Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets are a delicious and quick dinner to make any night of the week. Plus air fry chicken nuggets make a great snack for game day, parties or when the kids have friends over.
Just grab your frozen nuggets, plug in the air fryer, get out your favorite sauce and enjoy perfectly crisp nuggets in minutes.
To make frozen chicken nuggets in the air fryer, simply place the desired number of nuggets in the basket. Don’t overfill. Cook at 400° F for about 9-12 minutes. Add 1-2 more minutes if desired for an extra crispy coating. Remove from the air fryer and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Keep on reading to get all the best tips and tricks to make sure your air-fried frozen nuggets turn out perfect every time.
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Why Make Air Fryer Nuggets
Most restaurant chicken nuggets are cooked in a deep fat fryer. Fast food nuggets taste pretty good, but there is a healthier option.
The air fryer uses hot air to cook instead of extra oil. It’s perfect for cooking frozen food like nuggets. As an added bonus, clean-up is also a breeze. The air fryer is definitely going to be your new favorite way to get an easy meal on the table.
What You’ll Need To Make Perfect Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
You won’t find an easier recipe than this! In just 15 minutes, you’ll have a delicious dinner on the table.
- Frozen Chicken Nuggets
- You probably already know this, but frozen chicken nuggets can be found in the freezer section of most grocery and specialty food stores.
- Common frozen nugget brands include Tyson, Perdue, and Banquet. Some alternative brands include Trader Joe’s, Earth’s Best, Applegate, Bell & Evans, Applegate and Quorn.
- Sometimes frozen nuggets come in fun different shapes for the kids. I’ve seen ABC and dino nuggets. And in a stroke of clever marketing, I also saw some Frozen (the movie) themed frozen nuggets!
- You can also use veggie, vegan or organic nuggets or frozen nuggets that use other meat substitutes.
- Good Dipping Sauce
- Some great dipping sauces to go with chicken nuggets include ketchup, barbeque sauce, ranch, sweet & sour, honey mustard sauce and Chick-Fil-A.
- Air Fryer
- If you don’t already have one, check out the Cosori Air Fryer which is a #1 best seller on Amazon. Also check out our review of the PowerXL Air Fryer.
How To Make Frozen chicken Nuggets In The Air Fryer
There are many different brands, types and sizes of chicken nuggets available. Plus there are tons of different models of air fryers. Below are some general guidelines for cooking frozen chicken nuggets.
When in doubt, the best way to test it out is to make a small batch of nuggets to make sure the cooking time and temperature will work best with your model air fryer.
If the first time doesn’t yield the results you were looking for, make a few tweaks to the time or temp. The next time around should be perfect.
Steps To Make Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- If desired, lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Be sure to use a cooking spray that is meant for use with air fryers.
- Place the frozen chicken nuggets in air fryer basket. A little overlap of the nuggets is ok, but do not overfill the basket.
- Air fry the frozen chicken nuggets at 400° F. Cook nuggets for about 9-12 minutes.
- If additional cook time is needed to heat thoroughly or enhance the crispiness, cook the chicken nuggets for 1-2 more minutes.
- Remove nuggets from the fryer. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
How To Make Frozen Veggie chicken Nuggets In The Air Fryer
Veggie nuggets or other meat substitute nuggets can also be cooked in an air fryer oven. You will use the same overall process as you would for regular chicken nuggets, but the time will be reduced slightly.
- Place the frozen veggie or meat alternative nuggets into the air fryer basket.
- Air fry the nuggets at 400° F for about 6-8 minutes.
- If needed, cook the veggie nuggets for 1-2 minute more minutes until you reach the desired crispiness.
- Remove the veggie nuggets from the air fryer. Serve right away with your favorite dipping sauces.
Tips For Making The Best Chicken Nuggets In Air Fryer
Every air fryer cooks differently. Start with a small test batch of nuggets to find the perfect cook time and temperature for your specific air fryer.
Cook the frozen nuggets straight from the freezer. Don’t let them thaw.
Don’t overload the fryer basket. A little overlap is ok, but try not to crowd when you place frozen chicken nuggets in the basket.
More cook time = crunchier chicken nuggets. Add an extra minute at a time until you reach the perfect crunch.
For even cooking, you can turn the nuggets once during cooking or shake the basket.
Store leftover chicken nuggets for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Make sure to place them in an airtight container.
When you’re ready to eat your leftovers, pop them back in the air fryer. Cook for a few minutes and you’ll have nuggets that taste as good as the first go around.
Best Sauces To Serve With Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets
It seems everyone has a favorite sauce for chicken nuggets. My personal favorite is a dark, smoky barbecue sauce. I think it’s the perfect dipping sauce for literally everything! But if that doesn’t float your boat, here are some other options you may like.
Sauces For Chicken Nuggets
- Ketchup
- Ranch Dressing
- Honey Mustard
- Dijon Mustard
- BBQ
- Teriyaki
- Thousand Island
- Ketchup Mixed With Mayo
- Homemade, Copycat Chick-Fil-A Sauce or store-bought
- Garlic Aioli
- Sweet & Sour
- Browse this list of Wingstop sauces, dry rubs and flavors for more inspiration.
FAQS About Air Frying Frozen Chicken Nuggets
Q. How long do you cook frozen nuggets in air fryer?
A. At 400 degrees, cook frozen chicken nuggets for about 9-12 minutes. Add 1-2 more minutes cooking time if needed for more crispiness.
Q. How do you cook Tyson frozen chicken nuggets in the Airfryer?
A. Tyson chicken nuggets are one of the most popular brands available. Fortunately, they are super easy to cook. Simply air fry the frozen Tyson chicken nuggets for about 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees.
Q. Can you cook chicken nuggets and fries together in air fryer?
A. Yes, you can cook frozen chicken nuggets and french fries together in the air fryer. The key is to make sure you have enough room so that the basket isn’t overcrowded. The nuggets will take about 9-12 minutes until they are fully cooked. Frozen fries may take a little longer.
Q. Do I need to defrost chicken nuggets before air frying?
A. No, do not thaw frozen nuggets before air frying. You’ll get the best, crispiest nuggets if you put them directly into the air fryer frozen.
Q. How do you make crispy frozen chicken nuggets?
A. Extra time in the air fryer is what makes frozen chicken nuggets crispy. Start with 9-12 minutes cooking time, then add a minute at a time until you’re happy with the crunch factor and they are perfectly cooked!
Q. How many chicken nuggets can you put in an air fryer?
A. There is no specific number of nuggets you can put in the air fryer. The general rule of thumb is to try to keep a single layer for the best results. They can touch and overlap a bit, but try not to overall the basket.
Q. Can I stack chicken nuggets in the air fryer?
A. For best results, try to keep the nuggets in a single layer. It’s okay if they are touching. But stacking up the nuggets will prevent the air from circulating to all parts of the chicken. You need that air flow for evenly cooked and crispy nuggets.
Q. Can chicken nuggets be reheated?
A. To reheat chicken nuggets, the best way is to just put them back in the air fryer. Cook them for about 3 minutes at 400 degrees F. Add a minute or two until you they are crispy and heated through.
You can also reheat chicken tenders in the oven. But avoid the microwave unless you want a soggy chicken nugget!
Q. Will frozen veggie nuggets work in the air fryer?
A. You can absolutely make veggie, vegan, organic or any other meat alternative nuggets in the air fryer. Just cut back the cook time to about 6 to 8 minutes at 400 degrees. Add a minute or two if needed for more crispiness.
Q. What is a good air fryer to buy online?
A. A good place to start is to look on Amazon. There are dozens of choices and thousands of customer reviews. The Cosori Air Fryer is a #1 best seller on Amazon. Also check out our review of the PowerXL Air Fryer.
Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets are a delicious and quick dinner to make any night of the week. They also make a great snack for game day, parties or when the kids have friends over.
Ingredients
- Frozen chicken nuggets, any brand
- Air fryer safe cooking spray (optional)
Instructions
- If desired, lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Be sure to use a cooking spray that is meant for use with air fryers.
- Place the frozen chicken nuggets in air fryer basket. A little overlap of the nuggets is ok, but do not overfill the basket.
- Air fry the frozen chicken nuggets at 400° F. Cook nuggets for about 9-12 minutes.
- If additional cook time is needed to heat thoroughly or enhance the crispiness, cook the chicken nuggets for 1-2 more minutes.
- Remove nuggets from the fryer. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
Since chicken nugget brands, test a small batch of nuggets to make sure the cooking time and temperature will work best with your model air fryer.
With the tips and tricks in this article, you’ll be on your way to making delicious air fryer frozen chicken nuggets.
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– 5 Best Ways To Reheat Pizza
– How To Cook Frozen Burgers
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Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets
With this easy recipe for Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets, all you need to do is grab your nuggets, plug in the air fryer, get out your favorite sauce and enjoy perfectly crisp nuggets in minutes.
Ingredients
- Frozen Chicken Nuggets
- Dipping Sauce
- Cooking Spray (optional)
Instructions
- If desired, lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Be sure to use a cooking spray that is meant for use with air fryers.
- Place the frozen chicken nuggets in air fryer basket. A little overlap of the nuggets is ok, but do not overfill the basket.
- Air fry the frozen chicken nuggets at 400° F. Cook nuggets for about 9-12 minutes.
- If additional cook time is needed to heat thoroughly or enhance the crispiness, cook the chicken nuggets for 1-2 minute more minutes.
- Remove nuggets from the fryer. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
For veggie nuggets, reduce cook time to about 6-8 minutes.
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