Crispy Chicken Nuggets in Air Fryer

5 from 10 votes

Air fryer chicken nuggets come together with an egg wash and seasoned panko mixture. Then, they're air fried at 400ºF for 5 minutes.

Prep 10

Cook 13

Total 23

Fat 6

Carbs 14

Protein 31

Yield

Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF and spray the basket with non-stick cooking spray.
Prepare the chicken breasts by cutting the chicken into 1-inch chicken nugget pieces. Set aside.
Next, add the panko, flour, garlic powder, paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper to a large bowl and stir everything together until combined.
Crack eggs into a separate bowl and whisk the eggs until combined.
Then, dip each chicken nugget into the egg wash, completely coating each piece of chicken. Then, dip the nuggets into the bread crumb mixture, coating each side. It’s easiest if you do this one at a time to make sure that the chicken gets fully coated.
Place the chicken nuggets into the air fryer basket being sure not to overcrowd the basket. You may have to do this in batches to make sure the chicken nuggets don’t touch.
Drizzle the chicken nuggets with olive oil and cook the chicken nuggets for 4 minutes at 400ºF in the air fryer. Flip and cook for an additional 1 minute or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
Remove the chicken nuggets from the basket and repeat steps 6 and 7 until all the chicken nuggets are cooked.
Serve with honey mustard, bbq sauce, ketchup, or any other dip.

Oven directions: place a wire rack on a baking sheet and place the chicken nuggets on the rack. Bake them for 14-16 minutes at 400ºF, flipping them half way through.
Make sure your nuggets are the same size: The key to getting perfectly cooked chicken nuggets in the air fryer is to be sure all the chicken nuggets are relatively cut the same size. You want them all to cook for the same amount of time.
Use enough oil: Yes, you don’t need to use a cup of oil to get these chicken nuggets crispy, but you still need to drizzle oil over the chicken nuggets in a bit in the bottom of the air fryer so the chicken nuggets “fry” up.
Don’t let the chicken nuggets touch: We said it once and we’ll say it again. Be sure not to let your chicken nuggets touch or else they will not fully cook.