Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets

Air fryer frozen chicken nuggets in your Ninja Foodi or any other brand so they’re tender inside and really crispy on the outside. Once you try it this way you’ll never ever go back to the oven or microwave again!

You might also wonder why you’d want to use this method versus throwing them into the oven. Let me tell you that cooked in hot air is WAY better than the “old fashioned” method. Not only is is one of our fastest lunch air fryer recipes but even teens can do it for an after school snack (and not heat up the house during the summertime).

How long do you air fry chicken nuggets?

You’ll want to preheat air fryer for 5 minutes to begin with to get the ideal crispy texture. Beyond that the cook time is about 12 minutes for dino nuggets or regular round pieces. A quick lunch or dinner kids love. We will share step by step directions below so they come out perfect every time.

Yes you can make air fryer popcorn chicken but when you’re in a hurry this kitchen hack is the best. You get really tender chicken with the perfect crispiness on the outside. It is as crunchy as frying chicken without the oil. It is a game changer for sure.

Fast forward a few years since I first made these and now several brands have instructions on the back of the package. If yours doesn’t no worries, we have you covered. 😉 So simple even my teenagers will make these all on their own after school, and before dinner.

Are you obsessed with this new air fry kitchen appliance too?? I am! We’ve been making Ninja Foodi chicken nuggets for weeks now and can’t get enough. We even made frozen salmon in air fryer and that was amazing. If you were ever hesitant to cook something right out of the freezer you’re in for a real treat.

We made homemade ground chicken nuggets using bread crumbs the other day, then tackled our bag in the freezer! Yes from scratch is delicious right, but we are busy so let’s get real. I don’t always have time to do all the things so ready made does come in really handy on those days (which are many).

How Long to Cook Dino Nuggets in Air Fryer

These would take about the same time. They are slightly larger but misshapen so not that much wider and certainly not thicker. I would use the same timing listed below. The only real difference between all of these is how crispy and golden you want the outsides. A spray of olive oil will intensify this as well as more time.

What is the best brand of chicken nuggets?

I prefer one like this that uses no antibiotics. More importantly I look for a brand that uses all white meat from chicken breasts. I think it is less processed tasting. Honestly I am a very frugal shopper HOWEVER, you can taste the difference in nuggets if you spend a bit more to get the better stuff. Tyson and Applegate Naturals are great choices for us.

What are the healthiest chicken nuggets?

Unless you make homemade chicken nuggets, they are all going to have fillers but you can make them healthier by NOT frying them. That’s where this recipe comes in handy.

Why are chicken nuggets better in the air fryer versus the oven?

First of all I don’t like turning on my oven during the summertime. Let’s save on the cooling bill shall we. 😉 It’s a fun food for kids that cooks lot faster using this method, no need to heat up the oven. Nuggets get a crunchier outside this way, with the middle remaining tender. It’s a great method if you have older kids so they can make an after school snack quickly by themselves. Seriously…this and frozen mozzarella sticks in air fryer are game changers. We don’t make them any other way now!

Tips

Step 1 – Just like when you are making frozen chicken wings in air fryer there is no need to thaw first. Get out your bag of frozen nuggets and put as many as you’d like into your air fryer basket (there’s no need to preheat the air fryer for this). If you want them very crispy do not overlap them.

Now don’t walk away because you’re going to want to flip them halfway through to get them as crispy as possible. You will want to flip each one over after minute 5 and close lid again until the timer is up.

If you want even crispier add an additional minutes or just leave them in for a few minutes instead of immediately removing them. If you spray the chicken nuggets with a bit of olive oil during the last 2 minutes it makes your chicken pieces extra crispy

How to Reheat Chicken Nuggets in Air Fryer

If you made too many or have leftovers from McDonalds and want to eat them the next way, make sure to throw them in to crisp again! 400 F for 3 minutes should do the trick for ya’.

What do you dip chicken nuggets in?

Ok so I had so many questions about this that I made an entire lineup of possibilities. My little ones always liked lots of choices and I would add a few to different mini Dixie cups and they loved it. Try this with a few of our chicken nugget dipping sauce.

Ketchup is a given for these and chicken tenders Fry sauce is the bomb! Barbecue sauce works too.

A light sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top of them is yummy too. I will admit that many times I will just eat them plain wrapped in a paper towel as I jet out the door to pick up kiddos. Take your pick, any way you slice it they’re great this way.

Other easy air fryer dinner recipes you’ll love

Other Ninja air fryer recipes you’ll love after making these are many. A few of our favorites are below though: We have lots of air fryer dinner recipes here like air fryer fish nuggets and more. Make brussel sprouts in air fryer to serve as a side dish. Air fryer frozen corn dogs are so good this way

Serve air fryer fried pickles with your nuggets for a treat, and Air fryer chicken wings are fab.