American · Dinner

Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

Chicken breast pieces coated in seasoned breadcrumbs and air fried for 12 minutes until crisp and golden, with a dip alongside.

32 min total Serves 4 servings Easy
Jump to Recipe Method
Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

Photograph credit: Crispy Chicken Nuggets with Dip on Rustic Plate by Jahra Tasfia Reza · Pexels License · Pexels

How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.

  1. Heat the air fryer to 200°C / 390°F. Pat the chicken pieces dry and season with half of the salt.

  2. Mix the panko, parmesan, paprika, garlic powder and the remaining salt in a shallow bowl. Stir in the olive oil until the crumbs look damp.

  3. Put the flour in a second bowl and the beaten eggs in a third. Coat each piece in flour, then egg, then press firmly into the crumbs.

  4. Lay the nuggets in a single layer in the basket, working in batches if needed. Air fry for 12 minutes, turning them after 6 minutes.

  5. Check that the chicken is white all the way through with no pink. Serve hot with the ketchup.

Notes for Getting It Right

  • Cook in batches rather than stacking nuggets in the basket.
  • If the crumbs look dry in places, spray with a little oil before cooking.
  • Freeze the uncooked coated nuggets on a tray, then bag them for later.

Ingredient Swaps

  • Panko gives the crunchiest crust here, but ordinary dried breadcrumbs will still fry crisp if that's what's in the cupboard.

What Goes With Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

  • Ketchup
  • Honey mustard
  • Sweet potato fries
  • Green peas

Leftovers and Storage

Keeps for 2 days in the fridge. Reheat in the air fryer for 4 minutes at 180°C / 355°F.

Nutrition per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

439Calories
43gProtein
33gCarbs
15gFat
2gFibre
5gSugar
1030mgSodium

Your notes on this recipe

Cooked this? Keep a note for next time

Your own rating out of 5

Private to you: notes and ratings are saved in this browser only, are never sent anywhere, and other readers cannot see them.

Compiled by Turab

Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.

First published ; last changed .