On 5 July 2011, Nugent signed for Leicester City on a three-year deal after his contract with Portsmouth expired. He made his competitive debut in a 1–0 win over Coventry City on 6 August 2011, scoring his first goal for the club in a 2–1 defeat to Bristol City on 17 August. On 18 February 2012, Nugent scored the winning goal to knock Premier League team Norwich City out of the FA Cup at Carrow Road and put Leicester through to the quarter-finals. Nugent finished the 2011–12 season as the club's top goalscorer with 16 goals in all competitions.