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Easy Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets

Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time12 minutes
Cooking Temperature400 degrees Fahrenheit

The exact cook time can vary. Read below for our tips!

Making air fryer frozen chicken nuggets is a breeze. They turn out crispy on the outside and usually don’t take as long to cook as in a conventional oven.

They taste great with a side of fries – and don’t forget your favorite dipping sauce!

crispy chicken nuggets in bowl with dipping sauce

Recipe Tips

  • You don’t need to spray or coat the frozen nuggets in oil before air frying them. But you can lightly spray them with some oil if you want to add some extra crispiness.
  • Since every air fryer is different and there are so many different brands of chicken nuggets, keep an eye on your frozen nuggets when making them for the first time. Our time is a guideline – your nuggets might be done faster or need a little longer.
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Step by Step Instructions

This recipe is very easy. However, if you’d like to see visuals for how to make frozen chicken nuggets in the air fryer, you can have a look at this section.

If you’re ready to get air frying, skip below to the recipe card.

frozen chicken nuggets in black air fryer tray

First, preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

When the air fryer is hot, add the frozen nuggets in one even layer. If you can’t fit that many pieces in one layer into your air fryer, cook them in two batches.

turning chicken nuggets with red tongs in air fryer tray

Cook the chicken nuggets for 5 minutes, flip them, and then air fry them for another 5-6 minutes until crispy (for a total cooking time of 10-11 minutes).

We recommend using silicone tongs for flipping so you don’t scratch your air fryer.

This cooking time can vary by chicken nuggets brand and air fryer so adjust your cooking time as necessary.

cooked chicken nuggets with dipping sauce in bowl

Remove the chicken nuggets from the air fryer and serve them hot with your favorite dipping sauce.

We like to eat chicken nuggets with a dipping sauce – BBQ is popular, some people like ketchup, but we (Eric, really) are big fans of plum sauce.

You can serve nuggets with frozen fries or even freshly made French fries – of course, in the air fryer! Enjoy!

Storage Tips

The chicken nuggets should be eaten hot and fresh, so try not to plan for leftovers. If you do end up with leftovers, store them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.

You can reheat them in the air fryer to bring back some of the crispiness.

Related Recipes

For more air fryer chicken recipes (from frozen), check out these tasty creations:

cooked chicken nuggets with dipping sauce in bowl

Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets

Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets are a super quick and delicious treat. With your favorite brand of breaded nuggets and your favorite dipping sauce, you can have a tasty side dish or snack for the big game in minutes!
5 from 1 vote
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Cook Time: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 12 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients

  • 10 pieces frozen chicken nuggets
  • your preferred dipping sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • When the air fryer is hot, add the frozen nuggets in one even layer. If you can’t fit that many pieces in one layer into your air fryer, cook them in two batches.
  • Cook the chicken nuggets for 5 minutes, flip them, and then air fry them for another 5-6 minutes until crispy (for a total cooking time of 10-11 minutes). This cooking time can vary by chicken nuggets brand and air fryer so adjust your cooking time as necessary.
  • Remove the chicken nuggets from the air fryer and serve them hot with your favorite dipping sauce.

Video

Notes

  • There’s no need to add oil to the chicken nuggets beforehand, but you can spray them with a little bit of avocado oil for extra crispiness if desired.
  • You don’t have to defrost the nuggets first, just place them into the air fryer from frozen.

Nutrition

Calories: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 764mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g

This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.

Cuisine American
This recipe was contributed by
Lisa is the founder and main creator for Simply Air Fryer. As the author of two successful food blogs, she's usually found measuring ingredients, trying out new combinations, or hiding behind the camera snapping photos of food. She bought her first air fryer over 3 years ago and has since used it over 500 times. With the help of her trusty sidekick (husband), she's created and tested lots of recipes for Simply Air Fryer.

2 thoughts on “Easy Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets”

  1. My question! If you’re having both frozen air fryer Chicken nuggets and frozen air fryer potato wedges, which do you cook first and keep warm until the second are finished cooking?? And, do you keep them warm in the microwave??

    Reply
    • Hi Bryan, the cooking time for frozen chicken nuggets and frozen potato wedges is pretty similar (give or take a minute or two; unless your potato wedges or nuggets are particularly large), so depending on the size of your air fryer you could cook them at the same time (as long as it doesn’t cause overcrowding). This way you don’t have to worry about keeping one warm while cooking the other.

      Reply
5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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