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My kids get tired of sandwiches for lunches so today, we’re going to talk about How to Pack Chicken Nuggets for Lunch. My kids love it when they open their lunch boxes and find warm chicken nuggets inside.
Since my kids enjoy easy chicken nuggets any time of the day, I decided to start packing them in their lunches too. They all love it when they open up their lunch boxes and find chicken nuggets waiting for them instead of the usual turkey or ham sandwiches.
Plus, now that my kids are getting older, they have taken over most of their lunch packing and they love picking chicken nuggets to pack, of course. If you love this easy lunch idea, here are some others that my kids love – Taco Lunchable, Quick Lunch Idea for Kids – Cookie Cutter Sandwich! and Lunch Ideas for kids – Hard Boiled Eggs with Cinnamon Sticks.
Table of Contents
Can you Keep Chicken Nuggets Warm in a Lunchbox?
If your kids love chicken nuggets, then you will love this trick to make sure that chicken nuggets stay warm in kid’s lunches. This is the easiest way to pack chicken nuggets for school lunches.
Make your kids lunch time enjoyable by following these steps to get warm chicken nuggets every time.
Supplies Needed
The secret to getting warm chicken nuggets is to buy a good thermos. Don’t skimp on the thermos. I have tried the plastic ones before and, trust me, they do not work as well.
Check out these on Amazon where you will find small thermos containers on sale for as low as $10.
Get a nice thermos on sale and it will last you for years. I have had some for over five years now.
Keep reading for my easy process on how to keep chicken nuggets warm and crispy.
How to Keep Chicken Nuggets Warm
- Step 1 – Cook your chicken nuggets based on the package instructions or by following your favorite recipe.
Step 2 – Then the secret is to boil some water. First pour the HOT water in the thermos and let it sit for at least one minute. Be careful on this step as the water is HOT and you don’t want to burn yourself.
Step 3 – Then dump the boiling water out of the thermos. Next quickly dry the inside of the thermos out with a paper towel.
Step 4 – Then place your chicken nuggets inside.
Step 5 – Immediately place the lid on and put in your kids lunch box.
How to Keep Chicken Nuggets Crispy
My kids love that chicken nuggets come out of the oven nice and crispy.
In order to keep the chicken nuggets crispy in their school lunches, place a folded napkin or paper towel in the bottom of the Thermos after the water but before you put the chicken nuggets in.
Then place the chicken nuggets on top of the paper towel or napkin. That paper towel will absorb the moisture and allow your chicken nuggets to remain nice and crispy for when your kids are ready to enjoy them at lunch.
This is my favorite tip as adding this one step keeps the nuggets from getting soggy in the thermos.
What are the Best Chicken Nuggets to Pack?
Generally, I stock up on frozen chicken nuggets when they’re on sale as my kids love them and they never last long. If you’re worried about them being unhealthy, you can always buy the all natural ones or you can make your own.
I love these Copycat Chick-fil-a Grilled Chicken Nuggets Recipe and this Ritz Cracker Chicken Recipe is easy to make and the kids love it too.
Whatever chicken nuggets you decided to use, cook them based on the package instructions or recipe and then follow the thermos process to keep them hot and crispy in their lunch boxes.
What to Pack with Chicken Nuggets?
When we get take-out at restaurants, they usually give us a ton of ketchup and barbecue packets. I usually save these in my pantry, so I all I have to do it throw one in the lunch box with the kids chicken nuggets.
They love this because they feel like they’re getting a fancy restaurant lunch but it saves me tons of money and is easy to pack too!
I also like to place chopped veggies in a ziplock bag with a side of fruit for a complete lunch idea. You can even send string cheese, chips, or pasta.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to keep your chicken nuggets from getting soggy is to start with a dry thermos. Place a paper towel down in the bottom of the thermos and then top with your cooked chicken nuggets.
Yes, if stored properly in a thermos the chicken nuggets will come out warm and fresh just as if they come right out of the oven.
If the chicken nuggets are stored properly, the chicken nuggets will stay warm and crispy up to 5 hours. Make sure to keep the thermos closed so the stays locked in.
More Easy Lunch Box Ideas
Easy Sandwich
Homemade Uncrustables
Easy Pizza
Best Pizza Cupcakes Recipe
Easy Snacks to Make
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi Rolls
Easy Snacks to Make
Thank you so much for sharing the tip on keeping a paper towel in the bottom of the thermos! I have tried to send chicken nuggets for my son, and he complained they weren’t crispy anymore. I am totally trying this tomorrow with the paper towel first!
I put the lid on while I’m getting the lunch ready. Just to keep it heated up.
Great idea about the paper towel on the bottom! When you have the boiling water in the thermos for a minute, do you cover it with the lid or just keep it open? Thank you!
Yes, it does.
Would this process work for mini corn dogs too?
I think the chicken nuggets would still stay warm in the thermos even with an ice pack in the lunch box as the thermos is well insulated.
Forgive me if someone else asked, but if the thermos keeps the nuggets warm but you have to use an ice pack for their fruit…would the ice pack then cool down the nuggets too? Would putting the cold items in a ziplock bag in the lunch box help shield the thermos from getting cold?
Love the idea of the nuggets. My grandson gets tired of sandwiches all the time. Can’t wait to do this. Thanks
So this works, it really really does, I tried so many other things, like putting them in a ziploc sandwich bag and keeping them in my pocket to putting them under my armpits to warm them up. But this really owrks
Yes, I follow the same process with crispy chicken nuggets. I usually don’t wipe off the moisture but you can if you would like. Thanks.
When you do the crispy chicken nuggets….do you still add the hot water from the kettle first to keep the thermos hot? If yes, do you wipe the inside from moisture after and then place the napkin? TIA
I recently bought some chicken nuggets for my kids. If I were to choose, I think I’ll buy a lunch box warmer from a good shop in order to keep their food warm while they’re in school. Thanks for the idea that I should buy a small thermos container, but since lunch box warmers are more versatile, I’ll just buy those instead.
Does the hot thermos not heat up everything else in the lunch box? I’m wondering if his drink and fruit or whatever I’d stick in there would also heat up. ?
We use Land’s End lunch boxes and the easy lunch box bento boxes inside them. I can use smaller containers in their lunch boxes when I want to pack a thermos but I am really struggling with how to pack hot and cold foods together. I have four boys begging me to use their thermos for lunches and I want to but need some insight…..any tips or thoughts on this conundrum? TIA!
Just saw this on Pinterest. Thank you for the tip. My son is starting Kindergarten and is a picky eater but he loves those chicken nuggets! This is extremely helpful.
yes, cook them first ,
Might sound like a very silly question but you cook the chicken nuggets first right? Asking for a friend! ?