Not only are Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets healthier, but they cook better than any other method, with perfect crispy coating and tender, juicy chicken inside.
Don’t miss my other Air Fryer recipes, like Air fryer chicken wings, Air Fryer Tofu and Air Fryer Baked Potato.
Let’s be honest, my husband gets just as excited as my kids do when I make these delicious Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets. The air fryer allows the breading to get that crispy coating we all love and they only take a few minutes to cook. Let me teach you how to use an air fryer and you’ll be hooked!
How to make Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets:
- Cut the chicken into 1.5 inch pieces and place in a bowl or ziplock bag with the pickle juice and marinate for 30 minutes.
- Add the breading ingredients to a ziplock bag: flour, powdered sugar, paprika, black pepper, chili powder, salt, and baking powder.
- Add milk, and egg to a separate bowl and mix together. Preheat air fryer to 360 degrees.
- Coat the chicken: Remove chicken from pickle marinade and add to the bowl with the egg mixture. Spoon out the pieces (letting any excess egg mixture to drip off) and place them in the ziplock bag with the dry seasonings. Seal and shake bag to evenly coat all of the chicken.
- Spray the bottom of the fry basket with nonstick cooking spray and place half of the chicken pieces into a single layer in the bottom of the basket, spacing them out so they don’t stick together. Generously spray the top of each piece of chicken with cooking spray.
- Fry at 360 for 6 minutes. Open air fryer, flip chicken pieces to the other side, and spray tops again with cooking spray. Increase air fryer temperature to 400 degrees and cook for 2 more minutes, or until crisp and cooked through. (Exact cooking time will vary depending on the size of your nuggets, your air fryer, etc.)
Freezing Instructions:
After cooking at 360 degrees for 6 minutes, allow nuggets to cool, then place in a freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat at 380 degrees until golden, crispy and warmed through.
Variations:
- Healthier Chicken Nuggets: leave out the powdered sugar, and use wheat flour or panko instead of all-purpose flour.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten free flour or breadcrumbs.
- Spicy Chicken Nuggets: add 1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper to the flour mixture.
- Oven Baked Chicken Nuggets: prepare the same, and bake on a baking tray at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until cooked through. (Or, make my Popcorn Chicken recipe, instead!).
Serve with:
- Dippings sauces: BBQ Sauce, Ranch, Chick-fil-A Sauce
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Fresh fruit or Applesauce
- Veggie tray and Dip
- On a Salad
- Roasted Vegetables
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Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
This homemade Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets recipe is healthier, tastes better, and is cooked in the air fryer for that perfect crispy coating on the outside, juicy on the inside. It's a meal even the pickiest eaters will love!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts , cut into 1 – ½ inch cubes
- 1/2 cup pickle juice
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 large egg
Breading:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 – 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper *optional, for a spicy chicken nuggets
Instructions
- Marinate: Cut the chicken into 1.5 inch pieces and place in a bowl or ziplock bag with the pickle juice and marinate for 30 minutes.
- Make Breading: Add flour, powdered sugar, paprika, black pepper, chili powder, salt, and baking powder to a ziplock bag.
- Add milk, and egg to a separate bowl and mix together. Preheat air fryer to 360 degrees.
- Coat the Chicken: Remove chicken from pickle marinade and add to the bowl with the egg mixture. Spoon out the pieces (letting any excess egg mixture to drip off) and place them in the ziplock bag with the dry seasonings. Seal and shake bag to evenly coat all of the chicken.
- Cook: Spray the bottom of the fry basket with nonstick cooking spray and place half of the chicken pieces into a single layer in the bottom of the basket, spacing them out so they don't stick together. Generously spray the top of each piece of chicken with cooking spray.
- Air Fry at 360 for 6 minutes. Open air fryer, flip chicken pieces to the other side, and spray tops again with cooking spray. Increase air fryer temperature to 400 degrees and cook for 2 more minutes, or until crisp and cooked through. (Exact cooking time will vary depending on the size of your nuggets, your air fryer, etc.)
Notes
Yield: Makes about 30 nuggets
Freezing Instructions: After cooking at 360 degrees for 6 minutes, allow nuggets to cool, then place in a freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat at 380 degrees until golden, crispy and warmed through.
Variations:
- Healthier Chicken Nuggets: leave out the powdered sugar, and use wheat flour or panko instead of all-purpose flour.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten free flour or breadcrumbs.
- Spicy Chicken Nuggets: add 1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper to the flour mixture.
- Oven Baked Chicken Nuggets: prepare the same, and bake on a baking tray at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until cooked through. (Or, make my Popcorn Chicken recipe, instead!).
- Dippings sauces: BBQ Sauce, Ranch, Chick-fil-A Sauce
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Fresh fruit or Applesauce
- Veggie tray and Dip
- On a Salad
- Roasted Vegetables
Nutrition
Calories: 354kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 43gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 152mgSodium: 866mgPotassium: 769mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 468IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 75mgIron: 2mg
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Didn’t have an air fryer and when I’m oven comes out barley crispy and taste like flour nuggets, won’t make again
If you don’t have an airfryer we would recommend trying our Popcorn Chicken instead.
This recipe wasn’t meant to be made in the oven. You “improvised” and rated the recipe 1 star when it came out wrong??? This is the internet find a recipe that uses the oven.
Added a bit of extra seasonings but the recipe is amazing. I made a batch with 3 chicken breasts and my teenage son LOVED them.
Mine turned out a bit flour-y once done. What could I have done wrong? *I did not marinate before cooking but I don’t think this would have done it. Otherwise tastes great 🙂
Made this last night, it was an amazing recipe. Even though I didn’t have baking soda or powdered sugar the recipe work perfectly!! I cooked it 12 minutes total in the air fryer and flipped the chicken half way then cooked it for an extra 2 minutes for a nice golden crust. My girlfriend and I loved it:)
These were AMAZING! My kids were so impressed that they were not store bought.
These were soooo good!! I love the tip about turning it up for the last couple minutes. My kids said they tasted just like McDonalds!