Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets with Chicken Breast

brown chicken nuggets in an air fryer basket.

Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets with Chicken Breast

These Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets with chicken breast turn out perfectly golden and crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. I use seasoned, toasted panko breadcrumbs, which make these homemade nuggets extra crunchy and delicious.

Course Chicken

Cuisine American

Keyword air fryer chicken nuggets, airfryer chicken nuggets, chicken nuggets in air fryer

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 16

Total Time 26

Servings

Calories 303kcal

Author Maria Doss

Equipment

Air Fryer

Ingredients

Chicken

1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 large)
1 large egg lightly beaten
¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon all purpose flour

Breading

1 ½ cups Panko breadcrumbs toasted or regular, refer notes
½ cup grated parmesan
2 pinches red pepper flakes optional
2 pinches dried parsley

Instructions

Prep chicken. Cut the chicken breast into 1-inch size pieces and place them in a large bowl. Add the lightly beaten egg, salt, and pepper. Toss well until each piece is evenly coated. Sprinkle the flour on top and toss around to coat the chicken, and keep aside.
Mix breadcrumbs. In a separate shallow bowl, mix together the panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and chopped parsley until evenly combined.
👉 If you’re using pre-shredded Parmesan, briefly pulse it in a food processor to make it finer. A finer texture helps the coating stick better and gives the nuggets a more uniform crust.
Coat the chicken. Working with one piece at a time, dredge the chicken in the panko-Parmesan mixture. Turn and gently press on all sides to ensure an even coating, then transfer to a large plate.
Air fry. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Arrange half of the chicken nuggets in the basket in a single layer, leaving space between each piece. Lightly spray the tops with cooking spray. Cook for 5–7 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Transfer the cooked nuggets to a plate and repeat with the remaining batch.
Serve. Serve hot with ranch dressing, ketchup, honey mustard or your favorite barbecue sauce.

Video

Notes

Toasted or untoasted Panko - Plain panko gives you that classic golden color when air fried, while toasted panko takes it up a notch with a deeper golden brown and extra crunch. Either one will work!

To toast panko - Toss 1 ½ cups of panko with a tablespoon of oil in a moderately hot skillet. Stir it constantly until it turns a nice golden color, then let it cool a bit before using.

Dredge well – Make sure to press bread crumb mixture well on both sides of the chicken to help it adhere well and give a thicker coating.

Parmesan - Finely shredded Parmesan cheese is recommended. However, if you're using pre-shredded cheese that is very coarse, consider processing it for a few seconds in a small food processor or dry grinder.

Nutrition