Easy Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
These homemade air fryer chicken nuggets are golden, juicy, ready in 15 minutes, and made with real chicken! Perfect as a healthy easy dinner served with a sauce or over salads.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner, fast dinner
- Method: air fryer
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Mediterranean Diet
Ingredients
Scale
- 1½ pounds chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (gluten-free or regular)
Instructions
- Cut each breast into 1½ inch pieces.
- In a large bowl, gently toss the chicken pieces with the olive oil, cornstarch, spices and kosher salt. Then stir in the panko until evenly coated: some will remain in the bowl which you don’t need to use.
- Place each piece of chicken in a single layer in the air fryer basket (leave behind the extra panko in the bowl). Important: Cook the chicken in 2 batches for the crispiest result, or one batch for the fastest result that can get a little softer as they sit.
- Air fry at 400°F for 9 to 10 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through, until golden brown and at least 165°F, shaking once at 5 minutes. Allow to cool in the air fryer for 3 minutes before serving. (The one batch version can get softer as they sit but I personally feel like it is worth it for the ease of this recipe and using real chicken.) Store leftovers refrigerated for 3 days; reheat in the air fryer.
Find it online: https://www.acouplecooks.com/air-fryer-chicken-nuggets/