Who doesn't love a chicken nugget? If left to my own devices, I would eat chicken nuggets, any day of the week, any time of day.
My recipe for air fryer chicken nuggets is your new BFF recipe for stress-free lunches and lazy weeknight dinners. Whether you've got hangry kids asking "what's for dinner?" or you're just trying to meal prep something quick that isn't a bland and boring salad, these nuggets come through every time. Plus, we omit the deep frying and use our trusty air fryer for these.
When I say these are addictive, they truly are. The nuggets are crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and way easier than dealing with a "deep frying on the stovetop" situation. If you love a pan fried breaded chicken cutlet, you are going to absolutely LOVE these.
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Recipe at a Glance
- Prep Time - Preparing these air fryer chicken nuggets is going to take the bulk of your time when making this recipe. Combining the ingredients and making the patties, but I suggest working in batches (making all the patties first, then breading them, etc.) will help save on time.
- Cook Time - The air fryer will cook up these nuggets in just 10 minutes per batch.
- Taste - Spongy, airy chicken nuggets made with ground white meat chicken, lightly breaded for a slight crunchy, airy fried for a golden exterior. Optional dipping sauce (I love a good honey mustard!)
- Best Served With - I love a good caesar pasta salad with these nuggets, or you can opt for sautéed garlicky green beans, a shaved Brussels sprout salad, or make it more of a comfort food vibe with a side order of creamed corn or my easy baked macaroni and cheese.
Trusted Tips and Reminders
- Wear a glove to mix the ground chicken together with the other ingredients so that you don't have to dirty your hands, and can dispose of the gloves easier than running back and forth to rinse your hands.
- Rake the ground meat mixture together using your four fingers. Turn your hand in a circular motion to mix and "rake" the ingredients just until well combined.
- Assemble the patties before beginning to bread them as it will take some time. That way, you can get all the chicken prepared ahead of time, and then bread and fry in batches. Easier than working 1:1!
The Main Ingredients
- Ground Chicken - White-meat ground chicken is pretty typical for making a chicken nugget, but if you want to use a dark/light meat combo, you can! In one of my tests for this recipe, I accidentally purchased ground turkey, but to be honest, it worked really well too.
- Eggs - This recipe does require half a dozen eggs for the meat mixture. Eggs help to bind the ingredients together, and give the spongy, airy texture we want in chicken nuggets.
- Breadcrumbs - A very traditional ingredient in the nugget and also for breading the exterior.
- Garlic Powder - I like adding just a teaspoon of garlic powder to the ground meat to give it more depth of flavor.
- Salt and Pepper - Classic ingredients to help balance the flavors, and to help amplify other flavors.
Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of this post for more information about quantities, measurements, and specific cooking instructions.
Step by Step Process Photos
Step 1: Begin by adding ground chicken, eggs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and breadcrumbs to a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Rake the ingredients together to combine into a meat mixture, but stop mixing or "raking" once all the ingredients have fully combined.
Step 3: Take a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop (or a regular soup soon) and scoop the ground meat mixture. Place into your hands and form a patty using your hands and fingers. Repeat until all the meat has been used for the chicken patties.
Step 4: Preheat the air fryer to 400º. Dip each individual chicken patty into whisked eggs, then directly into breadcrumbs, evenly coating on both sides.
Place several chicken nuggets into the air fryer, spray with nonstick cooking spray, and cook for 10 minutes, flipping halfway. Repeat.
Simple Swaps and Substitutions
- Go leaner with ground turkey, or even a plant-based meat. Ground turkey works really well as a ground chicken substitute.
- Add in other seasonings like paprika or dried herbs. Kick it up a notch with chili powder to make these spicy nuggets.
- Throw in a quarter cup of parmesan cheese directly into the ground meat mixture for added flavor and juicy texture.
- If you want to make homemade chicken patties for a riff on a "fried chicken sando", make the patties bigger, and increase the air fry time to 12-14 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Place any leftover chicken nuggets in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
If you want to keep these in the freezer, add to a plastic food storage bag and label the date they were made; these will be good for up to 1 month.
Yes! You can make these directly from the freezer, but when freezing be sure to indicate the oven temp and cook time for when you want to cook them. Preheat the oven to 350º and bake for 15 minutes or until crispy and warm throughout.
If you are gluten free, you can easily swap for your favorite GF breadcrumbs, or use panko!
You can easily meal prep these on the weekend ahead of the week. Either fry them up or prep them by breading and covering them, adding to the fridge, and frying in batches when you need them. You can also fry and store directly in the freezer, then warm up when needed.
Hungry for more?
Check out these other delicious chicken dishes, which are perfect for meal prep
Did you love this recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you're just as in love with this recipe as I am, please share a comment below and rate it! Better yet, share this recipe with family and friends!! Thank you!
Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 2 lb Ground Chicken
- 1 cup Breadcrumbs
- 6 large Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt and Pepper
For the Breading
- 1 cup Breadcrumbs
- 3 large Eggs whisked
Instructions
- Begin by adding ground chicken, eggs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and breadcrumbs to a large mixing bowl.
- Rake the ingredients together to combine into a meat mixture, but stop mixing or "raking" once all the ingredients have fully combined.
- Take a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop (or a regular soup soon) and scoop the ground meat mixture. Place into your hands and form a patty using your hands and fingers. Repeat until all the meat has been used for the chicken patties.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400º. Dip each individual chicken patty into whisked eggs, then directly into breadcrumbs, evenly coating on both sides.
- Place several chicken nuggets into the air fryer, spray with nonstick cooking spray, and cook for 10 minutes, flipping halfway. Repeat.
Monica F says
A chicken nugget recipe my kids LOVE! FINALLY!! 100x better than the prepackaged frozen kind. This will be on repeat!