Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets

An easy and quick way to make frozen chicken nuggets in the air fryer to get extra crispy outside.

I love throwing together a quick lunch for the kids. Honestly, I’ve even had to make a quick batch of chicken nuggets while dinner was on the table because I wasn’t in the mood to get the kids to eat.

These air fryer chicken nuggets from frozen are a great way to make something super simple and quick for those days and nights you just want food on the table. And, who doesn’t love chicken nuggets?! If you love chicken nuggets, try our homemade chicken nuggets in the air fryer too!

I am going to go over how to make air fryer frozen chicken nuggets, how to reheat chicken nuggets in the air fryer, which brands you can use, and how to air fry chicken nuggets and fries together.

Do you love to make frozen food in your air fryer? Try out these air fryer recipes made with frozen ingredients!

It includes Air Fryer Hot Pockets, Air Fryer Frozen Sweet Potato Fries, Air Fryer Potstickers, Air Fryer Frozen Hot Dogs, and more!

Why You Should Make Frozen Chicken Nuggets in the Air Fryer

• They cook much faster than an oven
• They get crispier!
• You can cook the chicken nuggets with fries inside the air fryer together
• It won’t heat your whole kitchen in the summer
• You can make them quick for the kids if they refuse to eat lunch or dinner
• Easy to clean, especially if you use parchment paper rounds or a silicone basket.

If your kids love dino nuggets in the air fryer instead, follow these directions here!

How to Make Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets

A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.

• Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.

• Place the frozen chicken nuggets into the air fryer. It’s best if they are not stacked or touching. If they are, it will just take longer to cook them to get crispy.

• Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, remove from the air fryer, and enjoy!

You can also cook them an extra 2 minutes to get an extra crunchy outside, but they will be warm enough to eat at 4 to 5 minutes.

Do I Need to Preheat My Air Fryer to Cook These?

Do you need to? No. Should you? Yes.

And here’s why.

• Your food will cook more evenly – this means the inside will cook as fast as the outside without burning it
• Your food will cook faster – preheating your air fryer will start cooking the chicken nuggets at 400 degrees instead of 0 degrees.
• Each air fryer preheats at a different rate – you can’t expect a 2 QT air fryer to heat up as fast as a 12 QT air fryer, but once the air fryer preheats, they all cook at the same temperature making recipes easier to follow and succeed.
  
• It’s easier to track how long it takes to cook – If you cook a batch of chicken nuggets from a cold air fryer, it will take longer to cook because it starts from a lower temperature.
  
  If you decide to make extra chicken nuggets afterward, you run the potential to burn them because they’ll cook much faster than last time.
  
  It’s just easier to remember one cooking time.

What Brands Can I Use with These Directions?

I have used multiple brands using these same directions. Here are just a few options you can use to make air fryer frozen chicken nuggets.

Please keep in mind if you use chicken tenders and not chicken nuggets the cooking time can vary.

• Tyson chicken nuggets (including the Tyson boneless chicken bites and fun nuggets)
• Dino chicken nuggets
• Perdue chicken nuggets
• Generic store brands
• Kidfresh chicken nuggets

I’ve honestly even used these directions to make Morningstar Chik’n Nuggets!

How Do I Cook Chicken Nuggets and French Fries Together?

The best part about the air fryer is its ability to cook multiple things at once.

Follow these directions to cook both together:

1. Prepare and cook these Air Fryer French Fries per the recipe.
2. When there are about 6 to 7 minutes left cooking, move the French Fries to one side of the air fryer as best as possible (if desired) and place the chicken nuggets inside.
3. Finish cooking the fries and chicken nuggets and enjoy!

The chicken nuggets take a little longer to cook with French Fries inside due to the amount of food in the air fryer.

How to Reheat Chicken Nuggets in the Air Fryer

I love using my air fryer to reheat leftovers and chicken nuggets are no exception.

The air fryer will make McDonald’s chicken nuggets and even Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets taste better than when you first got them! And the outsides will turn crunchy again!

1. Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees.
2. Place your chicken nuggets in the air fryer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Remove them from the air fryer and enjoy!

It’s that simple!

The Best Sauces to Use for Chicken Nuggets

Here are some of my favorite sauces to enjoy with chicken nuggets

• Ketchup – a favorite with the kids
• Homemade Buffalo Sauce – if you haven’t tried this sauce on Air Fryer Chicken Wings, you’re missing out!
• Honey Mustard
• BBQ Sauce – I enjoy Sweet Baby Ray’s most or this homemade version
• Sriracha Ranch – also enjoy this sauce with Air Fryer Avocado Fries
• Sweet and Sour – also perfect for Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Chicken

Other Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love:

• Air Fryer Hot Pockets
• Air Fryer Frozen Onion Rings
• Popcorn Chicken in the Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
• Frozen Air Fryer Chicken Patties
• Air Fryer Pineapple Chicken
• Air Fryer Keto Chicken Breasts

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