In the 1960s our Tyson’s Pride® Rock Cornish Game Hen hit supermarket shelves. It was one of the earliest branded poultry products. Since that time, we’ve worked to continue bringing innovative food products into homes and restaurants. A product like Jimmy Dean Simple Scrambles® microwaveable eggs is a prime example of our continued effort to innovate every day. Pioneering Food Discovery.
In 1976, we introduced our first truly innovative convenience product: the Ozark Fry chicken patty. Restaurants and other foodservice businesses loved the versatility and as needs and demands changed, we did too. We made more chicken by cutting it into strips, breaded nuggets, and filets. Then we made popcorn chicken nuggets, boneless wings, and more.
Chicken nuggets are a beloved snack for kids and adults alike. Their juicy chicken and crispy coating make them an irresistible finger food. While you may have enjoyed them for years you may not know exactly how these nuggets are made before they end up frozen at your local grocery store. Let’s take a closer look at how Tyson one of the largest producers of chicken nuggets, makes this popular snack.
Step 1: Selecting the Chicken
The first thing Tyson does when making nuggets is choose fresh, high-quality chicken. Different cuts are sometimes used, but boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thighs, tenderloins, and rib meat are common ones. Using boneless cuts helps keep the nuggets shape consistent. Tyson says their chicken nuggets are made from 100% all-natural chicken that hasn’t had any hormones or steroids added. Tyson only buys chicken from suppliers that meet their high standards for animal welfare.
Step 2: Mixing the Batter
Chicken nuggets get their signature crispy coating from a thick layer of batter. Tyson batters are made from a straightforward blend of ingredients like flour spices and seasonings. The exact blend is a proprietary recipe, but commonly includes ingredients like wheat flour, salt, spices, and leavening agents like baking powder. This batter helps seal in juices and allows the nuggets to crisp up nicely.
Step 3: Breading the Nuggets
Once battered, the nuggets are coated with a breading blend that gives them crunch. The breading contains additional flour, seasoning blends, cornmeal, and other crumbs. This coating sticks to the wet batter to create a light, crispy crust. Like the batter, the exact breading recipe is proprietary to Tyson but contains common breading ingredients.
Step 4: Flash Freezing
After battering and breading, the nuggets are flash frozen. This quick freezing helps seal in moisture and flavor. Tyson flash freezes them on a conveyor belt that moves through a freezer. The nuggets freeze fully solid within minutes under temperatures of -10°F or below.
Step 5: Packaging
The frozen nuggets are packaged into plastic bags or cardboard boxes. Packaging helps prevent freezer burn during storage and transport. For retail packages, the nuggets may be counted and grouped into recommended serving sizes like 4-pound family packs. Packaging is also labeled with cooking instructions, ingredients, and nutritional facts.
Step 6: Distribution
Finally, a lot of packaged nuggets are sent to stores and distributors. To keep food safe, the cold chain is kept going by transporting and storing items at freezing temperatures until they get to store freezers. You can be sure that they have been frozen the whole time when you get them from the store.
Quality Control Checks
Quality control checks are done on the nuggets several times during the processing process at Tyson’s facilities. These include:
- Checking temperature and freeze times
- Examining nugget appearance and shape
- Verifying weights and counts
- Testing samples for texture and taste
- Assessing food safety and sanitation
These checks help ensure each batch meets safety regulations and quality standards.
Innovations in fresh beef and pork
In the late 1960s, Iowa Beef Packers, a small company in Denison, Iowa, revolutionized the industry. By shipping vacuum-packed sections of beef in boxes, the company (soon known as IBP) greatly reduced the cost of shipping. Since acquiring IBP in 2001, our goal has been to deliver the best and freshest meats to customers, and we’re doing that today with products like fresh, thick-cut, Wright® Brand bacon, Jimmy Dean® breakfast sausage and premium Ball Park® fresh 100% beef burgers.
Consumers are always looking for quality and value, whether they’re purchasing food to serve at home or away. But, with changing lifestyles the demand for convenience has grown in importance as well. By the end of the 1960’s, we moved from selling ice-pack poultry to offering families deep-chill Tyson Country Fresh Chicken. We now make 9 of the top 10 selling frozen prepared chicken products in the U.S., and offer more convenient protein options, like Tyson Any’tizers® Snacks and Tyson Grilled & Ready® Chicken.
The truth about Tyson – how chicken nuggets are ACTUALLY made.
FAQ
What are Tyson chicken nuggets made out of?
The ingredients are white meat chicken, water, wheat flour, and 2% or less of the following: brown sugar, dried garlic, dried onion, dried yeast, paprika extracts, food starch, natural flavor, oat fiber, salt, spices, wheat starch, white whole wheat flour, and yellow corn flour. breading set in vegetable oil.
Are Tyson chicken nuggets processed?
Yes, Tyson chicken nuggets are considered processed food. “Processed” can mean a lot of different things, from simple tasks like washing and cutting to more complex ones like adding ingredients and shaping the food.
How do they make Tyson Dino nuggets?
The process begins with massive 50-pound blocks of chicken meat that ascend in an elevator before dropping into a machine that chops them into smaller chunks. A powerful grinder then compresses the meat to a perfect eighth of an inch, resembling spaghetti noodles at this stage!.
How are chicken nuggets actually made?
Chicken nuggets are made by grinding chicken meat, mixing it with other ingredients, shaping it, and then coating and frying it.