Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
Posted: 09/27/2019
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It’s hard to tell these air fryer chicken nuggets aren’t deep fried! They get so crispy, and cook so quickly. Kids love them, and let’s be real…so do adults.
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: These have a crispy outside and tender inside, without the fat of deep-frying!
How long it takes: 22 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: air fryer, bowls, tongs
Servings: 4 but can be doubled
Table of Contents
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I’ve had an air fryer for quite awhile now, and I’ll be honest…mostly it’s just made me eat more french fries and tater tots (they get SO crispy!). I’m trying to stretch my legs a little, though, and branch out a bit. I’ve had some requests from some of you for air fryer recipes, so I’m going to sprinkle them in here and there, starting with these tasty air fryer chicken nuggets.
If you don’t have an air fryer, no problem!
Try these baked chicken nuggets.
Air fryer chicken nuggets are always a total hit with my daughter (my son doesn’t like anything). The first time she tried them, she was obsessed! She kept saying that they were so tender and juicy. That’s the magic of the air fryer! The air fryer also works great for breaded pork chops and kind of surprisingly, really perfect salmon.
PS: On occasion, I make a few of these without breading … so if you want to go that route, you totally can! That’s not so much a recipe, though, since it’s just chicken with a little sprinkle of salt and pepper. The cubes cook in the same amount of time without breading, as long as they are cut in roughly the same size. They’re perfect for adding to a salad.
About this Recipe
These chicken nuggets are breaded in the traditional way. First they get dipped in flour, then egg, and then a seasoned bread crumb mixture.
My twist is that I use whole wheat flour and whole wheat panko bread crumbs. I honestly can’t tell the difference, but it makes these nuggets more satisfying and nutritious.
I season the flour with salt and pepper so that the chicken gets seasoned properly on that first layer. The panko gets mixed with some Parmesan and some dried parsley for more flavor.
Cooking Tip
I use finely grated Parmesan (yes, the kind in the green can!). Shredded tastes great, but looks a little….stringy on these nuggets. The fine grated Parmesan blends in better with the breadcrumbs, but you feel free to use whichever type of Parm you like best!
You’ll have to cook these in batches, because the air fryer works best with a single layer of food. The good news is, they’re done in 7 minutes so you won’t have to wait long for that second batch!
What is an air fryer?
An air fryer is a medium-sized kitchen appliance that circulates air around food (similar to a convection oven). It cooks food quickly and gives food a crispy brown outside. It also requires far less oil than many other cooking methods. Read more about the air fryer here.
How to make these your own
Ranch (try this healthy homemade ranch!), bbq sauce (gotcha covered with a homemade bbq sauce, too!), ketchup, honey…
Kidding, kind of. They’re really great the way they are, you guys! But here are a few ideas:
- Rather have chicken strips? Try air fryer chicken tenders, basically the same process but a different size.
- To make gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs for breading.
- Add an Italian twist: Mix in 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of dried oregano to the breadcrumb mixture.
- Give them a little heat by adding 1/4 teaspoon cayenne to the flour.
- If you can’t get down with whole wheat, use purpose flour and white (original) Panko.
- Looking for a vegetarian choice? Try making falafel or Buffalo cauliflower bites in your air fryer.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
It's hard to tell these air fryer chicken nuggets aren't deep fried! They get so crispy, and cook so quickly. Kids love them, and let's be real…so do adults.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 2/3 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- Olive oil spray
- Optional dipping sauce: marinara or pizza sauce, barbecue sauce, or ranch dressing
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer at 400ºF for 8-10 minutes.
- Set out three small shallow bowls. In the first bowl, place flour, salt, and pepper; mix lightly. In the second bowl, add egg and beat lightly.
- In the third bowl, combine Panko, parmesan cheese,and parsley flakes.
- One at a time, coat chicken pieces in the flour mixture, then dip into the beaten egg, and finally coat with the Panko mixture, pressing lightly to help the coating adhere.
- Place chicken nuggets in basket of air fryer, in a single layer. Spray the nuggets with olive oil spray (this helps them get golden brown and crispy). You will not be able to cook them all at once. Cook each batch of chicken nuggets for 7 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Do not overcook.
Notes
- If your kids don’t like anything green in their food, leave out the parsley flakes, not a big deal.
- You could also change up the seasoning, maybe using seasoned salt, or garlic salt.
- Please don’t try to cook the nuggets all at once. Cook them in batches so there will be plenty of air circulation, making your nuggets nice and crispy.
- If you don’t have olive oil spray, you can use non-stick baking spray, but I prefer using pure olive oil.
- To make gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs for breading.
- To make dairy-free, omit Parmesan cheese.
- Nutrition information does not include dipping sauces.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 5nuggets, Calories: 246kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 121mg, Sodium: 494mg, Potassium: 495mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 168IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 126mg, Iron: 1mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Charles A Thorne says
Do you have to flip the nuggets half way thru cooking?
Rachel Gurk says
My air fryer circulates air all around so I don’t find it necessary to flip them.
Shelbi says
I have no idea why this recipe doesn’t have 5 stars across the board!!! This chicken is the bomb and the entire family agrees, including my 2.5 year old! The flavor and crunch is sublime and unlike other recipes I’ve tried the chicken is so moist.
I did make a couple alterations – used regular flour and panko breadcrumbs since I didn’t have wheat. I intened to make a double batch so doubled everything except the parsley (husband isn’t a huge fan) and I am glad I did. I needed both eggs, though didn’t need all the flour, and used probably 3/4 of the panko mix. I also added 1/2 top paprika.
So if you are going to make this I would do the flour as written and add 1/4 tsp of paprika, 2 eggs, and 1.5 of all the panko ingredients. I also think I cut my chicken a little bit bigger (1.5 inches maybe) but 7 minutes was the perfect time still! Amazing!!!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked it! Thank you for taking the time to leave such a detailed helpful review!
Tina says
I’m sure this is embarrassing but I am not a cook so please forgive me. Is the calorie count (and other nutrition amounts) for the whole recipe or one serving? Somebody gave me an air fryer but I have never used it – this sounds so good and so easy…I am going to try!
Rachel Gurk says
Not embarrassing at all! The nutrition amounts are for one serving (but they seemed a little off for this particular recipe so I recalculated and they look better now). Thanks for the comment!
Kathleen says
These were a big hit with my family. They were crispy and flavorful. Thanks.
Rachel Gurk says
So happy to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
ann says
This recipe calls for parmesan cheese yet is listed as dairy free and vegan.
Rachel Gurk says
Hi Ann, Thanks for pointing that out! It isn’t listed as vegan since it’s chicken, but but we did denote it as dairy-free because you can make these without the cheese. However, we neglected to mention that adaptation in the recipe so I added it in. Thanks again for letting us know.
T Howard says
Can I make these and freeze them for later use?
Rachel Gurk says
I haven’t tried it, but I think it would work! They will of course lose some of their texture and moisture, but in theory, it should work.
Nicole says
Is it ok to use regular flour and panko instead of the wheat version?
Rachel Gurk says
Absolutely! That will work well and taste great.
Kyla says
Hi Rachel,
Do you have a replacement for egg? My son is allergic to egg, soy and nuts. So cooking can get a little tough sometimes!
All help appreciated!
Thanks!
Rachel Gurk says
Hmm, not sure. That is very tough! My kids are allergic to nuts and sesame, but ugh…egg and soy would be so difficult! You could try a little yogurt or milk, that would likely help the breading stick. I haven’t tried it though, so I can’t guarantee it will work.
Adil says
You could use melted butter, it wouldn’t be the healthiest option but it would still work and be REALLY GOOD
Rachel Gurk says
That would be tasty!
K says
Hey Kyla,
I defrost frozen chicken (from costco so its just one breast) and roll them in breadcrumbs (I cut them into nugget size pieces). They don’t stick great but with some force you can definitely get it to work. Once you bread the chicken bits, make sure to freeze/cool them to so it sticks even while frying/air-frying. I have made chicken nugs in the air fryer without egg or flour numerous times now and always turns out great. Hope this helps
Heather says
Can these be frozen?
Rachel Gurk says
I haven’t tried it, but I bet you could.
Audrey says
So good and so easy to make!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad to hear you liked them! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Bob king says
Much easier than most other airfryer recipes
Rachel Gurk says
Glad to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Christian says
Love your app, it is very interesting and informative,thank you ❤
Rachel Gurk says
Thanks! :)
Taira Rossi says
Could you used ground chicken and make nuggets from that ?
Rachel Gurk says
I haven’t tested the recipe that way, but it might work! You would probably need to add some sort of binder, eggs and breadcrumbs or something to help them hold together. Let me know if you give it a try!
denise says
these recipes make me tempted to get an air fryer.
Rachel Gurk says
It’s a fun and handy little appliance!
Anamika @ Supplement Crunch says
looks yummy
Rachel Gurk says
Thank you!