cooler
Another way of keeping the chicken nuggets warm is using a cooler. Remember that a cooler works by insulation so it will keep cold things cold and warm things warm.
An ordinary cooler bag will work or you can get electric coolers from the appliance store that have a motor to cool or heat. You can just put the nuggets into the serving dish directly into the cooler.
4. Bricks
Here’s an old-fashioned but effective method that your grandmother might have used.
- Get some clay bricks and wrap them in heavy-duty aluminum foil.
- Next, heat them in the oven at over 300-degrees Fahrenheit for at least twenty minutes.
- After this time, take out the bricks and arrange them to make a flat base.
- Put the dish of nuggets on them, and cover with a lid or more aluminum foil. Bricks retain heat for a long time, thus making an effective warming device.
5. Food Warmers
When it comes to keeping the nuggets warm without taking away the pretty presentation, a food warmer will be the right choice. Food warmers come in various forms from hot trays to hostess trolleys.
Many are designed to be table-top devices that can be covered and will keep the nuggets warm. Food warmers are hassle-free, attractive, and will do the job to perfection.
6. Chafing Dishes
Chafing dishes are metal pans on stands. They usually have an alcohol burner or candles underneath which are lit to keep the food warm.
Some can be used for cooking foods at the table but nowadays they are mostly used for keeping food warm. Bain Maries are a type of chafing dish that contains water underneath.
These are good for keeping delicate foods warm and preventing them from becoming overcooked. This is a great option for keeping your nuggets warm, particularly if you have a lot of them.
7. Slow Cooker
A countertop slow cooker or roaster will also do the job of keeping your nuggets warm and crispy.
- Heat the appliance to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and put a wire trivet inside.
- Put the nuggets directly onto this. If you don’t have a suitable-sized rack, make small balls of aluminum foil, lay them on the bottom of the appliance, and put the nuggets on top.
- The balls will allow any excess oil to drain away and will let air circulate around the nuggets, keeping them crisp.
- Don’t cover them with the lid as this will cause the food to steam. Rather, cover with a clean dishtowel.
We hope our tips have helped you with the issue of keeping your chicken nuggets warm. Now you can relax and enjoy the party!