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If you have children or ever were one, you understand the pleasure of a great-tasting chicken nugget, preferably one that comes in amazing shapes–like dinosaurs. The struggle I always have with chicken nuggets isn’t about the shape or the lack of diversity it brings to the menu, but rather, the texture of a soggy, rubbery microwaved chicken nugget. However, when you cook frozen chicken nuggets in the air fryer, you can deliver crisp, great-tasting nuggets every time.
Chicken Nuggets for any day of the week
We often use Kirkwood’s Dinosaur shaped nuggets, which are my four-year-old son’s favorite. We purchase them by the box at our neighborhood Aldi for around $6.99. These nuggets, which come in T-Rex, Triceratops, and Apatosaurus shapes, taste great, and they are relatively healthy, as far as chicken nuggets go.
In the microwave, chicken nuggets take around a minute to heat up, which is convenient, but the texture of most frozen-to-microwave products really disappoints me. It’s definitely worth the extra twelve minutes to prep these in the air fryer, which is still 8-10 minutes faster than baking them in the oven, not including the time it takes for your oven to preheat. Cooking frozen chicken nuggets in the air fryer will never be a disappointment.
Using an air fryer is also a fast, easy way to reheat restaurant chicken nuggets, chicken tenders, or french fries your little one couldn’t finish while you were eating out. When it comes to texture and taste, an air fryer beats a microwave any day.
It's quick and easy to air fry frozen chicken nuggets. They come out so crispy!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets, Chicken Nuggets in Air Fryer, Frozen Chicken Nuggets
Servings: 1
Calories: 400 kcal
Chicken Nugget Ingredients
- 8 pieces frozen chicken nuggets
Chicken Nugget Instructions
Preheat air fryer to 400° F | 204° C for 5 minutes
Add an air fryer liner, and place frozen chicken nuggets in the air-fryer basket.
Air Fry for 12 minutes at 400° F | 204° C
Shake or flip the chicken nuggets halfway through air frying at around 6 minutes.
Serve with your favorite sauce, plate and enjoy!
Note: If you are making plant-based vegan nuggets, I suggest 380° F | 180° C for 10 minutes. Using a food thermometer, they above the suggested 160° F | 71° C.
If you liked chicken nuggets, look what else you can air fry:
- Chicken Wings
- Taquitos
- Chicken Fries
- French Fries
- Chicken Strips
Tools used for this recipe:
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Homemade Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets are perfectly seasoned, deliciously tender and juicy inside – Easy healthier Kid friendly nuggets from scratch.
Don’t miss other popular air fryer recipes like Hot Wings, Crispy Tilapia, Air Fryer Cake or Chicken Parmesan Recipe.
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These are crispy, tender, well seasoned, made with real ingredients and so much healthier than the deep fried or store bought ones.
A good nugget is hard to find, which is why these made from scratch so incredible- Can’t beat a homemade recipe. Dip them in your favorite sauce and you will find yourself enjoying them much more than kids. Bonus points for healthy!
I have been late hopping onto the air fryer train, but glad I did!
It comes in handy when you want to make them in a hurry or don’t want to turn on the oven. Air fryer cooks food by circulating hot air around, like a convection oven. It is faster and a great option for folks who do not have access to an oven. Few of our favorites include Crispy Asparagus, Cauliflower Bites, Stuffed Mushrooms with Cream Cheese, Baked Apples, Apple Fritters or Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Frozen nuggets used to my children’s go to meal when they were younger and occasionally it was ours as well on a busy day. Eventually, I began baking them at home and soon became an adult favorite.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS?
Cooking them in air fryer is the perfect way to make a homemade bite. It crisps them perfectly on the outside without over cooking. I tried these and we could not believe the perfect texture! It is absolutely the best way to make them instead of the deep or shallow frying.
DON’T OVER CROWD THE BASKET
Place them in a single layer, and leave a little space around for the hot air to circulate, which helps in crisping the nugget. OVER CROWDING will NOT make a crispy bite.
CAN I BAKE THEM INSTEAD?
Prepare as per instructions, and place on a baking tray and bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until cooked through.
Reader feedbacks
Fidget writes “These were so easy and tasty. Only took 8 minutes to cook. Thanks for the recipe”.
Bridget writes “I ran out of Panko after 1 cup so I used plain bread crumbs for the rest. These were so good! We had them with CFA sauce, they tasted similar to CFA nuggets”
Becky writes “it turned out great! make sure to read the instructions on your specific air fryer as some of them cook a little longer. I did mine for 13 minutes at 390 degrees and they came out perfect”.
INGREDIENTS
- Chicken – We used boneless skinless thighs, but boneless skinless breasts can be substituted. Cut one pound breast into 1/2 inch strips and then cut each into 2 to 3 nuggets.
- Egg – Helps in binding the crust.
- All purpose flour – Just one tablespoon for binding.
- Panko breadcrumbs – Gives a light and crispy coating.
- Parmesan – Parmesan gives a wonderful salty, nutty flavor.
- Seasonings – A combination of salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and dried parsley.
PRO TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- Dredge well – Using hands or tongs, make sure to press bread crumb mixture well on all sides of the meat to help it adhere well and give a thicker coating.
- Make it gluten free – Use gluten free flour and gluten free Panko bread crumbs.
- Pre heat – Pre heating the air fryer before cooking them, will guarantee a perfectly crispy yet juicy bites.
- Don’t overlap: Placing the food in a single layer without over lapping will allow even cooking. If you stack your food then it might stick together or the top ones will be over cooked by the time the bottom ones are cooked through.
- Panko breadcrumbs – If you don’t have panko, then regular regular bread crumbs may be used (but, the nuggets won’t get as crispy).
- Parmesan – Finely shredded parmesan cheese is highly recommended. If you are using pre shredded cheese (that is very coarse), then process for a few seconds in a small food processor or dry grinder.
Variations
- Make it spicy – Stir in some cayenne pepper along with salt and pepper.
- Use strips – Use boneless skinless tenders instead.
- Add an Italian twist – Toss in some dried oregano to the bread crumb mixture.
- Mexican twist – Toss in some taco seasoning along with salt, pepper and egg.
HOW TO MAKE?
These nuggets are made up with a bunch of pantry ingredients – Mix them up and then you’ll be ready to start!
- Cut Chicken – Trim any fat from boneless, skinless thighs and then cut them into 1 inch pieces.
- Wet batter – Toss cubed thighs with lightly beaten egg, salt and pepper. Stir in a tablespoon of flour.
- Panko breadcrumb coating – Dredge each piece with a mixture of panko, parmesan, red pepper flakes and dried parsley.
- Cook – Place in a greased basket, cook at 400 degrees for 8 minutes, until cooked through.
More chicken recipes for dinner:Chicken Parmesan Pasta, Chicken Burrito Bowl, Cashew Chicken, Mexican Chicken, Baked Chicken Burger, Baked Chicken Meatballs, Chicken Pesto Pasta, Rotisserie Chicken Salad Sandwich, Sriracha Chicken or Hunan Chicken.
HOW TO SERVE?
Serve them with ranch dressing, marinara sauce, Chick-fil-A Sauce, ketchup or your favorite barbecue sauce for snack, lunch or dinner.
Make it a meal – Serve these marinara sauce, carrot fries, roasted or steamed broccoli, pasta or rice for a healthy weeknight meal or lunch that kids and adults will enjoy.
Storage and Re heating
Make it ahead of time
Leftover nuggets can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
From the refrigerator – Simple microwave them for couple of minutes to quickly re heat (the breading will be soft). However, to revive the crispy coating, re heat them in the air fryer for 5 minutes or bake at 375 degree oven for 10 minutes.
How to make ahead?
This is great to make ahead too! Simply make a batch and freeze after completely cooled —-> Homemade frozen nuggets!
From the freezer – Placed in zip lock bag, tightly sealed and frozen for up to a month. Simple microwave them for few minutes to quickly re heat (the breading will be soft). However, to revive the crispy coating, Re heat them in the air fryer for 10 to 15 minutes or bake at 375 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
More kid friendly recipes:
- Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Ramen Alfredo Noodles
- Air Fryer Zucchini
- Crispy Cutlets
- Air Fryer Rice
- Stuffed Jalapenos
- 5 Ingredient Egg Fried Rice
- Garlic Butter Shrimp and Rice
- Soft Garlic Knots
- Baked Spaghetti and Meatball Cups
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to air fry chicken nuggets?
It takes about 8 minutes in a 400 degree air fryer.
What is an air fryer?
As the name indicates, it fries food by circulating hot air around, more like a convection oven. It is a counter top appliance that cooks food faster, browns evenly and with almost no oil when compared to the traditional deep frying methods.
How many calories in homemade nuggets?
One serving contains 317 calories with 35 grams protein.
More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
- Homemade Chicken Patties
- Teriyaki Chicken and Rice
- Air Fryer Tacos
- Lemon Pepper Wings
- Nachos with Black Beans
- Garlic Parmesan Wings
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Instructions
1. Trim excess fat from chicken and then cut into 1-inch pieces. Mix chicken along with lightly beaten egg, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl, until well combined.
2. Sprinkle all purpose flour on top and toss around to coat the chicken and keep aside.
3. In a shallow bowl, stir together panko, parmesan, red pepper flakes and pasrley (if using).
4. Working with one chicken piece at a time, dredge into the panko-parm mixture, turning and pressing on all sides to coat evenly and place on a plate (try to to pack the breadcrumbs well on the chicken).
5. Pre heat air fryer at 400°F for 8 minutes. Place half the chicken nuggets into the air fryer basket (spacing evenly), spray a generous coating of non-stick cooking spray.
6. Cook, flipping halfway, spray with non-stick cooking spray and finish cooking, until cooked through.
7. Transfer chicken nuggets and repeat process with the remaining batch.
8. Serve chicken nuggets hot with ranch dressing, ketchup, marinara or your favorite barbecue sauce.
Notes
To use boneless, skinless chicken breast - Cut one pound chicken breast into 1/2 inch strips and then cut each into 2 to 3 nuggets.
Dredge well – Using hands or tongs, make sure to press bread crumb mixture well on all sides of the chicken nuggets to help it adhere well and give a thicker coating.
Do not over crowd the air fryer basket – Place chicken nuggets in a single layer, and leave a little space around for the air to circulate, which helps in crisping the nugget. OVER CROWDING will NOT make a crispy chicken nugget.Make it gluten free – Use gluten free flour and gluten free Panko bread crumbs.
Panko breadcrumbs – If you don’t have panko, then regular regular bread crumbs may be used (but, the nuggets won’t get as crispy).
Parmesan – Finely shredded parmesan cheese is highly recommended. If you are using pre shredded cheese (that is very coarse), then process for a few seconds in a small food processor or dry grinder.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 317Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 196mgSodium: 675mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 35g
I am not a certified dietician or nutritionist. You are ultimately responsible for all decisions pertaining to your health. This information is provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is a product of online calculator such as Nutrifox.com.. Although Kitchen at Hoskins attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their fact sources and algorithms. Under no circumstances will Kitchen at Hoskins be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the nutritional information. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
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