Crispy Homemade Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets: Your Ultimate McDonald’s Copycat Recipe
Craving the nostalgic taste of McDonald’s chicken nuggets but wish for a healthier, guilt-free alternative? Look no further! This incredible air fryer chicken nugget recipe delivers all the crispy, tender deliciousness you adore, without the need for deep frying. Prepare to transform your kitchen into a nugget factory, producing batch after batch of golden-brown perfection that your entire family will love. Once you try these homemade air fryer chicken nuggets, you’ll be hooked – they’re so easy, flavorful, and incredibly satisfying, becoming an instant favorite in your meal rotation!
Why You’ll Love These Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets: A Healthier Copycat Marvel
We’ve taken our beloved original chicken nugget recipe, a long-standing blog favorite, and ingeniously adapted it for the air fryer. The result? A truly magnificent McDonald’s copycat experience that is significantly healthier than its deep-fried counterpart. Using an air fryer drastically reduces the amount of oil needed, allowing you to enjoy that irresistible crunch and juicy interior with far less guilt. This method also means less mess in your kitchen, easier cleanup, and quicker cooking times, making it a perfect solution for busy weeknights or a fun weekend treat. With this recipe, you’re not just making chicken nuggets; you’re crafting a healthier, homemade version of a classic comfort food, giving you full control over the ingredients and ensuring a fresh, delicious outcome every time. Say goodbye to unknown additives and hello to wholesome, homemade goodness!
Essential Ingredients for Perfect Air Fryer Nuggets
Crafting these delectable chicken nuggets requires a simple yet impactful list of ingredients, most of which you likely already have in your pantry. The key to that authentic texture and flavor lies in quality chicken breast and a thoughtful blend of seasonings. Make sure to choose boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and pay attention to whether they have added water (see our notes section for more on this!). The breading mixture, made from flour and eggs, creates that essential crispy coating, while a touch of canola oil ensures a beautiful golden finish in the air fryer. For exact measurements and a complete list of what you’ll need, refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Craft Your Own Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
These step-by-step photos and detailed instructions are provided to help you visualize each stage of making this delicious recipe. For a quick reference to the complete recipe, including all measurements and instructions, you can Jump to Recipe at the bottom of the page to get the printable version.
- Preheat Your Air Fryer: Before you begin preparing the chicken, it’s crucial to preheat your air fryer to 360°F (approximately 180°C). Preheating ensures that the nuggets start cooking immediately upon entering the basket, leading to a perfectly crispy exterior without drying out the interior.
- Prepare the Chicken: Start with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cut them into 1-inch cubes. This step is important for two reasons: it makes them easier to process into a smooth paste, and it ensures consistent texture, much like traditional fast-food nuggets. Place the cubed chicken into a food processor.
- Process into a Fine Paste: Pulse the chicken in the food processor until it forms a fine, uniform paste. This is the secret to achieving that distinct, tender nugget texture. Avoid over-processing, which can make the chicken tough, but ensure it’s smooth enough to form into shapes. Once processed, transfer the chicken paste into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Season the Chicken: In a separate small bowl, combine your seasonings: salt, parsley flakes, oregano, onion powder, and black pepper. Sprinkle this aromatic blend evenly over the chicken paste in the bowl. Using your hands or a spatula, combine the seasonings thoroughly with the chicken until everything is well incorporated. This step infuses every bite with delicious flavor.
- Prepare Breading Stations: Set up two separate shallow bowls or plates. In one, whisk the large eggs until well beaten – this will act as your “glue” for the breading. In the other, combine the all-purpose flour with 1 ½ teaspoons of salt. This seasoned flour will create the crispy outer layer of your nuggets.
- Form the Nuggets: Using a small cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons) or simply your hands, measure out portions of the chicken paste. Roll each portion into a small ball. This recipe yields approximately 42 nuggets, so take your time to ensure a consistent size for even cooking.
- Breading Process: Take each chicken ball and first roll it thoroughly in the seasoned flour mixture, ensuring it’s completely coated. Gently shake off any excess flour. Next, dip the flour-coated ball into the whisked egg, allowing any extra egg to drip off. Finally, roll it back into the flour mixture for a second coating. Use your fingers to gently press down and flatten the ball into the characteristic nugget shape. Again, lightly shake off any excess flour. This double-dredging technique creates an extra crispy crust.
- Prepare the Air Fryer Basket: Lightly spray the inside of your preheated air fryer basket with cooking spray. This prevents sticking and helps achieve a beautiful golden-brown crust.
- Arrange Nuggets for Cooking: Carefully place the breaded chicken nuggets into the air fryer basket. Ensure there is enough space between each nugget so they are not touching. This allows for proper air circulation, which is essential for even cooking and maximum crispiness. You will likely need to cook the nuggets in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.
- First Cook and Basting: Cook the nuggets at 360°F for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, open the air fryer basket. Using a silicone brush, lightly brush canola oil onto both sides of each nugget. This basting step is crucial for achieving that characteristic golden color and extra crispy texture, mimicking the effects of deep frying without the excess oil.
- Second Cook for Perfection: Close the air fryer and continue cooking for another 7 minutes. Resist the urge to open the air fryer during this second cooking phase, as consistent heat is key to achieving that perfect crispiness and ensuring the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve and Enjoy: Once cooked, carefully remove the golden-brown nuggets from the air fryer using tongs. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving. This brief cooling period helps maintain their crispness. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauces like honey mustard, BBQ sauce, or ketchup.
Tips for Achieving Crispy, Golden Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
To ensure your homemade air fryer chicken nuggets are consistently perfect, here are a few extra tips:
- Don’t Overcrowd the Basket: This is perhaps the most important rule for air frying anything. Overcrowding prevents hot air from circulating effectively around each nugget, leading to steaming instead of crisping. Cook in batches if necessary.
- Ensure Even Sizing: Try to make your nuggets roughly the same size. This ensures they cook evenly, so you don’t end up with some undercooked and some overcooked pieces in the same batch.
- Light Oil Coating is Key: While air frying uses less oil, the light brushing of canola oil after the first cook is crucial. It helps with browning and makes the nuggets extra crispy. A spray bottle with oil can also work wonders for an even application.
- Preheating is Non-Negotiable: Always preheat your air fryer. Dropping cold nuggets into a cold air fryer will prolong cooking time and can affect the crispiness.
- Flip for Uniformity: Although the recipe specifies brushing oil on both sides, a mid-cook flip can sometimes enhance overall crispiness, especially if your air fryer has a tendency to cook unevenly.
- Monitor Your Air Fryer: Not all air fryers are created equal. Cooking times can vary slightly depending on the brand, model, and wattage of your appliance. Keep an eye on the nuggets during the last few minutes of cooking to prevent burning.
- Rest Before Serving: Allowing the nuggets to rest for a minute or two on a wire rack after cooking helps the crust set and keeps them crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! You can still enjoy these delicious chicken nuggets even without an air fryer by baking them in a conventional oven. Prepare the nuggets using the exact same method for forming and breading. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray it with cooking spray to prevent the nuggets from sticking. This oven method has the advantage of allowing you to bake a larger batch of nuggets simultaneously. Place the nuggets on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring they have a little space between them. Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 10 minutes. Then, remove the pan from the oven and carefully brush canola oil on all sides of the nuggets. Return them to the oven and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature should reach 165°F or 74°C). The oven will naturally take a bit longer than an air fryer due to the larger surface area and heat distribution, especially as heat escapes when you open the door to baste and flip, so be mindful of the total cooking time.
Yes, this recipe is designed to make a generous amount of nuggets, perfect for feeding a crowd or for meal prepping. If you’re cooking for a smaller household or simply prefer a smaller batch, you can certainly cut all the ingredient quantities in half. The cooking method and times will remain the same, though you might have fewer batches to cook.
Absolutely! These chicken nuggets are excellent for freezing, allowing you to prepare them in advance and have a quick meal ready when needed. After you’ve formed and breaded the raw nuggets, instead of placing them in the air fryer, arrange them on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Make sure the nuggets are not touching each other to prevent them from freezing together. Place the baking sheet into the freezer for a couple of hours, or until the nuggets are solid. Once frozen, you can transfer them to a freezer-safe zipper bag or airtight container, where they will keep for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to cook them, you can typically air fry or bake them directly from frozen, but you may need to add an extra 5-10 minutes to the cooking time, ensuring they reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
For the best results and a texture most similar to fast-food nuggets, use boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are labeled “no water added.” Some brands inject chicken with a water or saline solution, which can make the chicken paste stickier and harder to work with. If you use chicken with added water, you might find the paste a bit more challenging to handle, but the final taste will still be delicious.
There are a few common reasons why your nuggets might not be reaching peak crispiness. Firstly, ensure your air fryer is fully preheated before adding the nuggets. Secondly, overcrowding the basket is a major culprit; air circulation is vital for crisping, so cook in small batches. Thirdly, don’t skip the light brushing of canola oil after the first cooking phase; this fat helps to achieve that golden, crunchy exterior. Finally, check your air fryer’s temperature calibration with an oven thermometer, as some units can run hotter or cooler than displayed. If your nuggets still aren’t crispy, try increasing the cooking time by 1-2 minutes per side or slightly raising the temperature for the last few minutes.
Air fryer chicken nuggets that taste just like McDonald’s but without the guilt? Yes, please! The best part about making these at home is knowing exactly what ingredients go into them, unlike buying them from the drive-thru or the freezer aisle. Plus, these homemade gems are so incredibly delicious and satisfying, your kids (and you!) won’t even notice the difference. They are a healthier, tastier, and more wholesome alternative to a beloved classic. Enjoy the crunch, the flavor, and the peace of mind!
More Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love
- Air Fryer Pretzel Bites
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Air Fryer French Toast Bites
- Air Fryer Apple Fries
- Air Fryer Bagels
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Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
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Ingredients
- 18 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts 3-4 breasts (preferably no water added, please see notes)
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon parsley flakes
- ¾ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder heaping
- ¼ teaspoon pepper heaping
- 3 large eggs beaten
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- Cooking spray
- Canola oil for basting
Things You’ll Need
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Air fryer
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Pastry brush
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Tongs
Before You Begin
- It’s important to note that some brands of chicken are injected with water. This will affect the consistency of the chicken paste, making it stickier and potentially requiring a little extra flour in the breading stage. I use “Smart Chicken” which states on the package “no water added.” Opting for chicken without added water can help achieve a smoother, easier-to-handle paste and a more consistent final product.
- Depending on the size and capacity of your air fryer basket, you will need to cook the nuggets in multiple batches. The key is to ensure that the nuggets are arranged in a single layer and are not touching each other. This allows for optimal hot air circulation around all sides, which is essential for achieving that desirable crispy, golden-brown crust.
- All air fryers can vary in performance and heating consistency. For your first batch, you might want to experiment with just a couple of nuggets at a time to find the precise temperature and cooking duration that works best for your specific appliance. While we find 360°F (180°C) to be a safe and effective temperature for most, you can certainly try between 350°F (175°C) and 365°F (185°C) to achieve your preferred level of crispiness and doneness.
Instructions
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Preheat air fryer to 360F.
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Cut chicken breasts into cubes, then place in a food processor. Process chicken into a fine paste. Transfer processed chicken to a bowl.
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Combine salt, parsley, oregano, onion powder, and pepper, and sprinkle over chicken. Combine well.
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Whisk eggs together in a small bowl.
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Combine the flour and salt and put it on a plate.
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Measure chicken paste out with a cookie scoop and roll into 42 balls.
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Roll ball in flour, then coat with egg, and then coat in flour again. Use your fingers to press the ball down to make a nugget. gently shake off excess flour.
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In the air fryer, spray the basket with cooking spray.
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Place enough nuggets in air fryer basket so they are not touching.
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Cook at 360F for 7 minutes, then open the air fryer and using a silicone brush, brush lightly with canola oil on both sides of the nuggets.
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Cook for another 7 minutes. Do not open air fryer again until done.
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Remove with tongs and allow to cool before serving.
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.