Enjoy delicious crispy air fryer chicken nuggets with this easy recipe that’s a wonderful healthier version of a classic favorite. Cubed chicken breasts are coated in a flavorful mix of breadcrumbs and spices, air-fried to golden perfection and wonderful to eat plain or served with your favorite dipping sauce.
Looking for other easy air fryer recipes to try? These air fryer salmon bites are a must make as well as these air fryer bacon wrapped asparagus. For the best quick treat, you con’t want to miss these fun air fryer churros or air fryer s’mores!
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Chicken Nuggets in Air Fryer Recipe
Making chicken nuggets in the air fryer is so simple and are the best crispy nuggets that make a great kid-friendly dinner for busy weeknights or as an appetizer or snack served with your favorite sauces.
Homemade air fryer chicken nuggets are a healthy alternative to deep frying nuggets but are perfectly crispy on the outside. We love them with roasted potatoes, sweet potato fries or this wonderful hashbrown casserole.
Popular Chicken Nugget dipping sauces
Ketchup
Buffalo sauce
Honey mustard sauce – Mix ¼ cup mustard, ¼ cup
Ranch dressing
BBQ sauce
Yum Yum Sauce – like on this Bang Bang Chicken recipe
Ingredients/shopping list
Chicken – I used boneless, skinless chicken breast but you can use chicken thighs or chicken tenders too.
Breadcrumbs – Use regular breadcrumbs, seasoned breadcrumbs or gluten free breadcrumbs if you’d like.
All-purpose flour – You can use gluten-free flour if you need to. I love Bob’s Red Mill One-to-One gluten free flour.
Spices – I used garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme, salt and black pepper. Adding cayenne pepper will give the nuggets a spicy kick.
Eggs – Eggs help the flour and breadcrumbs stick to the chicken.
Variations/ Substitutions
1. Swap the bread crumbs for panko breadcrumbs, crushed crackers or even cornflakes.
2. Swap the flour for cornstarch.
3. Add your favorite seasonings to the breadcrumb mixture like chili powder, dried oregano, and Cajun seasoning, etc.
4. Soak the diced chicken in blend of 1 cup of pickle juice and a ½ cup of milk for about 20 minutes for extra juicy chick-fil-a copycat nuggets.
5. Add a tablespoon of powdered sugar to the flour mixture.
How to Make Homemade Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
Step 1 – Preheat the air fryer to 400° F
Step 2 – In a small shallow bowl or plate, add the breadcrumbs, flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper (if using) and stir to blend together.
Step 3 – In another medium sized bowl, add the eggs and whisk thoroughly.
Step 4 – Dip the chicken pieces into the egg mixture and make sure it’s fully coated, and then add the chicken to the breadcrumb mixture and coat completely.
Step 5 – Dip the chicken pieces into the egg mixture and make sure it’s fully coated, and then add the chicken to the breadcrumb mixture and coat completely.
Step 6 – Place the coated chicken cubes in the air fryer basket in a single layer. (you can spray the breaded chicken pieces with cooking spray or brush very gently with olive oil but it’s not a must)
Step 7 – Air fry the chicken for 12-14 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked completely. You can flip the chicken half way through if you’d like. As cooking time may vary with different air fryers, check for the doneness of the chicken by cutting into one of pieces to make sure it’s not pink and the juices run clear, or you could use a meat thermometer to verify an internal temperature of 165° F (74° C).
What if I don’t have an air fryer?
You can also cook these chicken nuggets in the oven. Simply preheat your oven to 400° F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place a wire rack over top. Then place the nuggets on it in a single layer on the rack and bake the chicken nuggets for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
Tips
- Be careful not to overcrowd the air fryer basket or the nuggets won’t be their crispiest.
- Spray the uncooked breaded chicken pieces with cooking spray or brush very gently with olive oil but it’s not a must.
- Make a larger batch of chicken nuggets by doubling or tripling the recipe. Just make sure you cook the chicken nuggets in batches so that they don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket.
FAQ’s
You can either heat them in the air fryer or in the oven on a at 375° F until just heated through, approximately 2-5 minutes.
You can either heat them in the air fryer or in the oven on a at 375° F until just heated through, approximately 2-5 minutes.
Yes, you can freeze the cooked chicken nuggets in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2-3 months. Then air fry the frozen chicken nuggets for 7-10 minutes or thawed chicken nuggets for 2-3 minutes until they are heated through. Be careful not to over cook them.
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Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts boneless, skinless, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 2 eggs beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400° F
- In a small shallow bowl or plate, add the breadcrumbs, flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper (if using) and stir to blend together.1 cup plain breadcrumbs, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- In another medium sized bowl, add the eggs and whisk thoroughly.2 eggs
- Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture and make sure it’s fully coated, and then place it in the breadcrumb mixture and coat well.1 pound chicken breasts
- Place the coated chicken cubes in the air fryer basket in a single layer. (you can spray the breaded chicken pieces with cooking spray or brush very gently with olive oil but it’s not a must)
- Air fry the cubes for 12-14 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked completely. (check for the doneness of the chicken by cutting into one of pieces to make sure it’s not pink and the juices run clear, or you could use a meat thermometer to verify an internal temperature of 165° F (74° C).
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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