Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

Air fryer chicken nuggets are a classic kid-friendly meal made a little bit healthier. Coming together quickly, with a minimum of ingredients, and cooked in the air fryer, this is one meal that is sure to make it onto your regular rotation. Pair with a salad or some roast vegetables for the perfect dinner, or make ahead of time and use for some scrumptious lunch wraps throughout the week.

Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

I don't know what it is about chicken nuggets, but it is one meal that pretty much every kid can get behind.

These have been a huge hit in our house for years, but up until I started using an air fryer for everything, they were always fried in some avocado oil.

Although that is still a great option, using the air fryer means no oil splatter to clean up after dinner, and less oil used althogether.

Winning.

What Ingredients Are Needed For Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets?

For meals like this, I like to keep the ingredients to a minimum.

You are going to need:

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and black pepper
• Egg
• Plain Flour
• Bread crumbs
• Freshly grated parmesan
• Paprika
• Garlic powder
• Avocado oil for cooking or oil of choice - coconut works well also

Putting your nuggets together is a breeze too.

Simply:

• Cut the chicken into even-sized chunks and season with salt and pepper. It is VERY IMPORTANT to cut your chicken into similar sized chunks so that they cook evenly. You do not want some cooked and some raw chicken.
• Add the flour to a shallow bowl.
• Lightly beat the egg in another shallow bowl.
• In another shallow bowl combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan, paprika, and garlic powder and mix.
• With one hand toss some of the chicken chunks into the flour and then the egg mixture until they are coated on all sides, then drop them on top of the breadcrumb mixture.
• With the other hand sprinkle the bread crumbs onto the chicken piece making sure each one is well coated.
• Once breaded sit aside on a clean plate while you do the rest.
• Cook at 350F (180C) for about 7 minutes or until the nuggets are golden and crispy and have reached an internal temperature of 165F (75C)
• Serve warm.

I find it best to set up a little work station: so have your raw seasoned chicken on a plate, a bowl of seasoned flour beside, then a bowl of the egg mix, then a bowl of the breadcrumb mixture and then a clean plate for the coated nuggets.

Alternatively, to skip on dishes, you can just pop the coated chicken nuggets straight into the air fryer.

Need An Air Fryer?

If you don't have an air fryer yet, you should really consider getting one.

I was a bit dubious about 'one more gadget', but this is certainly one gadget I use every single day.

If you don't already have an air-fryer, choosing one can be a bit confusing as there are so many different types on the market.

My biggest tip would be to consider capacity.

How many people are you cooking for? I am cooking for a family of 5 and we regularly have people over, so I chose the biggest one I could find on the market with a good brand name and warranty behind it.

If you are only cooking for yourself, or yourself and a partner, you may benefit from having a smaller unit.

Also, consider bench space. The big ones can be pretty huge, so you want to make sure you have enough space before adding it to your family of kitchen appliances.

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Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to cook your chicken nuggets in batches.

How To Serve Homemade Chicken Nuggets

We all know homemade chicken nuggets are best served with a dipping sauce, so choose your favorite dipping sauce and go to town.

I like to serve my air fryer chicken nuggets up with a salad, but you can also serve with some roasted or air fried vegetables, in a wrap or with some hot chips.

Do what works for you and your family.

Here are some sides that go well:

• Honey Lemon and Sea Salt Fryer Asparagus
• Lemon and Garlic Air Fryer Broccoli
• Add it to this Avocado Chicken Salad with Passionfruit Vinaigrette for a nice bit of crunch
• Mashed potatoes, or if you like to keep it lower in carbs then this Creamy Whipped Feta and Cauliflower Mash

Of course, there are so many ways to serve up homemade chicken nuggets, so as always, do what works for you and your family.

Next time why not change things up and try out this Air Fryer Korean Fried Chicken from Allways Delicious or Air Fryer Fire Cracker Shrimp from The Busted Oven.

Happy Eating

xx

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.