These Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets are perfectly seasoned and deliciously tender. Serve with ranch dressing, ketchup, marinara or your favorite barbecue sauce.
I have been late hopping onto the air fryer train, but glad I did!
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.
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.
Air fryer Chicken Nuggets –
- Crispy
- Tender
- Well seasoned
- Kid friendly
- Healthier
- Made with real ingredients
Main ingredients:
Chicken – 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?
Trim any fat from boneless, skinless chicken thighs and then cut them into 1 inch pieces. Toss cubed chicken thighs with lightly beaten egg, salt and pepper. Stir in a tablespoon of flour. Dredge each chicken nugget with a mixture of panko, parmesan, red pepper flakes and dried parsley.
Place in a greased air fryer basket, cook at 400 degrees for 8 minutes, until cooked through.
Tips and tricks
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.
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.
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.
Serving suggestions
Serve them with ranch dressing, marinara sauce, ketchup or your favorite barbecue sauce for snack, lunch or dinner.
Make it a meal – Serve these marinara sauce, sweet potato fries, steamed broccoli, pasta or rice for a healthy weeknight meal or lunch that kids and adults will enjoy.
Storage and Re heating
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.
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.
Chicken nuggets takes about 8 minutes in a 400 degree air fryer.
As the name indicates, an air fryer 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.
More Air Fryer Recipes:
Air fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies
More kid friendly recipes:
Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Baked Spaghetti and Meatball Cups
Air Fryer Chicken nuggets
These Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets are perfectly seasoned and deliciously tender. Serve with ranch dressing, ketchup, marinara or your favorite barbecue sauce.
Ingredients
Group-1
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
Group-2
- 1 and 1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 2 pinches red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 pinches dried parsley (optional)
Equipments used
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:
4Serving Size:
1Amount 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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Penny Brooke
Thursday 22nd of July 2021
Can I just take store bought nuggets or tenders from the freezer & put them in the air fryer or do I have to thaw them or put them in the microwave first?
Maria Doss
Friday 23rd of July 2021
Hi Penny, You could absolutely use frozen nuggets. To reheat frozen chicken nuggets in the air fryer, place them in a single layer (do not thaw or microwave), in a pre heated 400°F air fryer and cook for 8 mins. Flip over and continue cooking for an additional 2 to 4 minutes (the time will depend on the quantity used), until heated through. Hope it helps, Maria
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