Description
Crispy air fryer chicken nuggets deliver golden, crunchy perfection without excess oil. Hungry diners can savor restaurant-quality bites packed with flavor, making home cooking simple and delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Proteins:
- 1 pound (1 lb) boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
Breading and Seasoning:
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Liquid and Optional Ingredients:
- ½ cup buttermilk (or milk + 1 teaspoon vinegar as a substitute)
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional, for extra flavor)
- Cooking spray or oil spray
Instructions
- Submerge chicken pieces in a zesty buttermilk and hot sauce mixture, allowing flavors to penetrate for a minimum of 15 minutes or refrigerate up to 4 hours for deeper infusion.
- Craft a crunchy coating by blending panko, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, aromatic garlic powder, smoky paprika, and seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Activate the air fryer and set the temperature to a precise 400F (200C), allowing it to warm up thoroughly.
- Extract chicken pieces from the marinade, meticulously dredging each morsel in the seasoned crumb blend, ensuring a comprehensive and uniform coating by gently pressing the mixture onto the surface.
- Strategically position the nuggets in a single, uncrowded layer within the air fryer basket, lightly misting with cooking spray to enhance crispiness.
- Initiate cooking at 400F, rotating the nuggets midway through the 8-10 minute cycle to guarantee even browning and comprehensive cooking, confirming doneness when the internal temperature reaches 165F.
- Allow the crispy nuggets a brief resting period to settle, then present alongside an array of complementary dipping sauces for a delectable dining experience.
Notes
- Marinate chicken longer for deeper flavor infusion, ideally overnight in the refrigerator for maximum taste penetration.
- Use gluten-free breadcrumbs and panko for a celiac-friendly version without compromising crispy texture.
- Avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket to ensure each nugget cooks evenly and maintains maximum crunchiness.
- Pat chicken pieces completely dry before marinating to help breading adhere better and create a crispier exterior.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg