Go Back
–+ servings
Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets on cooling rack with pickles
Print Recipe
4.67 from 3 votes

Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

These Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets are juicy on the inside and perfectly crispy on the outside! A healthier, easier, and tastier version of a drive-through or frozen classic!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Total Time18 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 200kcal

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
US Customary - Metric

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

*You could also do this is another bowl as shown in the video, if you like. 
**Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to work in batches to avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 1587mg | Potassium: 481mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 1.3mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1.1mg

QR Code

Scan this QR code with your phone's camera to view this recipe on your mobile device.