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.
1poundboneless, 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 5 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.
Video
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.