Once you try these homemade Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets, you won’t ever go back to store-bought! Perfectly golden brown, crispy, moist, and delicious.
They are so quick and easy to make. It only takes 8 minutes to cook in the air fryer.
These are also freezer-friendly. Make a big batch, freeze, and just reheat in the air fryer whenever you’re craving chicken nuggets. No need to thaw, they will turn out just as crispy and moist!
After making these air fryer chicken nuggets, I swear there’s no way I’m eating store-bought ever again. I love serving it with this easy Sweet BBQ Sauce.
No only are these really easy to make, it’s also super quick. It takes just 8 minutes to cook. I always freeze a large batch and reheat later right in the air fryer for a quick dinner.
Here’s why we love making air fryer chicken nuggets at home:
- Golden brown, moist, and crunchy: The breading is mixed with melted butter, which provides additional moisture, crunch, color, and flavor.
- Cooks in just 8 minutes! Quick and easy.
- Freezer-friendly: Make a big batch and freeze for later. They’ll be crispy and golden brown if you reheat them in the air fryer.
This is a meal that kids will love! It’s that time of year when kids are going back to school, so if you’re looking for easy after school recipes, these air fryer chicken nuggets are it!
They will also love these Air Fryer Steak Bites, Mac and Cheese Bites, and Pepperoni Pizza Rolls. And of course, you can’t miss a comforting glass of Strawberry Milk!
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How to Make Them Extra Crispy
I’ve tested this recipe several times, and I must say – the secret to making perfectly golden brown, moist, and crispy chicken nuggets is using melted butter in the breading. It’s that simple.
The fat in the melted butter adds the right amount of moisture and color to the exterior. When exposed to heat, they cook to a beautiful golden brown and stay perfectly moist and crispy. It also adds subtle buttery flavors.
Ingredient Notes
To make this easy recipe, you only need a few ingredients that you may already have in your kitchen. Below are a few helpful kitchen notes. As always, the ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card down below.
- Chicken breast: Cut into nugget-sized pieces, about ⅓ inch thick.
- Eggs: Beaten, these will be the binder to help the breading mixture adhere to the chicken.
- Panko breadcrumbs and Italian breadcrumbs: The combination of both provide the best texture and flavor.
- Garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper: To season the breading mixture.
- Unsalted butter: The butter will moisten the breadcrumbs and give the nuggets a perfectly golden brown, crispy, and delicious exterior. Without it, the chicken will turn out dry and crumbly.
- Nonstick cooking spray: To spray the air fryer basket lightly.
Step-by-Step Instructions
You’ll love how easy and straightforward this recipe is! It’s freezer-friendly and reheats really well.
Step 1 | Prepare the breading
Cut the chicken into nugget-size pieces if you haven’t already already.
To make the breading, in a bowl combine the Panko breadcrumbs, Italian breadcrumbs, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Then, drizzle in the melted butter over and combine until the breadcrumb mixture is evenly moistened.
Step 2 | Bread the chicken
Spray the air fryer basket with some cooking oil and set aside. Dip the chicken in the a bowl with beaten eggs first, and then immediately into the breading mixture.
Transfer to the air fryer basket in one single layer (cook in batches if needed). Repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken per batch.
Step 3 | Cook in the air fryer
Air fry at 390 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes (depending on the thickness of the chicken), flipping halfway through, until golden brown and crispy. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce – try my favorite BBQ sauce recipe!
How to Freeze and Reheat Frozen Chicken Nuggets
Yes, you can totally make the chicken nuggets ahead and then freeze for later. Here’s how:
- Air fry the chicken nuggets as directed in the recipe.
- Let cool down completely.
- Store in a freezer-friendly bags in a single layer. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, arrange them in the air fryer basket in one single layer (frozen, do not thaw) and coat with a little bit of cooking spray. Air fry at 390 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until heated through.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
My favorite way to these delicious air fryer chicken nuggets is with a side of BBQ sauce, honey mustard sauce, or ketchup. I also like making a simply aioli. So good!
If you love air fryer recipes as much as I do, definitely try these Air Fryer Steak Bites.
For additional bite-sized recipes, definitely check these out:
Recipe FAQs
Yes. They must be fully cooked before freezing. Cook as directed and then let them cool down completely. Transfer to a freezer-friendly bag in one single layer and seal, remove as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Arrange frozen nuggets (fully cooked) in an air fryer, in one single layer. Spray with cooking oil, and air fry at 390 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until heated through and crispy on the outside.
The key is to ensure the breading is moist. To achieve this, combine melted butter with the breading until you get a moist breading mixture for the coating.
Yes, at 400 degrees F for about 12 to 15 minutes. Make sure to spray them with cooking oil thoroughly.
They may turn out soggy if you microwave them, so I’d recommend using the air fryer.
I use a 5.5 quart Ninja MAX XL air fryer.
Tips for Success
- Don’t skip the melted butter. This is the key ingredient. It adds the perfect amount of moisture to the breading mixture, resulting in golden brown, crispy, and moist air fried chicken nuggets.
- Air fry in one single layer, one batch at a time. Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket, otherwise they could turn out a bit soggy and not crispy.
- Slice the chicken into nugget size pieces, not too thick, about ⅓ inch thick should be okay.
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Homemade Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
Equipment
- Large air fryer I use a 5.5 quart air fryer
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast - boneless, skinless
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Cut chicken into nugget-size pieces. Try not to slice it too thick, about ⅓ inch thick should be good. Set aside.
- Spray the air fryer basket with some cooking spray. This will prevent the bottom breading from sticking. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat the eggs.
- Breading mixture: In another large bowl, combine the panko, Italian breadcrumbs, Kosher salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Then, drizzle in the melted butter and combine until the breading mixture is evenly moistened. Set aside.
- Bread the chicken: Dip each chicken nugget into the egg mixture, and then immediately in the breading mixture. Arrange the breaded chicken on the air fryer basket, in one single layer. Spray the tops lightly with cooking oil. Tip: If your air fryer is not large enough, cook the chicken nuggets in multiple batches – don’t overcrowd the basket, as this could cause it to not get crispy.
- Air fry at 390 degrees F for about 8 to 10 minutes (depending on how thick they are), flipping halfway through, until cooked through and golden brown. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- The secret: Use melted butter in the breading mixture to moisten it. This will create a moist golden brown and crispy exterior, while keeping the interior juicy, not the mention the amazing buttery flavor!
- Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with cooking oil to prevent the breading from sticking.
- Do not overcrowd the air fryer. To get perfectly crispy chicken nuggets, cook in one single layer in multiple batches as needed.
- Don’t overcook: For ⅓ inch pieces, about 8 minutes will suffice. Air frying for too long can turn the chicken dry.
- Freezing: Air fry as directed and let them cool completely. Transfer to a freezer-friendly bag in one layer and freezer for up to 2 months.
- Reheating frozen chicken nuggets (fully cooked): No need to thaw. Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with cooking spray and arrange them (frozen) in one single layer. Spray the tops with some more oil spray. Air fry at 390 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown, crispy, and fully reheated in the center.
- Chicken breast: chicken thighs.
- Italian breadcrumbs: Plain breadcrumbs plus Italian seasoning.
- Add-ons: Add grated parmesan cheese to the breading mixture. If desired, add extra seasoning of your choice, such as Italian seasoning.
NJP says
Thanks for the awesome recipe. We give it 5 stars. We didn’t have panko so used all Italian but they’re still very crispy.
If you try this easy tasty recipe you won’t be sorry.