Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets – Crispy and Tender

Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets are perfectly seasoned, deliciously tender and juicy inside – Easy healthier Kid friendly homemade nuggets.

Don’t miss other popular air fryer recipes like Air fryer Hot Wings, Crispy Tilapia, Air Fryer Cake or Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan Recipe.

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Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

These are crispy, tender, well seasoned, made with real ingredients and so much healthier than the deep fried or store bought ones.

A good chicken 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!

Air fryer 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 Air Fryer Asparagus, Air Fryer Cauliflower Bites, Stuffed Mushrooms with Cream Cheese, Baked Apples, Apple Fritters or Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Frozen chicken nuggets was one of 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 chicken bite. Air fryer 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.

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”.

Expert Tips

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 airfryer 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.

Pre heat –  Pre heating the air fryer before cooking them, will guarantee a perfectly crispy yet juicy chicken bites.

Don’t overlap: This is a general rule with air fryer cooking. 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.

Key ingredients

Chicken – We used boneless skinless chicken thighs, but boneless skinless breasts can be substituted. Cut one pound chicken 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, airy crispy coating (the secret to a crispy air fryer chicken nuggets)

Parmesan – Parmesan gives a wonderful salty, nutty flavor to the chicken

Seasonings – A combination of salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and dried parsley.

How do you cook chicken nuggets in the air fryer?

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 chicken thighs and then cut them into 1 inch pieces.

Wet batter – Toss cubed chicken thighs with lightly beaten egg, salt and pepper. Stir in a tablespoon of flour.

Panko breadcrumb coating – Dredge each chicken nugget with a mixture of panko, parmesan, red pepper flakes and dried parsley.

Air Fry – Place in a greased air fryer basket, cook at 400 degrees for 8 minutes, until cooked through.

Variations

Make it spicy – Stir in some cayenne pepper along with salt and pepper.

Use Chicken strips – Use boneless skinless chicken tenders instead.

Add an Italian twist – Toss in some dried oregano to the bread crumb mixture.

Mexican twist – Toss in some chicken taco seasoning along with salt, pepper and egg.

More chicken recipes for dinner: Chicken Parmesan Pasta, Chicken Burrito Bowl, Cashew Chicken, Mexican Chicken, Baked Chicken Burger, Baked Chicken Meatballs, Chicken and Green Beans Stir Fry, Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma, Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Pesto Pasta, Rotisserie Chicken Salad Sandwich, Barbecue Chicken Meatballs, Sriracha Chicken, Instant pot BBQ 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, sweet potato 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 healthier Air Fryer Chicken Nugget option is great to make ahead too! Simply make a batch and freeze after completely cooled —-> Homemade frozen chicken 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 Chicken 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

More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes

• Homemade Chicken Patties in Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken and Rice
• Air Fryer Chicken Tacos
• Lemon Pepper Wings
• Nachos with Black Beans
• Garlic Parmesan Wings

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