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Home » Air Fryer Recipes » Frozen Chicken Nuggets Air Fryer

Frozen Chicken Nuggets Air Fryer

Published on November 16, 2021 by Bintu. Leave a Comment

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close up of chicken nuggets in an air fryer

Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets are way healthier than their fried, fast-food counterparts. It’s easy to make your kids happy without heading to the drive-thru by making healthy frozen chicken nuggets in air fryer!

Post includes Weight Watchers points.

the finished frozen chicken nuggets air fryer recipe ready to be served

Kids looooove chicken nuggets. And the next time they’re pleading for their favorite meal, instead of hitting up the closest fast food joint, serve up a batch of Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets instead. Frozen chicken nuggets in air fryer not only taste great but they are also a much healthier option.

Restaurant chicken nuggets are typically deep-fried in oil. Baked chicken nuggets are difficult to crisp, but when you cook Frozen Chicken Nuggets in Air Fryer they turn out perfectly crunchy without using any oil. 

Table of Contents

  • Easy Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets
  • Why Make This Recipe
  • Ingredient Notes
  • How To Make Frozen Chicken Nuggets Air Fryer
  • Tips For Success
  • Variations
  • Budget-Friendly Tips 
  • Prep Ahead And Storage
  • FAQs
  • More Recipes You May Like
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Weight Watchers Points
  • Get The Frozen Chicken Nuggets Air Fryer Recipe:
  • Frozen Chicken Nuggets Air Fryer

Easy Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets

Like Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings and these Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenders, when you make frozen chicken nuggets air fryer, you don’t have to feel guilty about serving them to your kids. They cook up quickly, so are perfect for snacks or mealtime and require almost no effort at all. 

Talk about a win-win!

top down view of the completed frozen chicken nuggets air fryer recipe served on a plate

Why Make This Recipe

  • Healthier – Cook chicken nuggets air fryer frozen without oil. 
  • Super Crispy – You won’t believe how crispy and juicy these nuggets are.
  • Kid-Friendly – Even picky kids love chicken nuggets. 
  • Versatile – Serve as a snack or a meal. Add fries or fried rice and your favorite dipping sauces to make a full meal. 

Ingredient Notes

This recipe uses frozen chicken nuggets found in the freezer section of your local grocery store. Cook frozen chicken nuggets in air fryer frozen without thawing. No extra oil is needed for cooking these.

Frozen chicken nuggets come in various brands, shapes, and sizes (aka ever-popular Dino nuggets). The cooking times listed here are an average recommendation and may need to be adjusted according to the size, shape, and brand being used.

close up view of frozen chicken nuggets in air fryer

How To Make Frozen Chicken Nuggets Air Fryer

Get full ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 400F / 200C.
  2. Place 12 frozen chicken nuggets into the basket of the air fryer in a single layer, being careful to allow space between them.
  3. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown, turning the nuggets over halfway through the cooking time.
  4. Check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should be 165F / 74C. Then remove the nuggets, serve, and enjoy!
image collage showing the steps for making frozen chicken nuggets air fryer

Tips For Success

  • Leave plenty of space between the nuggets and don’t overlap them. They need room for air to circulate, so they get crispy. 
  • No need to use oil when cooking air fryer frozen chicken nuggets. 
  • Air fryer temperatures can vary depending on the make and model. Start out with less time, check food for doneness, then adjust cooking time as needed.
  • Cooking time needed for frozen nuggets may vary based on the brand, size, and shape, so check for doneoness and make adjustments.
  • Preheat air fryer to help ensure the nuggets will cook more evenly. 

Variations

  • Add A Dipping Sauce – Nuggets were made for dipping. Some of our favorite sauces include;
    • Marinara
    • BBQ Sauce
    • Buffalo Sauce
    • Ketchup (a classic)
    • Ranch
    • Honey Mustard
    • White Gravy
  • Use In Asian Dishes – Toss cooked nuggets with your favorite Asian marinade and serve with fried rice. 
  • Make Chicken Parmesan – Melt mozzarella cheese onto the top of each nugget and serve with marinara sauce for dipping.
close up view of the finished air fryer frozen chicken nuggets served with dipping sauce

Budget-Friendly Tips 

  • Buy In Bulk – Look for larger packages of chicken nuggets to save money. Freeze them and just take out what you need. 
  • Make A Full Meal – Serve with homemade fries, veggies and applesauce for a full kid-friendly meal.

Prep Ahead And Storage

  • Prep Ahead – No prep work is needed. 
  • Store – Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • Freeze – Do not refreeze chicken that has been previously frozen.
top down view of the finished frozen chicken nuggets air fryer recipe

FAQs

How Long To Cook Frozen Chicken Nuggets In Air Fryer?

Air fryer temperatures can vary between models. We recommend that you begin checking the temperature of your nuggets at 10 minutes to avoid overcooking. Nuggets are cooked when a meat thermometer reads 165F / 74C.

How Do I Cook Chicken Nuggets And Fries Together?

It’s easy to make chicken nuggets and french fries in air fryer! Just followed these steps;
1. Preheat the air fryer to 400F / 204C. 
2. Place several nuggets on one side of the air fryer basket and add a handful of frozen fries on the other side. Make sure it’s all in a single layer.
3. Cook for 12-15 minutes, turning the nuggets and fries over halfway through the cooking time. 
4. Repeat to cook additional servings. 

How Do I Reheat Cooked Chicken Nuggets?

Cooked chicken nuggets can be reheated in the air fryer. Simply head on over to this Reheat Chicken Nuggets in Air Fryer post to find out how.

the cooked air fryer frozen chicken nuggets served on as plate

More Recipes You May Like

  • Frozen Chicken Tenders In Air Fryer.
  • Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings.
  • How To Reheat Chicken Tenders in Air Fryer.
  • How To Reheat Chicken Nuggets In Air Fryer.
  • How To Reheat Chicken Wings In Air Fryer.
  • Air Fryer Whole Chicken.
  • Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken.
  • Air Fryer Orange Chicken.
  • Air Fryer General Tsos Chicken.

Serving Suggestions

  • Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chips.
  • Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
  • Green Beans.

Weight Watchers Points

There are 8 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.

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Did you make this recipe? Then I would love to hear how it turned out. Please leave a comment and star rating below. And I really appreciate you sharing this recipe with your family and friends. Enjoy every mouthful 😊🍲 – Bintu

Get The Frozen Chicken Nuggets Air Fryer Recipe:

the finished frozen chicken nuggets air fryer recipe ready to be served

Frozen Chicken Nuggets Air Fryer

It's fast and easy to cook frozen chicken nuggets in the air fryer!
Print Pin Rate Save RecipeSaved!
Course: Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: American, Western
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 270kcal
Author: Bintu Hardy | Budget Delicious

Ingredients

  • 24 frozen chicken nuggets

Instructions

  • Preheat the air fryer to 400F / 200C.
  • Place 12 frozen chicken nuggets into the basket of the air fryer in a single layer, being careful to allow space between them.
  • Cook for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown, turning the nuggets over halfway through the cooking time.
  • Check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should be 165F / 74C. Then remove the nuggets, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

  • Leave plenty of space between the nuggets and don’t overlap them. They need room for air to circulate, so they get crispy. 
  • No need to use oil when cooking air fryer frozen chicken nuggets. 
  • Air fryer temperatures can vary depending on the make and model. Start out with less time, check food for doneness, then adjust cooking time as needed.
  • Cooking time needed for frozen nuggets may vary based on the brand, size, and shape, so check for doneness and make adjustments.
  • Preheating your air fryer helps to ensure the nuggets will cook more evenly. 
  • Storage – keep leftovers in an airtight container inside the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • There are 8 WW Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Potassium: 882mg
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Hi am Bintu and glad to meet you. You will find delicious easy recipes on a budget. Includes easy chicken recipes, easy Instant Pot recipes, easy Air Fryer recipes with simple ingredients loved by the whole family. Let's dig deeper →

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