Tillie Doyle
Cooking chicken nuggets in an air fryer is a quick, easy, and convenient way to make a delicious snack or meal. With an air fryer, you can skip the oven pre-heating and the 20-minute cooking time, and still get perfectly crispy, juicy, and tender chicken nuggets. You can use frozen or fresh chicken nuggets, and even make them from scratch with simple ingredients.
How to cook uncooked chicken nuggets in an air fryer
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Chicken | Chicken breast, chicken tenderloins, or thighs |
| Seasoning | Salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper |
| Breading | Flour, breadcrumbs, eggs, milk |
| Oil | Cooking oil, olive oil, or oil spray |
| Buttermilk alternative | Milk + vinegar or lemon juice, Greek yogurt |
| Air fryer temperature | 400°F (200°C/206°C) |
| Cooking time | 8-15 minutes |
| Flipping | Not necessary, but recommended for even cooking |
| Serving suggestions | Dipping sauce, buffalo sauce, tortilla shell, mashed potatoes and gravy, macaroni and cheese, salad |
| Storage | Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 6 months |
| Reheating | Air fryer at 350°F for 2-3 minutes, or preheated oven (avoid microwave) |
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What You'll Learn
Preheat the air fryer
Preheating your air fryer is an important step to ensure your chicken nuggets cook evenly and come out crispy. Set your air fryer to 400°F/200°C/206°C and let it preheat for a few minutes before adding the nuggets. This is similar to preheating an oven.
The preheating time will depend on your air fryer, with some taking around 7 minutes to heat up. You'll know it's ready when the air fryer reaches the set temperature. If your air fryer does not require preheating, you can skip this step.
Once preheated, you can add the chicken nuggets to the basket. It's important to note that you should not overcrowd the basket. Place the nuggets in a single layer, ensuring they do not overlap or touch, so that the hot air can circulate around them. This will help achieve an even cook and prevent sogginess. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the nuggets in batches.
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Prepare the chicken
Preparing the chicken is the first step in making delicious, juicy, and tender air-fried chicken nuggets. To start, cut a boneless, skinless chicken breast into 3/4-inch pieces. You should get around 20-24 nuggets, depending on the size of your chicken breast. For even cooking, it is important that the nuggets are of similar size.
Next, season the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and any other spices you like. A simple seasoning blend could include garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. You can also add some flour to the chicken and toss to coat evenly. This will help the breading stick better to the chicken.
After seasoning the chicken, you can move on to the breading process. Set up a dredging station with three shallow bowls or plates. In the first bowl, place some flour. You can season the flour with salt and pepper if desired. The second bowl should contain a beaten egg, and the third bowl should be filled with breadcrumbs. You can use regular or panko breadcrumbs, depending on your preference. For extra crispy nuggets, panko breadcrumbs are a great choice. If desired, you can also add some grated Parmesan cheese or shredded coconut flakes to the breadcrumbs for extra flavour.
Now, it's time to bread the chicken. First, dip each nugget into the flour, coating all sides. Then, dip it into the egg, letting the excess drip off. Finally, coat the nugget evenly with the breadcrumbs. For maximum breading, you can double-bread the chicken by repeating the process. Place the breaded nuggets on a tray and repeat until all the chicken pieces are coated.
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Bread the chicken
Breading chicken nuggets before air frying them gives them a thick, crispy exterior. To start breading your chicken, you'll first need to cut your chicken breast into nugget-sized pieces. Try to make the nuggets a similar size so they cook evenly. Sprinkle salt over the chicken pieces, then toss them in flour so they're lightly coated.
Next, prepare three bowls. In the first bowl, crack an egg and add a splash of milk. Beat the egg and milk together. In the second bowl, pour your breadcrumbs. You can use plain breadcrumbs, or panko breadcrumbs for a thicker, crispier coating. Add your choice of seasonings to the breadcrumbs and mix them together. Try garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, onion powder, or cayenne pepper. If you like, add some grated parmesan cheese or shredded coconut flakes for extra flavor. Finally, add a couple of tablespoons of cooking oil to the breadcrumbs and stir until they're evenly coated. The mixture should look like damp sand. In the third bowl, pour some buttermilk.
Now you can start coating your chicken pieces. First, dip the chicken into the buttermilk, then transfer it to the egg and milk mixture, and finally, roll it in the seasoned breadcrumbs. For an extra-thick coating, dip the chicken back into the egg mixture, then roll it in breadcrumbs again. Set the coated chicken pieces aside and repeat the process until all your chicken is breaded.
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Fry the chicken
To fry the chicken, start by preheating your air fryer to 400°F. It's a good idea to preheat your air fryer so that the chicken nuggets cook evenly and get crispy on the outside.
Once preheated, place the chicken nuggets in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Make sure they are not overlapping and that you don't overcrowd the basket. You can cook the chicken nuggets in 2 batches if needed. Spray the tops of the nuggets with oil spray.
Air fry the chicken nuggets for 8-12 minutes, flipping them halfway through. The nuggets are done when they are golden brown and have an internal temperature of 165°F. If you don't have a meat thermometer, you can also just eyeball it and take them out when they look done.
Remove the chicken nuggets from the air fryer and let them cool for 3-5 minutes before serving. They should be tender, juicy, and perfectly cooked!
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Serve with sauce
There are many sauces and dips that go well with chicken nuggets cooked in an air fryer. A simple and classic option is ketchup, which can be served on its own or mixed with mayo and Worcestershire sauce for a more complex flavour.
You can also make your own buffalo sauce to toss the nuggets in, or serve them with a side of ranch or honey mustard. If you're feeling adventurous, you could even make your own honey mustard by mixing honey and mustard to your preferred balance of sweetness and tanginess.
For a healthier option, you could serve the nuggets with a side of garlic broccoli pasta or buttered noodles. Alternatively, you could serve them with a side of salad, macaroni and cheese, or mashed potatoes and gravy.
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