Spicy Chicken Nuggets with ground chicken are crispy on the outside tender and juicy on the inside! Comes together in 30 minutes and can be air fried or baked!
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Everybody has those fast food cravings now and again. But why spend the time and money when you can make deliciously crispy chicken nuggets right in your air fryer! This recipe is ideal for, snacks while watching the game, or appetizers for parties and quick weeknight dinners with my Copycat Buffalo Wild Wings Potato Wedges.
Why this Recipe Works
With just a few common ingredients and super easy steps, it's never been easier to make your own crispy nuggets. Thanks to Cayenne pepper, these nuggets are infused with the perfect kick of heat!
Pair them with your favorite sauces like my Yum Yum Sauce or ranch, ketchup, or BBQ sauce, or go for something fancier and serve alongside Garlic Parmesan Sauce or a super satisfying Beer Cheese. However you serve homemade chicken nuggets, you'll love these golden brown air fried little bites of perfection like my Chicken Tenders!
Ingredients Needed
- Ground Chicken: This tasty lean protein is super easy to work with and can easily be turned into delicious, crispy air fried nuggets!
- Bread Crumbs: Using Italian bread crumbs infuses the nuggets with more flavor and helps them hold their shape.
- Panko: I like to use Panko bread crumbs for the outer coating--Panko is known for being nice and crispy.
- Seasonings: To season both the chicken and the breading, use a blend of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and cayenne pepper.
- Eggs: Help the Panko coating adhere to the nuggets.
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- Step 1: In a mixing bowl, combine ground chicken with breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
- Step 2: Once combined, form the mixture into 20 chicken nugget shapes.
- Step 3: Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl with a bit of water, then dip the nuggets in the beaten egg mixture.
- Step 4: In a separate bowl, combine Panko with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, and salt. Coat the egg-dipped nuggets in the Panko mixture.
- Step 5: Arrange the nuggets in a single layer in the air fryer basket and give them a light spritz with cooking oil.
- Step 6: Air fry at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes, then flip them, spritz with more oil, and cook another 5 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- You can also bake these nuggets in the oven. They'll still be crispy thanks to the Panko coating. Arrange them on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees F for 12 minutes, then flip and bake for 10 more minutes.
- Don't crowd the nuggets. Giving them some room to breathe will ensure they're nice and crispy.
- Feel free to add other seasonings to the ground chicken mixture or the breading mixture. Use black pepper, smoked paprika instead of regular paprika, cumin, or whatever else you have on hand.
- For dipping sauces, these spicy chicken nuggets pair well with ketchup, ranch, BBQ sauce, honey mustard, buffalo sauce, or even sweet and sour sauce!
- Serve as a snack or appetizer, or pair with some french fries or roasted potatoes for a quick and easy main course any night of the week.
Recipe FAQ's
Yes, as long as you cook ground chicken nuggets all the way through, it's safe to air fry raw meat. Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Freezing your nuggets is a great way to ensure quick and easy dinners on busy weeknights in the future! Cook the nuggets as instructed and allow them to cool fully. Arrange them on a cookie sheet or baking tray and flash freeze for about 2 hours, then transfer to a freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months.
Pre-cooked frozen nuggets can be cooked in the air fryer at 400 degrees for 6 minutes, or in the oven at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. Feel free to flip the nuggets halfway through for either cooking method.
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Spicy Chicken Nuggets with Ground Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg or 2 medium eggs
- 2 tablespoons water
Panko Coating
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Cooking Spray
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic powder,onion powder and salt and mix just until combined.
- Divide the chicken mixture into 20 balls, then gently push on them to flatten them a bit and form them into chicken nuggets, and place them on a baking sheet.
- In a shallow bowl add the egg, water and whisk.
- In another shallow bowl add the panko topping, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt and mix.
- Dip the chicken nuggets into the whisked eggs, shake off any extra then roll it into the seasoned panko mixture. Place the nuggets back onto the baking sheet. Repeat until done.
Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes
- Place 10-15 nuggets in a single layer in the basket (don't overcrowd it) Spray the tops with cooking spray.
- Fry on 400 degrees for 5 minutes.
- Flip the nuggets spray the tops with cooking spray and fry for another 5 minutes. Remove them to a platter and repeat.
To Bake
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
- Place the nuggets on a baking sheet and spray the tops with cooking spray. Bake for 12 minutes then flip, spray the tops again and bake another 10 minutes.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce!
Yay so happy everybody enjoyed them 🙂
I usually make chicken nuggets with chicken breasts and bake them in the oven but this recipe looked interesting so I decided to give it a try. My family liked it more than the nuggets I usually make so we have a new go-to recipe. Thank you so much! These are flavorful and absolutely delicious!
So happy you loved them! I always have a bag in the freezer 🙂
I made these chicken nuggets to keep in the freezer for a quick meal or snack for my kiddos. They turned out so delicious spraying them with cooking spray really does the trick with getting them brown in the sir fryer.