Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

If you love the nuggets at Chick-Fil-A, try this Air Fryer Nuggets Recipe. Not only are the nuggets just as good, but they’re also a lot better for you, and you can easily prepare them at home.

Air Fryer Nuggets

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Do you find yourself visiting Chick-Fil-A at least once a week to grab their irresistible nuggets? You’re not the only one. Most people love this fast food restaurant and their tasty nuggets. However, if you’re looking for a healthier alternative that tastes just as good as what you’d normally get, try this Air Fryer Nuggets Recipe.

The recipe is easy enough to follow, making it possible for you to have a fast food restaurant-style lunch or dinner without spending the extra money for it.

THIS RECIPE IS GLUTEN FREE!

The Ingredients You’ll Need to Make the Air Fryer Nuggets

When preparing these Air Fryer Nuggets, you’ll need several important ingredients. Make sure that you have:

• Chicken Breast. Use boneless, skinless chicken breast to make these nuggets. You’ll need to chop the chicken into pieces before anything.
• Pickle Juice. Use pickle juice (you can buy it by the gallon) as a brine for your nuggets to give it that authentic fast food restaurant taste.
• Milk. You’ll combine the milk and pickle juice together, allowing your nuggets to marinate for at least an hour in the fridge.
• Smoked Paprika. Give your chicken more flavor by sprinkling smoked paprika over it.
• Garlic Powder. The garlic powder enhances the flavor of the chicken, making it taste even better.

Other than these ingredients, you’ll need some table salt and black pepper to prepare the Air Fryer Nuggets Recipe.

Step by Step Instructions for Copycat Chick-Fil-A Nuggets

Gather all your ingredients.

Pour the pickle juice and milk over the chopped chicken. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.

Combine all spices in medium bowl, and set aside

After marinating, drain chicken.

Coat chicken evenly with spice mixture.

Place, one layer at a time, in air fryer basket

Cook at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes (or internal temp 165 degrees).
Don’t have an air fryer? You can bake the chicken nuggets in your oven.

Honey BBQ Sauce Recipe

Combine: 

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup barbecue sauce
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard

Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets Recipe Tips

1. Make sure to cut your chicken into small pieces before you add it to the milk and pickle juice. You don’t want to have to cut the chicken after it’s wet.
2. Don’t put too many pieces of chicken into the air fryer at a time. If you overlap the chicken, it isn’t going to cook properly. Space it out, even if it means cooking the chicken in batches.

The Best Reasons to Try the Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets Recipe

1. You can indulge in a flavorful meal that reminds you of your fast food restaurant without all the grease and added calories.
2. The chicken is family-friendly, making it perfect for serving to both adults and children. Your kids will love the taste of these healthier nuggets.
3. It doesn’t take long to prepare the nuggets, especially when you’re using the air fryer to heat them.

How long will it take to make these copycat nuggets?

Prepping your ingredients will only take a few minutes. You’ll need to allow your pieces of chicken to sit in the milk and pickle juice for at least an hour, if not longer. However, after you’ve given your chicken time to sit in the milk and pickle juice, you can have these nuggets ready in minutes. It’ll take about two minutes to coat the chicken in the spices and then an additional 10-12 minutes for the nuggets to cook in the air fryer.

What should I serve with the nuggets?

You can serve anything with these nuggets. If you want to make it feel like you’re eating at a fast-food restaurant, consider preparing some waffle fries in the air fryer. If not, you can always serve your chicken with a side salad consisting of spinach leaves, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and shredded cheese with a dressing of your choice. You’ll also enjoy these nuggets with a fresh side salad, similar to the one you’d get at Chick-Fil-A.

Which dipping sauces will taste best?

These nuggets are so juicy and flavorful, you don’t need to dip them in anything to enjoy them. However, if you’re the kind of person who enjoys dipping nuggets in sauces, consider serving them with a side of barbecue sauce, ranch sauce, or even buffalo sauce.

Be sure to check out my recipe for Honey BBQ Sauce above or in the printable recipes below.

Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?

Although it’s possible to prepare chicken nuggets using chicken thighs, you’re better off sticking with chicken breasts for this Air Fryer Nuggets Recipe. The nuggets will have a naturally great taste when you chop your chicken breasts into small pieces.

Which type of pickle juice should I use?

You can use any type of pickle juice that you have at home. It doesn’t matter if it’s dill pickle juice or even juice from a glass full of bread and butter pickles. Use whichever pickle juice you personally enjoy most for the brine.

How do I store the nuggets?

After preparing the nuggets, you might end up with a few leftovers. You can store them in a Tupperware container and place them in the fridge to keep them as fresh as possible. If you need to reheat your chicken, you can microwave it or pop it back in the air fryer for a few minutes to get it hot before eating.

Can I freeze these nuggets?

You can freeze the nuggets. If you’re going to freeze them, put them in a plastic freezer bag, remove excess air, and label them. When you need to reheat them, simply add them to the air fryer from the freezer bag. It’s that simple!

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