Chicken nuggets are always a family favorite and they taste so much better made from scratch! These air fryer chicken nuggets are ready to serve in less than 30 minutes and are perfectly juicy and crispy.
If you are looking for a recipe that the whole family will love then you can’t go wrong with classic American chicken nuggets. This kid friendly recipe is made from scratch and is perfect to serve as an appetizer, lunch or dinner.
Because they are air fried, the breadcrumb coating gets wonderfully crispy whilst the chicken remains perfectly cooked and juicy. Serve them with a side of fries or your favorite dip.
If you love your air fryer, be sure to check out my Air Fryer General Tso’s Chicken Recipe.
Why you will love these chicken nuggets!
- Healthier: Made from scratch with less salt and no added sugar and air fried rather than deep fried.
- Quick: These chicken nuggets are ready to serve in less than 30 minutes making them a great option when you are running short on time.
- Simple: Made with simple pantry staple ingredients, you likely don’t need to plan an extra trip to the store to make these!
How to make air fried chicken nuggets
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Cook the bread in the air fryer until crispy and then place in a food processor to make breadcrumbs.
- Whisk together flour, milk and seasonings in one bowl.
- Add breadcrumbs and flour into two other bowls.
- Dredge each peach of chicken in flour, then milk mix then breadcrumbs.
- Cook the chicken pieces in the air fryer until crispy and golden brown.
Can you make these without an air fryer?
If you don’t have an air fryer, you can sill make these chicken nuggets. You can deep fry them in an oil such as canola or vegetable or you can oven bake them.
To oven bake, pre heat the oven to 400F and place the coated chicken on to a baking sheet. Bake for around 20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
What do you serve them with?
You can serves these nuggets as an appetizer with your favorite dips like honey mustard, ketchup or ranch. You can also serve them as a main with fries and a side salad or veggies.
Reheating instructions
These nuggets are best served straight out of the air fryer so that they are nice and tender and crispy. The beauty of an air fryer though is that you can reheat any leftovers in it and their wonderful crispiness comes back in a flash!
Place the cooked nuggets in a preheated air fryer at 400F and cook for around 4 to 5 minutes.
Recipe Notes
- I also tried panko crumbs, and they worked too! They have a different texture, and I liked the breadcrumb texture better. You can also add hot sauce or chili powder to the milk and seasonings mixture if you want a spicier chicken nugget.
- If in a hurry, and you aren’t concerned with how “Pretty” the nuggets look, you can pour the flour over the chicken pieces in a larger bowl and toss until they are covered. It saves a step, but I wanted to make sure all of my pieces were evenly covered.
FREE EBOOK!
Download My Top 10 Chicken eBook
Subscribe and receive a free e-cookbook of our Top 10 Easy Chicken Recipes!
download now
Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless chicken cut into strips or 2×2 size.
- 1 cup flour divided in half
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
For the Breadcrumbs
- Depending on the size of the bread, you can make your own bread crumbs from about four slices of bread. Place bread in the basket, and set time for about 5-7 minutes at 350 degrees, flipping over half way. The airfryer makes the bread very crisp! I put my bread into the food processor and in just about 30 seconds, I had perfect, fresh bread crumbs. (Four slices equalled one cup, almost exactly.)
For the Chicken Nuggets:
- To prepare the basket: Using a pastry brush, brush oil onto the basket. (I used olive oil, but I am sure vegetable oil works just as well. This will keep the batter from sticking to the basket as it cooks.) Set the basket aside.
- In a small to medium bowl, whisk together the other ½ cup flour, milk, and seasonings. Using two other bowls, one filled with the other ½ cup flour, and the other with the breadcrumbs, place the bowls next to each other for easy dipping. Dip each piece of chicken, starting with the flour, then once coated, dip into milk/seasonings mixture, then coat each piece with bread crumbs. Place each piece into the oiled basket, without stacking. Repeat coating for each piece, until all are covered and in basket.
- Select chicken, make sure the temperature is 380 degrees. Cook on each side for 7 minutes. If you prefer extra crispy, you can cook an additional minute on each side.
- Serve Immediately.
Notes
- I also tried panko crumbs, and they worked too! They have a different texture, and I liked the breadcrumb texture better. You can also add hot sauce or chili powder to the milk and seasonings mixture if you want a spicier chicken nugget.
- If in a hurry, and you aren’t concerned with how “Pretty” the nuggets look, you can pour the flour over the chicken pieces in a larger bowl and toss until they are covered. It saves a step, but I wanted to make sure all of my pieces were evenly covered.
Leave a Review