These Homemade Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets are juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside! A healthier, easier, and tastier version of a drive-through or frozen classic!
This recipe is practically as easy as waiting at a drive through AND you probably have most of these ingredients at home already!
Don’t have an air fryer? Check out these baked chicken tenders instead!
Ingredients
Nine simple ingredients to make the BEST homemade chicken nuggets!
- Chicken – boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs will work. Chicken breasts are more commonly used.
- Buttermilk – no buttermilk? No problem! Mix 1/4 cup milk with 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice, allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, then proceed with the recipe as written.
- Pickle Juice – or additional buttermilk if you’re not a fan of pickle juice. Although, this is the secret to fast-food tasting nuggets.
- Spices: Garlic Powder, Paprika, Salt, and Pepper – feel free to keep it simple with just salt and pepper, but I like the additional flavor from the garlic powder and paprika. Onion powder would also be delicious.
- Breadcrumbs – panko will give you the crispiest texture, but regular breadcrumbs will work in a pinch.
- Whole Wheat Flour – or all-purpose flour.
How to make
Skip the fast food tonight and let’s make some homemade chicken nuggets instead!
- Combine chicken, buttermilk, pickle juice, and salt in a large bowl and marinate for 30 minutes.
- In a ziplock baggie or mixing bowl combine Panko, flour, and spices.
- Drain chicken and place into the baggie or bowl with the Panko mixture then seal and shake until the chicken pieces are fully coated.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray then place the chicken pieces into the air fryer and cook.
- Serve and enjoy!
How long to cook chicken nuggets in the air fryer
In a 400 degree F preheated air fryer, chicken nuggets cook in about 8 minutes. However, cook time may differ depending on your air fryer and if your chicken cubes are larger than mine.
Can you make chicken nuggets in the oven?
Yes. To make chicken nuggets in the oven:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat. Place a wire cooling rack on top and generously spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Make the chicken nuggets per the recipe instructions.
- Place the chicken nuggets onto the greased cooling rack and spray the tops with cooking spray.
- Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken nuggets have cooked through.
- Serve and enjoy!
Tips
- Marinate, but don’t over-marinate. If marinating at room temperature, don’t leave your chicken in the marinade much longer than 30 minutes. If you’re marinating in the fridge, don’t leave your chicken for longer than a few hours. The acidity in the buttermilk and pickle juice will start to break down the meat.
- Don’t overlap the chicken nuggets. You need to space the chicken nuggets out evenly, because you want the air to reach every part of the chicken nugget. This helps create a crisp crust on every part of the nugget!
- Spray the chicken nuggets with cooking spray. This helps them crisp and helps achieve that golden-brown color.
Is air frying healthy?
Yes! To me, it’s the halfway point between baking and deep frying. Air frying creates crisper food than baking and it’s significantly healthier than deep frying in oil.
Can you use chicken thighs?
Definitely! I always have chicken breasts on hand, but boneless, skinless chicken thighs will work as well. However, this may affect the cook time so make sure you verify that the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees F before serving.
Can air fryer chicken nuggets be gluten-free?
Use gluten-free panko and an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend to make these gluten-free.
What to serve with chicken nuggets
I love dipping these chicken nuggets in honey mustard, ranch dressing, chick-fil-a sauce, bbq sauce, fry sauce, ketchup, etc.. Here are some of my favorite side dishes to serve with this recipe!
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
- Rhodes Rolls
- Broccoli Salad
How to store
Store any leftover chicken nuggets in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I recommend reheating them in the oven or air fryer to re-crisp. The microwave works too but they won’t be as crispy!
Enjoy!
– Jennifer
Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2 - 1 inch chunks
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup pickle juice or omit and use more buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Honey mustard for dipping
- Ranch
- Chick-fil-A sauce
- BBQ sauce
- Fry sauce
Recipe Video
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine chicken with buttermilk, pickle juice, and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Marinate 30 mins at room temperature. You can also marinate, covered, in the fridge for a few hours.
- Drain marinade and set chicken aside.
- In a gallon sized ziplock baggie, combine panko, flour, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.*
- Place drained chicken into baggie with panko mixture, seal, and gently shake until chicken pieces are fully coated. Set aside.
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F and grease the basket with cooking spray.
- Place chicken in a single layer, spray the tops with cooking spray, and air fry for 8-10 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.**
- Taste and re-season, if necessary and serve with your favorite dipping sauce!
- Take 5 seconds to rate this recipe below. We greatly appreciate it!
Notes
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Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
This post was originally published May 30, 2018 and has been updated to provide more detailed content.
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