Description
These air fryer chicken nuggets come together in just 20 minutes with simple pantry ingredients and give you crispy, golden pieces that taste like you spent way more effort than you actually did. Coating homemade chicken in panko breadcrumbs and letting the air fryer do the heavy lifting means you get restaurant-quality nuggets on your table without all the mess of deep frying.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
Coating:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Seasonings:
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cooking spray (olive oil or canola oil)
Instructions
- Heat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for about 5 minutes before you begin cooking.
- Cut 1 pound of chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces measuring 1-2 inches across.
- Mix together 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon onion powder, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl for your first coating station.
- Whisk 2 beaten eggs with 1/4 cup buttermilk in a second shallow bowl.
- Combine 2 cups panko breadcrumbs with 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese in a third shallow bowl.
- Roll each chicken piece through the flour mixture until coated on all sides.
- Dip the floured chicken into the egg and buttermilk mixture, making sure it’s fully covered.
- Press each piece into the panko-parmesan mixture, patting gently so the coating adheres well to your chicken.
- Lightly spray your air fryer basket with cooking spray before adding the nuggets.
- Arrange your coated chicken pieces in the basket in a single layer without crowding them together.
- Give the chicken a light misting of cooking spray on top at 400°F.
- Air fry for 8-10 minutes at 400°F, flipping the nuggets halfway through the cooking time.
- Check that your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and has turned golden brown with a crispy exterior.
- Plate your nuggets right away and serve them with your preferred dipping sauce.
Notes
- Don’t skip the oil spray on both the basket and the chicken pieces, as this is what gives them that golden, crispy exterior in the air fryer.
- Press the breadcrumb coating firmly onto each piece so it adheres properly and doesn’t fall off during cooking.
- Check that your chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit internally with a meat thermometer to ensure it’s fully cooked through.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular flour and panko for their gluten-free counterparts in the same amounts, and the nuggets will turn out just as crispy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
- Category: Air Fryer Chicken
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 389 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 530 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg