snack · american
Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
Drive-thru crunch, honey mustard dunk. 34g protein.
Juicy, craggy, deep-golden nuggets with a Parmesan-panko crust and a sweet-sharp honey mustard for dunking. The trick nobody tells you: toast the panko in a skillet first, because an air fryer will never brown raw crumbs evenly. Salted early, coated in Dijon egg whites, they come out tasting like the drive-thru, not like diet food.
12.7 g protein per 100 kcal · USDA FoodData Central
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Join the waitlistIngredients
Nuggets
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces455 g boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ tsp kosher salt½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs45 g panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan25 g finely grated Parmesan
- 1 tsp paprika1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 large egg whites2 large egg whites
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- cooking spray, for the basket and nuggetscooking spray, for the basket and nuggets
Honey mustard
- ½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt115 g nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp honey15 ml honey
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard1 tbsp yellow mustard
- kosher salt, to tastekosher salt, to taste
Method
- Pat the chicken dry and toss with the salt. Let it sit while you make the coating; even 10 minutes of salt seasons it all the way through.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the panko and toast, stirring constantly, until evenly golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Tip into a shallow bowl, cool 2 minutes, then stir in the Parmesan, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper.
- Whisk the egg whites and 1 tablespoon Dijon in a second shallow bowl until foamy. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
- Lift the chicken pieces out a few at a time, let the excess drip off, and press firmly into the crumbs on all sides. Set on a plate in a single layer.
- Heat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 3 minutes. Mist the basket with cooking spray, add the nuggets in a single layer with space between them, and mist the tops.
- Air fry 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway, until deep golden and the thickest piece reads 165°F (74°C). Cook in 2 batches if needed; crowded nuggets steam instead of crisp.
- Stir the yogurt, honey, Dijon, yellow mustard and a pinch of salt together and serve with the hot nuggets.
- Cut the chicken evenly. 1-inch pieces all finish at the same time; a few big ones means a lot of dry little ones.
- Press the crumbs on, don't just roll. A firm press is what gives you the craggy, shaggy crust.
- To freeze, cool cooked nuggets on a tray, freeze until solid, then bag. Reheat from frozen at 380°F (195°C) for 6 to 8 minutes.
Keeping it: Refrigerate up to 3 days and reheat in the air fryer at 380°F (195°C) for 4 minutes. Freeze cooked nuggets up to 2 months. The honey mustard keeps 5 days.
Nutrition per serving computed from ingredient weights × USDA FoodData Central. Estimates, not medical advice.
