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.
1poundboneless, skinless chicken breastscut into strips or 2x2 size.
Instructions
To Make 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°F, flipping over halfway. The air fryer makes the bread very crisp! Pace the crisp bread into the food processor and pulse into fine crumbs form.
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.
2 tablespoons olive oil
In a small to medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup of flour, plus all of the 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.
1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup milk, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon ground paprika, 1 cup breadcrumbs
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.
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Select chicken, make sure the temperature is 380°F. Cook on each side for 7 minutes. If you prefer extra crispy, you can cook an additional minute on each side.
Video
Notes
We also tried panko crumbs, and they worked too! They have a different texture, and we 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 we wanted to make sure all of my pieces were evenly covered.
Storage: Store air fryer chicken nuggets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.