Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets are crispy buttermilk chicken breast chunks with tons of flavour.
Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets are delicious homemade chicken nuggets soaked in buttermilk and breaded with flour and spices.
These tasty chicken bites are sure to please both children and adults.
This recipe produces about 24 nuggets.
Printable Recipe Card with a Full List of Ingredients and Instructions is Located at the Bottom of the Post.
Be sure to read through the entire post so that you don’t miss out on any important tips and tricks!
To make these chicken nuggets, I started by cutting some fresh chicken breast tenderloins into three pieces each.
Then I poured some buttermilk into a sealable container.
I added some smoked paprika, ground mustard and salt to the container.
I whisked the buttermilk and spices together well.
Then I added the chicken chunks to the container.
I placed the lid on the container and then shook it well to coat all of the chicken in the buttermilk mixture.
Then I placed the sealed container in the refrigerator and left the chicken there for two hours.
After two hours, I dumped some all purpose flour into a sandwich container.
I added some baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and ground mustard to the container.
I whisked all of the ingredients together well.
Then I removed the chicken from the fridge and opened the container.
I took a piece of chicken from the buttermilk and dropped it in the container with the flour mixture.
I pressed it down into the mixture so that the coating would stick to the chicken.
Then I dipped the piece of chicken back in the buttermilk mixture and made sure it got wet all over.
I returned the piece of chicken to flour mixture to get a second coating.
Then I set the coated piece of chicken aside on a plate.
I repeated this process with all of the pieces of chicken.
Then I preheated my air fryer to 380F.
Once the air fryer was ready, I sprayed the basket with cooking spray.
Then I placed the chicken nuggets in a single layer in the basket.
They did not all fit in one batch.
I sprayed the tops of the chicken nuggets well with cooking spray.
Then I set the air fryer to cook at 380F for 8 minutes.
After 5 minutes of cooking time I pulled the basket out, flipped the chicken nuggets and then sprayed the tops well with cooking spray.
I pushed the basket back in and left the nuggets to finish cooking for the remaining 3 minutes.
When the air fryer turned off, I used a meat thermometer to make sure my nuggets had reached an internal temperature of at least 165F.
Then the chicken nuggets were ready to serve.
These chicken bites are perfect for dipping in your favourite sauce!
If you are looking for a tasty air fryer chicken recipe, then you need to try these Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets!
PRINTABLE VERSION OF THE RECIPE CAN BE FOUND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE
Ingredients You’ll Need To Make These Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets:
- 1 lb chicken breast tenderloins
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground mustard
- 1 tsp salt
Breading
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground mustard
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Tenders:
- Cut the chicken breast tenderloins into 3 pieces each.
- Pour the buttermilk into a sealable container.
- Add the smoked paprika, ground mustard and salt.
- Whisk buttermilk and spices together well.
- Add the chicken breast chunks to the container with the buttermilk.
- Place the lid on the container and shake well to coat all of the chicken in the buttermilk.
- Place the sealed container in the refrigerator and leave it there for at least 2 hours.
- After the chicken has been soaking in the buttermilk for at least 2 hours, prepare the breading.
- Dump the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and ground mustard into a sandwich sized container.
- Whisk all of the ingredients together well.
- Take a piece of chicken from the buttermilk container and drop it in the flour mixture.
- Shake the container and press the piece of chicken down into the flour to make sure it gets well coated.
- Take the flour coated chicken and dip it back into the buttermilk mixture.
- Make sure it gets wet on both sides.
- Then dip the piece of chicken back into the flour mixture to get coated a second time.
- Set the piece of chicken aside on a plate.
- Repeat the process with all of the remaining pieces of chicken.
- Preheat the air fryer to 380F.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
- Place the nuggets in a single layer in the basket.
- Depending on the size of your air fryer you may have to cook in multiple batches.
- Spray the tops of the nuggets well with cooking spray.
- Set the air fryer to cook at 380F for 8 minutes.
- After 5 minutes of cooking time flip all of the nuggets over and then spray the tops with cooking spray.
- Continue cooking for the remaining 3 minutes.
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure the nuggets have reached an internal temperature of at least 165F.
- Serve and enjoy!
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Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets are crispy buttermilk chicken breast chunks with tons of flavour.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast tenderloins
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground mustard
- 1 tsp salt
Breading
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground mustard
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breast tenderloins into 3 pieces each.
- Pour the buttermilk into a sealable container.
- Add the smoked paprika, ground mustard and salt.
- Whisk buttermilk and spices together well.
- Add the chicken breast chunks to the container with the buttermilk.
- Place the lid on the container and shake well to coat all of the chicken in the buttermilk.
- Place the sealed container in the refrigerator and leave it there for at least 2 hours.
- After the chicken has been soaking in the buttermilk for at least 2 hours, prepare the breading.
- Dump the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and ground mustard into a sandwich sized container.
- Whisk all of the ingredients together well.
- Take a piece of chicken from the buttermilk container and drop it in the flour mixture.
- Shake the container and press the piece of chicken down into the flour to make sure it gets well coated.
- Take the flour coated chicken and dip it back into the buttermilk mixture.
- Make sure it gets wet on both sides.
- Then dip the piece of chicken back into the flour mixture to get coated a second time.
- Set the piece of chicken aside on a plate.
- Repeat the process with all of the remaining pieces of chicken.
- Preheat the air fryer to 380F.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
- Place the nuggets in a single layer in the basket.
- Depending on the size of your air fryer you may have to cook in multiple batches.
- Spray the tops of the nuggets well with cooking spray.
- Set the air fryer to cook at 380F for 8 minutes.
- After 5 minutes of cooking time flip all of the nuggets over and then spray the tops with cooking spray.
- Continue cooking for the remaining 3 minutes.
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure the nuggets have reached an internal temperature of at least 165F.
- Serve and enjoy!
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Hi! My name is Erin and I have been here since 2016 sharing simple family friendly recipes that can be prepared by any home cook. Get ready to whip up delicious meals in no time!