With every bite delivering juicy chicken and serious crunch, this recipe is a crowd-pleaser whether you’re feeding kids, hosting game night, or just treating yourself to a homemade comfort food classic. No deep frying, no mess—just bold flavor and crispy perfection in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized nuggets
• 1 cup creamy ranch dressing
• 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Homemade Ranch Dressing Ingredients:

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ cup buttermilk or regular milk
• 1 Tbsp fresh dill weed
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon dried chives
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ⅛ teaspoon finely cracked pepper
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste (approximately 1-3 teaspoons, adjust to taste)

Instructions:

Make the Ranch Dressing:

1. Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, and milk together in a bowl until smooth.
2. Add dill weed, parsley, chives, onion powder, garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper. Whisk until well combined.
3. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste and whisk again.
4. Pour the dressing into a jar and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Prepare the Chicken Nuggets:

1. Preheat the Air Fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 400°F.
2. Coat the Chicken: In a medium bowl, toss chicken nuggets with 1 cup of the prepared ranch dressing until generously coated.
3. Bread the Nuggets: Place Italian seasoned bread crumbs in a separate shallow dish. Coat ranch-covered nuggets with breadcrumbs, ensuring each piece is evenly coated.
4. Cook the Nuggets: Arrange nuggets in a single layer inside the air fryer basket, avoiding overcrowding. Air fry at 400°F for 12-14 minutes, flipping halfway through for even crispiness.
5. Serve: Allow nuggets to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy immediately with additional ranch dressing, ketchup, or your favorite dip!

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Video Recipe

Tips & Variations

• Get that perfect crunch: Always preheat your air fryer and avoid overcrowding the basket. Nuggets need space for hot air to circulate—this is what gives them that golden, crispy finish.

• Upgrade your breadcrumbs: Want even more texture? Swap Italian breadcrumbs for panko or crushed cornflakes. For extra flavor, mix in a tablespoon of grated Parmesan or a pinch of smoked paprika.

• Let it rest before air frying: After coating the chicken, let the nuggets sit for 5–10 minutes. This helps the coating stick better and prevents it from falling off during cooking.

• Make it spicy: Stir a little hot sauce into the ranch dressing or add cayenne to the breadcrumb mix for a subtle heat that doesn’t overpower.

• Dark meat fans: Try boneless, skinless chicken thighs for a juicier bite. They stay tender and flavorful even after a few extra minutes in the air fryer.

• Gluten-free option: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs and be sure your ranch dressing is free from hidden gluten—many store-bought brands offer gluten-free versions.

• Meal prep friendly: These nuggets reheat beautifully. Just pop them back in the air fryer for 3–4 minutes to restore their crispiness—perfect for next-day lunches or quick snacks.

• Dipping game: Ranch is a classic, but these nuggets also pair well with honey mustard, chipotle mayo, or even buffalo sauce for an extra kick.

You can also try my Air Fryer Pork Chops, Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin, Air Fryer Frozen French Fries, Air Fryer Corn Dogs, and Air Fryer Hamburgers.

My husband is just as excited about these Air fryer chicken nuggets as my children are. They are quick to prepare and take only a few minutes to fry.

Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets from Scratch

Of course, Air Fryer chicken nuggets from scratch will always be a better and healthier option. The most important thing is you should use fresh, high-quality chicken breasts. I understand that if you are in a hurry and want to make something quick and tasty, that is great to use store-bought frozen chicken nuggets.

If you want to proceed with the frozen chicken nuggets recipe, scroll to this post’s end. But also, you could prepare your chicken nuggets ahead and freeze them for a later date.

How to make Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

• Place the cut pieces of chicken in 1.5-inch pieces. Marinate for 30 minutes in a bowl with the pickle juice or a ziplock bag.
• In a ziplock bag, combine the following breading ingredients: flour, baking powder, sugar, paprika, and black pepper.
• Mix together milk, egg, and butter in a separate bowl. Pre-heat the air fryer to 360°
• Place the chicken pieces in a ziplock bag and let the egg mixture drip off. To evenly coat the chicken, seal and shake the bag.

• Spray the bottom with nonstick cooking oil and place half the chicken pieces in a single layer. Space them apart, so they don’t stick together. Spray each piece of chicken’s top with cooking spray.
• Fry for 6 minutes at 360 degrees. Flip the chicken pieces and place them in an air fryer. Spray the tops with cooking spray. Turn the oven to 400°F and continue cooking for 2 minutes or until crispy and cooked through. The exact cooking time will depend on the size of your nuggets and your air fryer.

Instructions for Freezing the Chicken Nuggets:

After 6 minutes of cooking at 360°F, let the nuggets cool. Then, place them in a container or bag that is freezer-safe and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then heat at 380° until golden and crispy.

Variations:

• Healthy Chicken Nuggets are made with wheat flour and panko instead of all-purpose flour.
• Gluten-free: Use gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs.
• Spicy Chicken Nuggets: Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of cayenne peppers to the flour mixture.
• Oven-baked chicken nuggets: Prepare the same recipe and bake at 400°F for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes or until it is cooked through. You can also try my Popcorn Chicken recipe. ).

Pin the image below if you like these crispy chicken nuggets!

Ingredients

• 2 lb of chicken breasts (boneless), cut into 1 1/2-inch cube
• 1/2 cup of pickle juice
•  1/2 cup of milk
•  1 large egg

For the Breading:

• 1 cup of flour, all-purpose
• 3 TBSP of powdered Sugar
• 1/2 tsp of paprika
• 1/2 tsp of Chili powder
• 1 tsp of freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 – 2 tsp of Cayenne Pepper *optional, to make chicken nuggets spicier

Recipe

• Marinate: Cut the chicken into 1.5-inch pieces. Place the pickle juice in a bowl or ziplock bag and let marinate for 30 min.
• Make the bread: Combine flour, baking powder, chili powder, and black pepper in a ziplock bag.
• Mix together milk, egg, and butter in a separate bowl. Pre-heat the air fryer to 360°
• Place the chicken pieces in a ziplock bag and let the egg mixture drip off. To evenly coat the chicken, seal and shake the bag.
• Spray the bottom and sides of the frying pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place half the pieces of chicken in a single layer. Space them apart, so they don’t stick together. Spray each piece of chicken’s top with cooking spray.
• Fry for 6 minutes at 360 degrees. Flip the chicken pieces and place them in an air fryer. Spray the tops with cooking spray. Turn the fryer to 400°F and continue cooking for 2 minutes or until crispy and cooked through. The exact cooking time will depend on the size of your nuggets and your air fryer.

Yield: About 30 nuggets

Variations:

• Healthy Chicken Nuggets are made with wheat flour and panko instead of all-purpose flour.
• Gluten-free: Use gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs.
• Spicy Chicken Nuggets: Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of cayenne peppers to the flour mixture.
• Oven-baked chicken nuggets: Prepare the same recipe and bake at 400°F for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes or until it is cooked through. You can also try my Popcorn Chicken recipe. ).

Frozen Chicken Nuggets – Which Brand is Best?

Many brands offer different sizes and thicknesses for chicken nuggets. For a few nuggets, try a small batch. Once you have cooked a few batches, you can determine your brand’s best temp and cooking time. You will also notice a decrease in crispy time the more you cook it. You should be flexible and ensure the nuggets have been cooked to your satisfaction.

Frozen chicken nuggets made from organic brands are great for use in the fryer. Organic brands are great for consuming more chicken nuggets; you can eat them without worrying about what you eat!

Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets

Many factors influence the outcome of frozen chicken nuggets cooking. You will need to adjust the timing because they all have different sizes, thicknesses, and coatings. Don’t fill the basket with too many chicken nuggets. This will make it difficult to cook evenly. Only fill a single layer with chicken nuggets. Air fryers cook at different temperatures. After you have cooked your first batch, you will be able to determine what size and type of food work best for you. These recipes were tested with basket-style air fryers.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces (170 g) Frozen Chicken Nuggets

Recipe

• The frozen chicken nuggets should be placed in an air fryer basket. Spread them out evenly. You don’t need to spray oil.
• Air fry at 360 F/205 C  for 6-8 minutes
• Flip the nuggets and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes at 360degF/205degC or until crispy.

Calories: 453 kcal Carbohydrates: 25g Protein: 43g Fat: 19g Saturated Fat: 4g Cholesterol: 147mg Sodium: 712mg Potassium: 501mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 5g Vitamin A: 390 IU Calcium: 71mg Iron: 3mg

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