Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets (from Frozen)

Air fryer chicken nuggets are perfectly crisp and tender and ready in a fraction of the time. Make some tonight for a quick and easy dinner!

Happy kids equal happy parents, so recreate one of their favorite meals right at home. It’s so simple, even older kids could make these themselves.

Even better, air fried frozen chicken nuggets go from freezer to table in less than 15 minutes! No need to thaw anything first – just pop them right in the basket and cook to perfection.

 

Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets – Serving Suggestions

Pair these with any of your favorite easy side dishes. You can make fries and onion rings in the same machine or keep it simple with some homemade applesauce.

Or make your own baked Italian chicken nuggets, they are delicious and super easy to make.

For a healthier option, how about a side salad, veggies sticks, or steamed broccoli? Even a scoop of mac and cheese or roasted potatoes would taste great.

Add your favorite dipping sauce to put these right over the top!

• Barbecue
• Ketchup
• Ranch
• Honey mustard
• Buffalo 
  

Tips For Making Chicken Nuggets In The Air Fryer

• Don’t forget to preheat! Otherwise, you may need to add a few extra minutes so they are heated all the way through.
• Avoid overcrowding. It’s important to leave a little space between each one for maximum crispiness and to be sure they are fully cooked inside Since they will be ready in just a few minutes, you can work in batches if needed.
• Want easier cleanup? Cut a piece of parchment paper to size and place it in the bottom of the basket. Poke holes through the paper in a few places to allow for circulation, then toss it when you’re done cooking! I recommend checking your individual manual to confirm that this is allowed with your appliance.

FAQ – Common Recipe Questions

What is the best brand of chicken nuggets for the air fryer?

We love the Tyson brand. For this recipe, I used their regular variety and not the new “air fried” version which has a different cooking time.

They also have fun shapes like dinosaurs or popular cartoon characters, and those will also work for this recipe.

Can I use veggie or vegan varieties instead?

Sure! Just decrease the cooking time by a few minutes and check more often towards the end to catch them before they get too crispy.

How do I reheat air fryer chicken nuggets?

Since these cook so quickly straight from the freezer, I recommend making just enough for each serving. However, sometimes kids aren’t quite as hungry as they think and you may have a few left over.

In that case, pop them back in the basket and cook for 3 to 5 minutes at 375°F or until crispy again. Don’t forget to flip them halfway through so they heat evenly.

Enjoy!

With love from our simple kitchen to yours. 

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Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets (from Frozen)

Donna Elick

Air fryer chicken nuggets are perfectly crisp and tender and ready in a fraction of the time. Make some tonight for a quick and easy dinner!

5 stars from 1 review

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Prep Time 3 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 13 minutes mins

Course Main

Cuisine American

Method Air Fryer

Servings 4

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 20 chicken nuggets
• ▢ salt and pepper, optional
• ▢ dipping sauces, optional

Instructions

 

• Preheat the air fryer at 400°F for 5 minutes.
• In an even layer, spread the chicken nuggets in the bottom of the basket. Cook for 8 minutes, stopping halfway to flip the nuggets with a turner. If you would like them a little bit crispier, cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. If you would like your tots extra crispy, add additional time in 1-2 minute increments until you reach the desired crispiness.
• Season with salt and pepper if desired. Transfer to a plate and serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Donna’s Notes

Sauces to serve with chicken nuggets: ranch, honey mustard, barbeque, cheese sauce, honey, buffalo sauce or ketchup.

Don’t thaw chicken nuggets before cooking.

Don’t overcrowd your air fryer. When the chicken nuggets are touching each other, they can become soggy in those areas. Separate all of your chicken nuggets for maximum crispiness and to make sure they are fully cooked inside.

Recipe times are based on a preheated machine. If you don’t preheat, you may need to add more cooking time to ensure that your nuggets are heated to perfection.

What can I serve with chicken nuggets? Some possible ideas are: to serve them with a side salad, macaroni and cheese, french fries, potatoes, onion rings, broccoli or vegetable medley, applesauce, or just serve on their own with your preferred sauce.

Please note: this was made in the Cosori air fryer, 5.8 quart. If you have a different air fryer with a smaller basket or with racks, you may need to adjust your cooking times. Set your air fryer to cook at a lower cook time, and add in increments of 2-3 minutes, stopping to check on your nuggets.

If you want to try veggie nuggets, just decrease the cook time by a few minutes and check more often towards the end of the cooking times.

What is the best brand of chicken nuggets? We love the Tyson brand. For this recipe, I used regular chicken nuggets, but they also have “fun nuggets” in dinosaur shapes that work for this recipe. The regular chicken nuggets were used in this recipe (not their new “air fried” versions, which have different cooking times)

Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator and reheat in the air fryer at 375°F for 3-5 minutes(or until desired crispiness is achieved), stopping halfway to flip.

Nutrition

Serving: 1

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Originally published March 2021

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