5 Ways to Turn Costco Chicken Nuggets Into a Meal

Chicken nuggets might not be what you think of when you want an elevated meal, but they are a surprisingly versatile ingredient for quick dinners that people of all ages will enjoy. I first started buying larger quantities of chicken nuggets at Costco when I had little kids, but then I noticed that my teenagers and husband would gobble them up before they even made it to the dining table.

There are several options for nuggets at my Costco, but my favorite is the Just Bare Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks. Their meat to breading ratio is perfect, and they’re seasoned with spices including paprika and celery powder. 

We typically air fry them for eight minutes at 350°F and simply serve with ketchup or ranch dressing. But at some point,  I started to get bored of the plain nuggets and wondered what else I could do with them.

Here are a few ideas, but feel free to get creative. Whatever you make, I promise that no one at the table is going to pass up chicken nuggets.

Buffalo chicken sandwiches

After air frying the nuggets (see method above), toss them with your Buffalo wing sauce of choice. I like to mix Frank’s RedHot with melted butter and add a touch of celery seed, but you can use any purchased wing sauce of your liking. Then I pile the buffalo chicken nuggets onto a soft sandwich bun or roll, and make a quick celery slaw using thinly sliced celery, blue cheese, and shredded carrots. 

Sesame chicken and broccoli

I make a balanced meal in the air fryer by cooking the chicken nuggets alongside broccoli florets. To season it all, I make a quick Chinese-inspired sauce using equal parts light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, hoisin, sesame oil, and Shaoxing wine thickened with a bit of cornstarch in a large saucepan over medium heat. Then I add the air-fried chicken and broccoli, and serve it over rice garnished with scallions and sesame seeds. 

Chicken Caesar salad

Chicken nuggets are an easy topping for any salad, but they are particularly delicious on top of a Caesar salad, especially if you use crisp romaine and croutons. After chopping the lettuce and toasting up croutons with olive oil and garlic powder, I add the chicken nuggets and mix with dressing. You can use your favorite bottled Caesar dressing (as I most often do) or make this one, which really takes the salad to the next level. 

Chicken Parmesan casserole 

When I first made this mashup, I almost laughed at how easy it was to stir a few things together and call it dinner. Then my family asked for it again and again, and now I often make it when I need to drop off a meal to friends or a new mom. You simply take the elements of Chicken Parmesan — breaded chicken topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese — and turn it into a noodle casserole.

In a large bowl, toss cooked chicken nuggets with cooked pasta, jarred tomato sauce, cubes of fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil. Spread the mixture evenly into a 9×13-inch baking dish, then sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and a generous amount of Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350°F until bubbling around the edges and the cheese has melted, about 30 minutes. Serve with more fresh basil on top. 

Chicken bibimbap

Most people think of beef when it comes to bibimbap, but we like to swap it for chicken in these weeknight-friendly bowls. We set out a sticky rice base, kimchi, pickled cucumbers, chicken nuggets, and a fried egg. These bowls make everyone happy because they get to make their own combination. — my husband and I like to serve them with gochujang, but the kids skip the spice and opt for soy sauce instead.