Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Oct 10, 2025 
Whenever my family starts craving chicken nuggets, I skip the drive-thru and make these Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets instead. They’re coated in a crispy seasoned breading while the chicken stays juicy and tender inside, giving us everything we love about restaurant nuggets with much less oil. Best of all, they’re quick and easy enough for busy weeknights.
Finding ways to lighten comfort foods, which are usually off-limits during diet season, is a secret joy of mine. After all, good food makes life worth living… Even when I am watching my weight. This last year I have been experimenting with these sort of alterations using an air fryer. Today I thought it would be fun to share a family-friendly recipe that is not only lower in fat and carbs but can be gluten-free as well!
Also check out my air fried chicken tenders recipe!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken breast
- Ranch dressing mix (1 tablespoon powder)
- All-purpose flour
- Olive oil (or melted butter)
- Milk
- Bread crumbs
A Must-Have Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets Recipe
These easy homemade chicken nuggets are made just for the air fryer, with less fat than you would need in a deep fryer or even in the oven.
The preparation steps include a three-dip process including…
- Flour and ranch dressing mix for seasoning. Use GF flour if needed. Most brands of ranch dip powder are gluten-free, but double-check if needed!
- Oil (or butter) and milk – These two items mixed together create the bond between the chicken and the breading.
- Bread crumbs – For the crisp outer coating. Again, GF breadcrumbs if needed.
The little bit of fat holding the floured chicken pieces and the bread crumbs together circulates in the air fryer, giving the chicken pieces a crunchy coating on all sides!
How to Make
The key is to coat each piece one bowl at a time, using one hand for the dry ingredients and the other for the wet ingredients if possible. Here’s the process:
- Toss a chicken piece in Bowl 1 (the ranch seasoning + gluten-free baking mix). Coat it completely and shake off the excess.
- Transfer it to Bowl 2 (the oil and milk mixture). Turn it so it’s fully moistened.
- Lift it out, let any excess drip off, then place it in Bowl 3 (the gluten-free breadcrumbs). Press the breadcrumbs gently onto all sides so they stick well.
- Place the coated nugget in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces, working in batches if needed. Avoid stacking or overcrowding the basket so the hot air can circulate around each nugget and crisp the coating.
One tip: after coating all the nuggets, let them sit on a plate for about 5 minutes before air frying. This helps the coating adhere better and reduces the chance of the breadcrumbs falling off during cooking.
Expert Tips
- It’s important to note that air fryers work best when the food cooking is in a single layer. So when feeding more than 2-3 people, you will need to cook the nuggets in small batches.
- How Long To Cook Chicken Nuggets In The Air Fryer? About 7 minutes. It’s also important to remember that all air fryer brands are a little different, so the cooking time may vary a minute or two.
- Not gluten free? You can make this recipe using traditional wheat flour and bread crumbs.
- Want to spice things up? You can omit the ranch dressing mix and add your own combination of spices. Just don’t forget to add salt!
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 6 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Serve with some of your favorite dipping sauces: ranch, ketchup, bbq, or honey mustard
More Healthy Recipes
Other Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Mushrooms (Breaded)
- Crispy Air Fryer Toasted Ravioli
- Homemade Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
- The Best Air Fryer Tater Tots
- Air Fry Cheese Curds
- Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
- Asparagus with Spicy Garlic Butter
- Everything Bagel Chicken Roll-Ups
Check the printable recipe card below for the prep time, cook time, total time, and Nutrition information including calories, carbohydrates, protein, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, fiber, vitamin c, and calcium percentages. Make sure to share this recipe on facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 packet ranch dressing mix (1 tablespoon powder, check in GF is needed)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten free baking flour)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or melted butter)
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2/3 cup bread crumbs (or gluten free bread crumbs)
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes. Set out three bowls. Bowl 1: Combine the powdered ranch dressing mix and gluten free baking mix. Bowl 2: Mix the oil and milk together, whisk well. Bowl 3: Place the gluten free bread crumbs in the third bowl.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Work in two batches. Dip half the chicken pieces in the gluten free baking mix. Then dunk them in the oil and milk mixture. Finally dip the pieces in the gluten free bread crumbs.
- Lay the chicken nuggets in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook for 7 minutes.
- Remove from the basket and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
I made this tonight and a kid who was eating with us said it’s the best homemade chicken nuggets he’s ever had. And one of my sons rated it 9.9 out of 10. They were so good. I made sure to really press the breadcrumbs in(I used gf panko). Thank you!
These were great! I did not have high expectations but even my non-gluten free family members loved them! We ate them with Chick-Fil-A sauce and used ranch dressing mix from Clean Monday Meals.
Have you made these and then frozen them to then cook again?
Loved it!! So much better than the other recipes like this I’ve tried!