Recipe

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A simple recipe for breaded chicken breast pieces you can turn into homemade air fryer nuggets that have a delicious crispy texture kids love.

These homemade nuggets cooked in the air fryer are a healthier option than store-bought ones and turn out delicious!

Easy Air Fryer Nuggets

Kids love nuggets. To be fair, who doesn’t? So, how do you enjoy this delicious meal with non of the bad stuff? Air fryer homemade chicken nuggets! And just like that, a healthy chicken dinner is on the table.

Oh, but the breading. It sounds messy. I know. But in this recipe, I’ll show you how to bread chicken pieces to turn them into nuggets the easiest.way.ever. My kids also love my copycat Chick-fil-A nuggets, but sometimes you just don’t have time for marinating or finding dill pickle juice.

With this recipe, you bread the chicken meat in a zip bag, place the nuggets in the air fryer, and voilá! There is no soaking, waiting time, cleaning up, or kitchen counter mess. Just epic crispiness in every nugget. Real meat, a simple coating, much better than the ones from the bag.

Ingredients

The measurements are in the printable recipe card below, but first, check out the simple ingredients you’ll need to make these homemade nuggets:

Chicken breasts: you can also use chicken strips since you’ll cut the chicken into small pieces.
Egg: helps the breading to stick to the chicken.
Milk: any dairy or non-dairy milk.
All-purpose flour: for the breading.
Seasonings: I use onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper to make the breading super flavorful.

How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

Cooking homemade chicken nuggets in the air fryer is super simple, you only need to follow these steps and tips:

Prep the chicken
First, pat dry the chicken with a paper towel so the breading sticks better. Then, cut the meat into nugget-size pieces.
Make the nuggets
Whisk egg and milk in a bowl. Add the chicken nuggets to this wet mixture and coat them well. Combine the flour and seasonings in a gallon-sized zip bag, add the nuggets, and seal. Now, shake the bag to coat the nuggets. Press the coating into the nuggets with your hands for a crispier crust.
Cook
Place the nuggets in one layer in the preheated air fryer, working in batches if necessary. If you use an air fryer liner, you'll need to flip them halfway through. When the smaller pieces are cooked, remove them from the air fryer and cook the larger pieces for a few more minutes, if needed. The chicken nuggets are done when their internal temperature reaches 165F.
Serve
The best part: enjoy these chicken nuggets with your favorite sauces!

Make Them Crispy

The trick for crispy air fryer chicken nuggets is how you place them in the basket: you want to add them in one layer, don’t overcrowd the basket, and don’t stack the nuggets. This way, the air will circulate and turn the coating deliciously crispy!

I also recommend adding the nuggets when the air fryer is preheated and flipping them halfway through if you’re using an air fryer liner.

Sides and Dip for Air Fryer Nuggets

The mouthwatering crispiness of these chicken nuggets pairs amazingly well with Ranch dressing, ketchup, or my delish copycat recipe of Cane’s sauce. For a complete dinner, serve a carrot raisin salad, sweet potato salad, or veggie mac and cheese. I’m drooling!

Homemade Air Fryer Nuggets

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 12

Total Time: 22

A simple recipe for breaded chicken breast pieces you can turn into homemade air fryer nuggets that have a delicious crispy texture kids love.

5 from 5 votes

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Ingredients

1 lb chicken breasts
1 egg
⅓ cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Make the nuggets:

Pat dry the chicken breasts with a paper towel and, with a sharp knife, cut them into 1-inch, nugget-sized pieces.
In a medium bowl, large enough to fit the nuggets, whisk the egg with the milk. Add the chicken nuggets into the bowl and toss them around to coat them with the wet mixture.
In a gallon-sized zip bag, combine the flour and seasonings. With a fork or kitchen tongs, transfer the nuggets from the bowl into the zip bag containing the seasoned flour. Once all the nuggets are in the bag, seal the bag closed and shake the bag to coat them well. Use your hands to press the coating into the nuggets so they have a thicker and crispier crust.

Prep:

Preheat the air fryer at 400F for 5 minutes. Starting with a hot basket ensures even heating and crisper exteriors.

Cook:

Place the breaded chicken nuggets in a single layer in your air fryer basket on top of the wire rack. Don't stack them, and if necessary, do this process in two batches.
Air fry them at 400F for 12 minutes until the internal temperature of the thickest nugget is 165F. If necessary, remove the smaller pieces and add 1-2 minutes of cooking time to the thicker pieces. If you use an air fryer liner, you'll definitely want to flip them over to get them nice and golden on both sides.