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a plate of air fryer chicken nuggets next to a small glass bowl of an orange sauce
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5 — Votes 2 votes

Easy Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

These air fryer chicken nuggets are perfectly crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time13 minutes
Marinate Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 23 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Amber Goulden

Ingredients

For the Nuggets:

  • 1 pound chicken breast tenders cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 cup pickle juice optional
  • 2 teaspoons salt divided
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour gluten-free all-purpose flour will also work here
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • Olive oil spray or about 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the Dipping Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
  • 1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey

Instructions

  • Place the chicken and pickle juice in a bowl, then cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. The longer you marinate the chicken in the pickle juice, the more pronounced the pickle flavor will be. (Note: if you don't like pickles, just skip this step!)
  • Once you're ready to make the nuggets, drain the juice from the chicken, then sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt over the chicken and toss to combine.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, black pepper, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt until fully combined.
  • In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.
  • Dip the chicken in the egg mixture, making sure each piece is fully coated.
  • Remove the chicken from the egg mixture, letting the excess egg drip off, then dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, making sure the chicken is coated on all sides.
  • Place the chicken nuggets in the air fryer (you may have to work in two batches depending on the size of your air fryer) then spray or brush with oil. Cook for 7 minutes at 375 F.
  • After 7 minutes, flip the nuggets and spray or brush with oil. Cook for an additional 6 minutes, until browned and crisp.
  • To make the sauce: whisk together the ingredients for the sauce in small bowl until fully combined.
  • Serve the nuggets alongside the sauce and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 23.1g | Protein: 32.5g | Fat: 9.7g | Saturated Fat: 2.1g | Cholesterol: 175.9mg | Sodium: 1352.4mg | Fiber: 1.3g | Sugar: 1.4g