These air fryer chicken nuggets are perfectly golden and crispy on the outside, while the chicken remains juicy on the inside. These chicken nuggets are not just for the kids, adults will love them as well! Serve them up with your favourite dipping sauce and you have a delicious homemade lunch or dinner that’s much healthier than takeaway.
If you’re looking for more popular crispy chicken recipes, try my air fryer chicken schnitzel or air fryer chicken tenders next!
There is something that makes me really happy as an adult with no kids about sharing a recipe for chicken nuggets. Often simply labelled as kids food, I think they are just such a fun and nostalgic way to enjoy chicken no matter how old you are! Especially when they are actually made with real chicken breast and air fried so they are kinda healthy.
But whether you’re wanting to make these as a fun lunch for yourself or as a healthy dinner your kids will love, making your own chicken nuggets is so easy, and the air fryer method just takes so much of the fuss out and leaves you with a perfectly crispy coating while the chicken remains juicy.
These also work so well to batch make and store in the freezer. I have the details below, but you can prep a big batch and then cook the nuggets straight from frozen whenever you need a quick and easy lunch or snack.
Key Ingredients
This is a super simple recipe requiring a few pantry staple ingredients to make these homemade chicken nuggets.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Chicken breast – boneless skinless chicken breasts that have been cut into nugget shapes work best here. You could also use tenderloins as well.
- Plain flour – also known as all purpose flour in the US, this is our first step in the crumbing process that is going to make sure the breadcrumbs actually stick to the chicken.
- Eggs – an egg wash allows the flour coated chicken to become super sticky for the breadcrumbs to adhere to.
- Dairy free milk – I use oat milk but almond milk or soy milk works. You can also use regular milk if you don’t need these nuggets to be dairy free.
- Panko breadcrumbs – using panko rather than regular breadcrumbs is the key to getting a super crispy and light coating on the chicken pieces.
- Spices – I am using my go combination of garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika to give the panko crumb some extra flavour.
Equipment and Tools
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Air fryer – It’s no surprise you’ll need an air fryer to make this recipe. This is the one I have which I love and use a lot! It is perfect for 2 people, but if you’re feeding a family look for an XL or XXL size.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To make the chicken nuggets, you’ll start by cutting the chicken breasts into pieces. To create nugget sized pieces, I recommend cutting the chicken breast in half lengthways and then slicing each half into 1 cm thick pieces. This should get you perfect, nugget sized pieces of chicken breast.
Next, we’re moving onto a pretty standard crumbing process. I find placing the chicken pieces in a large zip lock bag with the flour and salt and pepper the easiest, least messy way to get step one done. Simply toss the chicken to coat completely in the flour.
Next, set up two bowls. In one, beat together the eggs and dairy free milk. In the other, combine the panko breadcrumbs with the spices and mix well.
Start by dipping a piece of chicken into the egg mixture, then the breadcrumbs so it is completely coated. You can use tongs or your hands to do this, just remember, one wet hand – one dry hand!
Once all of the chicken has been coated in the breadcrumbs, you can preheat the air fryer. I recommend not skipping this step as it’s going to help the nuggets cook more evenly and get that golden, crispy texture right from the start.
Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil and arrange the nuggets in a single layer, ensuring there’s space between them for air circulation. Lightly spray the tops with a little more oil to help them get nice and golden brown.
Cook for 8 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and the chicken is cooked. You can check this by using a meat thermometer. The chicken is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 75°C/165°F. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to work in batches to ensure you’re not overcrowding the air fryer.
Once the nuggets are cooked, you can enjoy them immediately while crispy, with honey mustard (my fav!), BBQ sauce, tomato sauce, or your favourite dipping sauce!
Storage Instructions
Air fryer nuggets are a great meal prep idea to keep in the fridge or freezer for when you need a quick snack, lunch or dinner.
For any leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 180°C (350°F) for 3–4 minutes until hot and crispy.
To freeze, you have two options:
Uncooked Nuggets: After crumbing the nuggets, place them in a single layer on a lined baking tray and freeze for 1–2 hours, or until solid. Transfer them to a ziplock bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen at 200°C (400°F) for 12–14 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Cooked Nuggets: Let the nuggets cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Reheat straight from frozen in the air fryer at 180°C (350°F) for 5–6 minutes, flipping halfway.
Recipe FAQs
Yes you can if you swap the plain flour for gluten free flour and use gluten-free panko or crushed gluten-free cornflakes for the coating.
If you’re having trouble getting that crispy coating for your nuggets and find them a little soggy, there could be a couple of reasons. The most common reasons are;
– Make sure to lightly spray the nuggets with oil before air frying.
– Don’t overcrowd the air fryer, instead cook in batches if needed.
– Ensure the air fryer is fully preheated before adding the nuggets.
Yes you can! Bake at 200°C (400°F) on a lined baking tray for 18–20 minutes, flipping halfway through. For extra crispiness, place the nuggets on a wire rack over the tray and spray lightly with oil.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More air fryer chicken recipes:
Air Fryer Chicken Breast
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs
Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken
Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
Equipment
Ingredients
- 500 grams chicken breast approximately 2 chicken breasts
- ½ cup plain flour
- Salt and pepper
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons dairy free milk
- 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil or vegetable oil spray
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts into 1 cm thick slices, resembling nugget shape and size.
- Place the chicken pieces in a bowl or ziplock bag with the plain flour. Season with salt and pepper, then toss to evenly coat.
- In one shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and dairy free milk. In another shallow bowl, mix the panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Dip each piece of floured chicken into the egg mixture, then coat it in the seasoned breadcrumbs, pressing gently to help them stick. Place the coated nuggets on a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Set the air fryer to 200°C (400°F) and let it preheat for 3–5 minutes. Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil.
- Arrange the nuggets in a single layer, ensuring there’s space between them for air circulation. Lightly spray the tops with oil.
- Cook for 8 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and cooked through. Work in batches if needed.
- Enjoy immediately while crispy, with honey mustard, BBQ sauce, tomato sauce, or your favourite dipping sauce!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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