Description
Crispy chicken nuggets elevate classic comfort food with irresistible golden crunch straight from your air fryer. Perfectly seasoned breading and juicy meat make these nuggets an instant crowd-pleaser you can’t resist.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) chicken breasts or thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk or milk + 1 tsp vinegar
- 1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
- ¾ cup (60 g) panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup (30 g) plain breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup (25 g) Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Cooking spray or oil spray
Instructions
- Marination Process: Whisk buttermilk and hot sauce in a mixing container, then submerge chicken pieces completely. Allow flavors to infuse for 15-240 minutes in refrigerated environment.
- Coating Preparation: Combine panko, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a wide shallow dish. Create a uniform breading mixture with balanced seasoning.
- Air Fryer Configuration: Preheat air fryer to 400°F (200°C), ensuring optimal temperature for crispy exterior and tender interior.
- Breading Technique: Carefully extract chicken from marinade, allowing excess liquid to drip off. Meticulously coat each piece in seasoned breading mixture, firmly pressing crumbs to ensure complete coverage.
- Cooking Process: Arrange breaded nuggets in a single layer within air fryer basket, avoiding overcrowding. Lightly mist with cooking spray to enhance golden crispness.
- Final Cooking Stage: Air fry for 8-10 minutes, rotating nuggets midway through cooking cycle. Confirm doneness by checking internal temperature reaches 165°F, ensuring chicken is thoroughly cooked with perfectly crisp exterior.
- Serving Recommendation: Allow nuggets to rest briefly, then plate with preferred dipping accompaniments for maximum enjoyment.
Notes
- Longer marinating (up to 4 hours) enhances chicken tenderness and flavor absorption, creating more juicy and delicious nuggets.
- Press breadcrumb mixture firmly onto chicken pieces to ensure a crispy, even coating that won’t fall off during air frying.
- Use a meat thermometer to confirm chicken reaches 165F for safe consumption, preventing undercooked meat.
- Arrange nuggets in a single layer with space between them to guarantee crispy exterior and even cooking throughout the batch.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg