Air-fried frozen chicken nuggets are a fantastic crispy treat. They're so easy to make. You only need a bag of your favorite chicken nuggets and an air fryer. Grab your favorite dipping sauces for the perfect weekday lunch or snack!
Serve with air fryer frozen french fries or air fryer tater tots. They also go well with corn on the cob or baked macaroni and cheese. Enjoy!
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Using my air fryer has become an obsession. I'm loving it! I just can’t get enough of how easy it is to use and how delicious the food comes out. No matter what I make, from air fryer yellow squash to waffle fries or even an air fryer whole roasted chicken.
One of my weekday go-to dishes for a quick lunch is these air-fried frozen chicken nuggets. When I make them in the air fryer, they come out nice and crispy on the outside and super juicy inside. Since I don’t have to add any extra oil, they are never gooey or greasy.
🥘 Ingredients
Nothing like keeping it simple. All you need is your chicken nuggets and your favorite dipping sauce - and likely your favorite fries.
- Frozen Chicken Nuggets - 24 frozen chicken nuggets. Use veggie nuggets if you are vegetarian or vegan.
- Dipping Sauces – Skip the ketchup and try dunking your nuggets in some honey BBQ sauce, homemade ranch dressing, Cajun dipping sauce, sweet and sour sauce, or honey mustard sauce for even more flavor!
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets
This recipe is a cinch. In less than 15 minutes, you will have four tasty servings of air fryer frozen chicken nuggets to enjoy. All you need is your air fryer and maybe some tongs if you want to flip them halfway.
I made 24 nuggets with approximately 5-6 nuggets per serving. If you are feeding a hungry crowd, simply get more and work in batches!
- Grab the nuggets. Remove 24 frozen chicken nuggets (480 grams) from the packaging and portion out how many you want to make.
- Put them in the air fryer. Put the frozen chicken nuggets into the air fryer basket or onto the air fryer trays. Add salt if desired. You won’t need any oil for this recipe, and you do not have to wait until they are thawed out before cooking. If you start to run out of space, your chicken nuggets can overlap a bit.
- Cook. Air fry the frozen chicken nuggets for 10-12 minutes at 400ºF (205ºC). You can flip the nuggets halfway through cooking, but it is not necessary, as they should cook evenly without flipping. If you like your nuggets extra crispy, cook for 1-2 more minutes for that crunch.
- Serve. Remove the nuggets from the air fryer and serve hot with dipping sauces. Yum!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- When using your air fryer, refrain from spraying the device with aerosolized cooking spray. While this recipe does not call for any oil, for those that do, use a pastry brush or paper towel to apply the oil as directed.
- My make and model of an air fryer is probably different than yours, so follow the directions on your machine and use my cooking time as a reference point. Always keep an eye on what you are cooking.
- If you are making veggie nuggets, they should only take 6-8 minutes to cook.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Once fully cooled, they can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days. However, frozen and then cooked chicken nuggets (like these) are best used within the first 1-2 days.
Reheating
To reheat and for best results, simply return your nuggets to the air fryer. Use the same cooking temperature as directed below in the recipe card, and heat until the nuggets are warmed completely. This typically only takes 4-5 minutes at most.
You can also reheat them in the oven. Place the chicken nuggets onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and heat them at 400ºF (205ºC/Gas Mark 6) for about 10 minutes.
Reheating in the microwave tends to make your chicken nuggets, umm, rubbery. So, if you can, opt for an air fryer or oven re-heating. If you're in a hurry, use high power and heat for 1 minute then in 30-second increments until the chicken nuggets are warmed to your liking.
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
❓ Recipe FAQs
Truthfully, chicken nuggets will cook just fine without flipping them halfway. I still do because I'm a creature of habit, and many other air fryer recipes require it. It's totally up to you!
It is safe to refreeze frozen chicken nuggets, but I wouldn't do so more than once. Each time they are thawed and refrozen, the quality and texture will suffer.
Nope! You can (and should) cook them straight from frozen for the best results.
😋🍟🍗 More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Chicken Leg Quarters - Whip up some juicy chicken legs with crispy skin in under 30 minutes!
- Air Fryer Zucchini Fries - Swap your french fries with these crispy zucchini fries that taste just as great with chicken nuggets!
- Easy Air Fryer Pretzel Bites - These fluffy pretzel bites are great for dunking in your favorite sauces!
- Air Fryer Pancakes - Thanks to your air fryer, breakfast has never been easier!
- Air Fryer Cauliflower - These tender cauliflower florets are a healthy side dish that is ready in minutes!
- Air Fryer Baked Potatoes - Now you can make fluffy potatoes with crispy skin in half the time they take in the oven!
Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
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📖 Recipe Card
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
- 24 frozen chicken nuggets (approximately 5-6 nuggets per serving)
- 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Portion out your desired amount of 24 frozen chicken nuggets from the packaging.
- Place the frozen chicken nuggets into your air fryer basket or onto the air fryer trays. Add the 1 teaspoon salt if desired. *Do not thaw. A little overlapping is okay. No oil is necessary.
- Air fry your frozen chicken nuggets at 400°F (205°C/Gas Mark 6) for 10-12 minutes, veggie nuggets for 6-8 minutes. While you don't need to flip the nuggets at the halfway point, I'm a creature of habit and prefer to do so. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes for extra crispy nuggets.
- Remove the air fried chicken nuggets and serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauces.
Notes
- When using your air fryer, refrain from spraying the device with aerosolized cooking spray. While this recipe does not call for any oil, for those that do, use a pastry brush or paper towel to apply the oil as directed.
- My make and model of an air fryer is probably different than yours, so follow the directions on your machine and use my cooking time as a reference point. Always keep an eye on what you are cooking!
- If you are making veggie nuggets, they should only take 6-8 minutes to cook.
- To store: Once the cooked chicken nuggets are fully cooled, they can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days. However, frozen and then cooked chicken nuggets (like these) are best used within the first 1-2 days.
- To reheat: For best results when reheating, simply return your chicken nuggets to the air fryer. Use the same cooking temperature as directed below in the recipe card, and heat until the nuggets are warmed completely. This typically only takes 4-5 minutes at most.
-You can also reheat them in the oven. Place the chicken nuggets onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and heat them at 400ºF (205ºC/Gas Mark 6) for right about 10 minutes.
-Reheating in the microwave tends to make your chicken nuggets, umm, rubbery. So if you can, opt for an air fryer or oven re-heating. If you're in a hurry, use high power and heat for 1 minute then in 30-second increments until the chicken nuggets are warmed to your liking.
Anonymous says
Very good thanks
Papa says
Crispy, perfect chicken nuggets. I used your sweet and sour sauce to dip my chicken nuggets into.