Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

A tray of crispy, golden-brown chicken nuggets served with dipping sauce.

Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, these air fryer chicken nuggets can be seasoned any way you like! Ingredients

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Servings: servings

Calories: 657kcal

Author: Madison Wetherill

Equipment

Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1” pieces
¼ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons whole milk
¾ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
olive oil spray to coat the pan

Instructions

Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (20°C) for 5 minutes.
Add the chicken, flour, and salt to a medium bowl and toss until the chicken is evenly coated with flour.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and whole milk.
In another small bowl, stir together the seasoned breadcrumbs and panko breadcrumbs.
Working one at a time, dip each chicken nugget into the egg mixture, making sure the egg coats the chicken on all sides.
Next dip the chicken nugget in the seasoned breadcrumbs, making sure the chicken nugget is completely covered in breadcrumbs.
Lightly grease your preheated air fryer basket with olive oil spray and carefully place as many chicken nuggets as will fit. Be sure not to overcrowd the basket!
Spray the chicken nuggets with olive oil spray and cook them at 375°F (190°C) for 5 minutes. Then turn the air fryer to 400°F (20°C) and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) on an instant read thermometer.
Serve the chicken nuggets immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.

Notes

Chicken breast is what I used, but chicken thighs would also be delicious!

Salt seasons the chicken nuggets so they taste delicious. Feel free to add any seasonings you like to the chicken in Step 2, such as poultry seasoning, garlic and herb seasoning, etc.

About the breading:

Flour helps the egg stick to the chicken.
Milk helps thin the eggs so the dredge isn’t too thick. Any milk will work so feel free to use what you have on hand.
Breadcrumbs are what creates the crisp coating on our chicken nuggets. Regular breadcrumbs will give an even coating, but feel free to use panko breadcrumbs if you want a bit of extra crunch. Or use a mix of both — my favorite.

Nutrition