I’m taking you right back to your childhood with this recipe! These Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets are everything your childhood self loved, in a lightened up package that adult you will want to make over and over. Plus, if you have kiddos, they’re sure to love these. These nuggets are homemade and don’t have any crazy ingredients you can’t pronounce- a win win for everyone!
These are made with ground chicken, so they have a similar texture to the nuggets of our youth. If you prefer nuggets made with chicken breast, try my Copycat Chik-fil-A nuggets! No matter how you nugget, get ready for a (delicious) blast from the past (but healthier)!
Making Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
Since these are made with ground chicken, there’s no need to brine the chicken like you’d do with chicken breast chunks. Instead you’ll mix up the chicken mixture, form it into patties, and coat it in egg and then panko to give it a crispy outside but soft inside. Once air fried, these are perfectly crispy, savory, and all around amazing.
To make these, first you’ll mix up your chicken mixture, which is really just lean ground chicken + seasoning and a little bit of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce to give it some flavor. Next, beat an egg in a small bowl. Lastly, mix up your panko mixture, which will be the breading for your nuggets.
Next, you’ll form your nuggets (I used a cookie scoop to get them all the same size – roughly a heaping tablespoon of meat mixture. Once formed, dunk them in the egg mixture, then the panko. Lastly, place them on a well sprayed or lined air fryer tray/basket. I love using parchment liners for my air fryer so help prevent sticking. Next, spray fully with cooking spray so they can crisp up. Air fry at 375F for 10-12 minutes, until cooked through and an internal temp of 165F+ has been reached (I test with a meat thermometer). Then, serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground chicken
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar free ketchup
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 large egg whisked
- 1 cup Panko
- 1 Tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 Tsp salt
- 1/2 Tsp pepper
- 1/2 Tsp onion powder
- 1/2 Tsp chili powder
Instructions
- Combine breading ingredients in a bowl. Set aside. Beat egg in a small bowl and set aside.
- Combine all chicken mixture ingredients in a bowl and mix (use your hands!) until fully incorporated and smooth. Form into 24 nuggets by making them into little balls (roughly 1 tbsp each) and then flattening them out a bit to get that classic nugget shape.
- Dunk each nugget in the egg mixture, then in the breading, and place on a well sprayed air fryer tray or basket.
- Spray well with cooking spray and air fry at 375 for 10-12 minutes, until fully cooked and an internal thermometer reads 165F+.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheat in the air fryer (350F for 4-5 minutes).
