Name: Air-Fried Chicken Breast Chicken Nuggets
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 120 min
Ingredients: 2 pieces chicken breast; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon onion powder; 1 tablespoon garlic powder; 1 cup cornstarch; 2 tablespoons yellow mustard; 2 eggs; 1 cup water; 1 cup all-purpose flour

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A Guilt-Free Family Favorite: In our home, we believe you shouldn’t have to choose between “delicious” and “healthy.” We created these Air-Fried Chicken Nuggets because we wanted that nostalgic, crispy bite without the heavy oils and processed mystery meats found in the freezer aisle. Using fresh, hand-cut chicken breast makes all the difference—it’s real food that tastes like a treat! The “Craving” Cure: These nuggets are our secret weapon for busy weeknights. Whether you’re feeding hungry kids or just need a high-protein snack after a long day, these are ready in just 20 minutes. It’s the ultimate way to satisfy a “fast-food craving” while fueling your body with clean, lean energy.
To get that “Shattering Crunch” at 400°F (200°C) without any deep frying
The “Space” Strategy: For the crispiest results, don’t let the nuggets touch in the air fryer basket. Air needs to circulate 360 degrees around each piece to “sear” the breading into a golden crust. If you overcrowd them, they’ll steam instead of crisping!
The “Mist” of Gold: Give your nuggets a very light spritz of olive oil or avocado oil spray right before they go into the air fryer. This tiny bit of healthy fat is the “magic” that turns the breading that beautiful, mahogany-brown color.
Troubleshooting: If your nuggets feel a bit dry, you might have cooked them a minute too long. Every air fryer is different! Start checking them at the 18-minute mark—once they hit 165°F (74°C) internally, they are at their juiciest.
The 20-Minute Meal Prep: This is the ultimate “Future You” gift. We love making a double batch! Flash-freeze the uncooked, breaded nuggets on a tray for an hour, then toss them into a Ziploc bag. When the craving hits, you can cook them straight from frozen—just add 2-3 minutes to the air fryer time.

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Air-Fried Chicken Breast Chicken Nuggets

The Healthiest Chicken Nuggets You'll Ever Eat, Air Fried , High Protein, Low Calorie Chicken Nuggets! We love chicken nuggets so much that we decided to create a healthier, guilt free version at home! We use lean chicken breast and air fry them instead of deep frying to cut down on calories. The result is incredibly addictive! This is also a perfect make-ahead meal, just freeze them and cook whenever a craving hits. They take only 20 minutes in an air fryer at 400°F (200°C) to become perfectly crispy.

Prep Time40

Active Time20

Chill in the Freezer1

Total Time2

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fried chicken nuggets, Chicken nuggets, healthy recipes, kids menu

Yield: people

Calories: 496kcal

Cost: $9

Equipment

Materials

2 pieces chicken breast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
2 eggs
1 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

cut the chicken into small pieces and blend in the blender
Add 1 Teaspoon Salt and 1 egg and blend until combined.
In the Bowl, add 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder, 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder, 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper, 2 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard, 1 Egg, 1 Cup Water, 1 Cup All Purpose Flour. Stir until well combined
Scoop the ground chicken into balls and coat them in the plate of cornstarch. Form the mixture into nugget shapes. and rest them on the parchment paper. Continue until finish.
Then, coat all the nuggets that already coated in the cornstarch in the seasoning mixture bowl one by one. Rest them on another parchment paper before transferring in to the pan.
Prepare pans lined with parchment paper that will fit in your freezer. We will need to freeze all the nuggets in the freezer before we air fry them.
We don’t put them directly into the pan at the beginning because we need to get rid of all the excess coating.
Freeze for at least 1 hour before air frying.
If you prefer to deep fry, you can fry them immediately without freezing.
Air fry @ 400F (200C) for the total time of 20 minutes,
Arrange the frozen nuggets in a single layer on a piece of greased parchment paper in the air fryer basket. Spray the nuggets lightly with olive oil. Air fry for 10 minutes. Flip the nuggets over. Remove and discard the parchment paper. Spray again with olive oil and cook for another 10 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.