Air fryer chicken nuggets
Crunchy homemade nuggets from real chunks of chicken breast, with a double batch that freezes for nights when you can’t face cooking.
- 40 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $1.68 a serving
- 320 calories
- Good the next day
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1¼ lb chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1½ cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp milk
- ½ cup ketchup (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Each serving has about 320 calories, 36 g protein, 15 g carbs and 12 g fat, and costs about $1.68 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No chicken breasts? Boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins work.
- No milk? Half-and-half works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Timer: 5 min
Cut the chicken into 1-inch chunks and press each one a little flat with your palm. Wash your hands and board.
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Put the panko in a zip-top bag and crush it with your hands or a rolling pin into fine crumbs, then shake in the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and ½ teaspoon of salt.
Dolly’s tip: Finer crumbs cling better and give that smooth nugget coating.Beat the egg, milk and the rest of the salt in a shallow bowl, and pour the crumbs into another.
Dip each nugget in the egg, then press it into the crumbs on all sides and set it on a plate. the oil over the top.
Drizzle. Drizzling means pouring a thin, slow stream over the top of something. A thin stream spreads a little flavor a long way.
How you’ll know: You see thin lines across the food, not a puddle collecting underneath.
Air fry half at a time for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway, until and the biggest nugget reads 165°F.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Timer: 9 min
Dolly’s tip: To freeze, cool them on a sheet pan, freeze until hard, then bag them. Reheat at 400°F for 6 to 8 minutes.Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
Serve hot with ketchup for dipping.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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