Air Fryer Spicy Chicken Nuggets Recipe

Perfect for game nights, family dinners, or a quick snack, this spicy chicken nuggets recipe delivers crunchy, juicy nuggets with a kick. No messy frying required!

I’m pretty sure my daughter would eat fast food chicken nuggets every day if I would let her. But not only are they loaded with fat, I swear they cost a little more every time we eat out!

So I’ve been trying to come up with a recipe that she likes just as much, and can help make at home. She loves spicy foods, so these homemade spicy chicken nuggets are her new favorite!

It took us a few tries to get the recipe perfected. We first tried frying them, but popping oil burned my hand, so I switched to the Air Fryer for the rest of the batch. And surprisingly, both of us loved the ones in the Air Fryer even more! (My husband agreed as well.)

I’ve since made them for Sunday dinner with my adult kids and their spouses, and everyone raved over them.

Why You’ll Love These Spicy Homemade Chicken Nuggets:

• You don’t need oil to get a perfectly crispy coating. Panko crumbs + an air fryer = perfection!
• Since they brown so fast in the Air Fryer, the inside stays nice and juicy.
• The spice level can easily be adapted to your taste. As is, they are spicy, but won’t make you cry.
• They can be prepped ahead of time. After dipping them in the seasoned breadcrumbs, you can store them in the refrigerator for a few hours, and cook them when you’re ready.

How to make Air Fryer Spicy Chicken Nuggets:

1. PREP CHICKEN – Use a sharp knife to cut the chicken into chunks.
2. DREDGE – In a shallow bowl, mix together the flour, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. In a second bowl, make the egg wash by whisking together the eggs and hot sauce. In a third bowl, whisk the panko crumbs, paprika, salt, cayenne, and pepper. Dip the chicken in the flour, the egg mixture, then the crumbs.
   Place on a plate or baking sheet.
   Preheat the air fryer when you are almost done.
3. COOK – Place the chicken pieces in a single layer in an air fryer basket. Don’t overcrowd them! Cook in the air fryer for about 7 minutes, or until the internal temp is 165 degrees.
4. SERVE – We like to eat our nuggets with dipping sauce! While you are cooking the second batch, you can keep the nuggets warm by placing them on a cookie sheet in an oven heated to 200 degrees.

Tips for the Best Spicy Chicken Nuggets

• Panko crumbs – Regular bread crumbs just don’t add the same amount of crunch!
• Don’t overcrowd the air fryer – Make sure the chicken is in a single layer, with enough space in between that the air can flow. You will need to make multiple batches, so don’t try to jam them in and cook them all at once.
• \Use a meat thermometer – To ensure that you don’t end up with dry chicken, a meat thermometer is key. As soon as they reach 165 degrees, take them out!

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Variations:

• Feel free to adapt the spice level by using more or less hot sauce and cayenne pepper.
• You can add onion powder and garlic powder to the flour mixture.
• The chicken nuggets can be fried in about 1/2″ of oil in a medium-hot skillet for 4-5 minutes per side.
• You can also bake them in the oven, but they won’t be nearly as crunchy. I recommend spraying them with cooking spray and baking them on a wire rack inside of a cookie sheet. Bake at 400° for about 15-18 minutes. (For photo examples, see my cornflake chicken tenders.)

Dipping Sauce Ideas:

• Ranch dressing (We like to add a bit of smoked paprika and hot sauce for spicy ranch.)
• Honey mustard sauce
• Buffalo sauce or BBQ sauce
• Fry sauce (Try adding some pepper and hot sauce for a bit of a kick.)
• Blue cheese dressing

More Chicken Recipes:

• Chicken Pesto Pizza Recipe
• Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
• Chicken and Potato Curry
• Pepperoni Chicken Recipe
• Homemade General Tso Chicken
• Chicken Fajita Quesadillas

These spicy chicken nuggets make an easy dinner recipe, but they are also a perfect snack or appetizer! Give them a try, and if you love them, come back and leave a 5-star rating! 🙂