Making homemade Chicken Nuggets in the air-fryer is so much healthier than fast food or frozen nuggets, and so easy to make. Made with chunks of chicken breasts coated in breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese then air fried until golden and crisp. These also happen to be egg-free, so they are also great for kids with egg allergies.

Chicken nuggets are the ultimate kid friendly finger food! But adults love them too. In fact, I was super happy to test out my original oven Baked Chicken Nugget Recipe in my air-fryer (I have the Nuwave Brio, affiliate link) and have them for lunch – YUM!

What can be more kid-friendly than chicken nuggets, even the pickiest kids like them! Serve them with ketchup, BBQ sauce or whatever you like to dip your nuggets into. Adults love them too! I like to serve them with lemon wedges and a crisp green salad for lunch.

What is an air fryer?

• An air fryer is a counter top kitchen appliance that cooks by circulating hot air around food with a mechanical fan at high speed, cooking the food and producing a crispy layer similar to frying, but without all the oil.
• Traditional frying cooks by completely submerging foods in hot oil. The air fryer works alternatively by coating food in a thin layer of oil while circulating air heated up cooks foods like potato chips, chicken, fish, pork chops, french fries or even baked goods, with 70% and 80% less oil than a traditional deep-fryer.

Tips for perfect air fryer chicken nuggets:

• Start with organic chicken, when possible. Trim any excess fat and cut the chicken into equal bite-sized pieces.
• Preheat the air fryer to 400F.
• Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket, cook them in batches as needed.
• Spray the chicken lightly with oil to get a golden crust.
• Turn the chicken half way, the bottom browns more than the top. This will ensure even, golden cooking on both sides.
• If you’re serving everything at the same time and cooking in batches, you can add everything back into the basket once it cooks and heat 1 more minute so everything comes out hot at the same time.

You may also enjoy these air fryer recipes:

Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

Making homemade Chicken Nuggets in the air-fryer is so much healthier than fast food or frozen nuggets, and so easy to make.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz (2 large) skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into even 1-inch bite sized pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 6 tablespoons whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons panko
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• olive oil spray (I used my Misto)

Directions:

1. Preheat air fryer to 400°F for 8 minutes. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray.
2. Put the olive oil in one bowl and the breadcrumbs, panko and parmesan cheese in another.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then put in the bowl with the olive oil and mix well so the olive oil evenly coats all of the chicken.
4. Put a few chunks of chicken at a time into the breadcrumb mixture to coat, then on the baking sheet.
5. Lightly spray the top with olive oil spray then airfry 8 minutes, turning halfway. Until golden.

Nutrition Information

Yield: 4 Servings, Serving Size: 4 oz chicken

• Amount Per Serving:
• Smart Points: 3
• Points +: 4
• Calories: 188
• Total Fat: 4.5g
• Saturated Fat: 1g
• Cholesterol: 57mg
• Sodium: 427mg
• Carbohydrates: 8g
• Fiber: 0g
• Sugar: 0.5g
• Protein: 25g

All images and text ©Gina Homolka for Skinnytaste