How to Get Iron Nuggets in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Smelt iron tools, iron weapons, iron armor or chainmail armor in a furnace to get iron nuggets, craft them from an iron ingot, or barter with piglins: giving a gold ingot has about a 2.13% chance (10/469) of 10-36 nuggets. One nugget is worth one-ninth of an iron ingot.

What you need

Iron gear to smelt
Furnace and fuel

Step by step

Smelt any iron tool, iron weapon, iron armor, chainmail armor, iron horse armor or iron nautilus armor with fuel in a furnace. Durability and enchantments do not matter.
Or craft nuggets from an iron ingot.
Or barter with piglins: a gold ingot gives about a 2.13% chance of 10-36 iron nuggets.
Craft nine nuggets back into an iron ingot, or an iron nugget plus an iron ingot into iron chains.

Java vs Bedrock

Iron nuggets also appear in chests such as shipwrecks, taiga village houses, ruined portals and bastion remnants.

Versions: Iron nuggets are used to craft chains since Java Edition 1.16 (20w16a).

Frequently asked questions

What gives iron nuggets?

Smelting iron or chainmail gear, crafting from an ingot, or bartering with piglins.

How many nuggets are in an ingot?

One nugget is worth one-ninth of an ingot.

Do enchantments or damage matter when smelting?

No. Durability and enchantments do not affect it.