Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets with Chicken Breast

brown chicken nuggets in an air fryer basket.

Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets with Chicken Breast

Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets with Chicken Breast are made using seasoned toasted panko breadcrumbs to achieve a deep golden exterior! It has been shared over 5000 times on social platforms!

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 pound 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

Cut chicken breast into 1-inch pieces.
Mix chicken along with lightly beaten egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl, until well combined.
Sprinkle all purpose flour on top and toss around to coat the chicken and keep aside.
In a shallow bowl, stir together panko, parmesan, red pepper flakes and parsley.
Optional step - If you're using pre-shredded coarse parmesan, I like to briefly grind it for a few seconds before coating your chicken nuggets, for a more uniform coating.
Working with one chicken piece at a time, dredge into the panko-parmesan mixture, turning and pressing on all sides to coat evenly and place on a large plate.
Pre heat air fryer to 400°F. Place half the chicken nuggets into the air fryer basket, spacing evenly and spray a generous coating of non-stick cooking spray.
Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until cooked through.
Transfer chicken nuggets to a plate and repeat the process with the remaining nuggets.
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