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    Home » Recipes » Air Fryer Recipes

    Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

    Published: Jul 31, 2023 · Modified: Feb 9, 2025 by Sherri · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

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    Enjoy delicious crispy air fryer chicken nuggets with this easy recipe that’s a wonderful quick 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.

    Chicken nuggets in bottom of air fryer.

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    Chicken Nuggets in Air Fryer Recipe

    Making chicken nuggets in an 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.

    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!

    Air fryer chicken nuggets on a white plate with a small dish of ketchup on the side.

    Ingredients Needed for These Air Fryer Nuggets

    Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this easy recipe. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with amounts.

    Several bowls of ingredients for air fryer chicken nuggets - Chicken breast, breadcrumbs, flour, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, eggs and olive oil.
    • 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

    Breadcrumbs and spices in a large glass bowl.
    Large glass bowl of breadcrumbs.

    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.

    Piece of uncooked chicken in egg bath.

    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.

    Piece of uncooked chicken in glass bowl of breadcrumbs.

    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.

    Breaded chicken nuggets on a white plate.

    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)

    Coated chicken nuggets in air fryer.

    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).

    Fried chicken nuggets in bottom of air fryer.
    A chicken nugget being dipped into a small glass bowl of ketchup.

    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.

    Chicken nuggets on a white plate with a small glass bowl of ketchup on the side.

    How to Store?

    Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

    Freeze: Place cooled nuggets in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 2-3 months. 

    Reheating: 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.

    Air fry 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. 

    If you like this recipe, please leave us a comment and rate it in the recipe card. We would love for you to join us and over 300,000 followers on Facebook as well as on Pinterest and Instagram too!

    several crispy chicken nuggets in bottom of air fryer basket.

    Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets (Homemade Nuggets)

    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.
    5 from 3 votes
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    Course: Appetizer, Dinner
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 12 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 24 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 302kcal
    Author: Sherri Hagymas

    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

    Use panko breadcrumbs, regular breadcrumbs or even seasoned breadcrumbs
    Make them gluten free by using gluten free breadcrumbs.
    Spray the uncooked breaded chicken pieces with cooking spray or brush very gently with olive oil but it’s not a must.
    Add your favorite seasonings to the breadcrumb mixture like chili powder, dried oregano, and Cajun seasoning, etc.
    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.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 154mg | Sodium: 653mg | Potassium: 542mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 464IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 3mg

    Nutritional Disclosure

    Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.

    Tried this recipe?We love seeing your pictures! Mention @ToSimplyInspire or tag #ToSimplyInspire!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jessica

      August 14, 2024 at 2:38 pm

      5 stars
      Making these tonight. They sound perfect. Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
    2. Jean

      January 23, 2024 at 7:37 pm

      5 stars
      So very good. Whole family loved them

      Reply
    5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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