How To Cook Frozen Chicken Nuggets In Air Fryer – A Comprehensive Guide

Are you looking for an easy way to cook your frozen chicken nuggets? Do you want to know, cooking process of frozen chicken nuggets in an air fryer or how long it takes to cook frozen chicken nuggets in the air fryer?

If so, then this blog post is ideally designed for you.

In this post, I am going to share a step-by-step guideline on how to cook frozen chicken nuggets in air fryer.

Can You Cook Frozen Chicken Nuggets In An Air Fryer?

Can I air fry frozen chicken nuggets

An air fryer is a type of kitchen appliance that you can use for varieties of cooking purposes.

Based on my own cooking experiences with an air fryer machine, I can tell you that you can cook literally any food item in this kitchen gadget starting from frozen coconut shrimp, mozzarella cheese sticks, egg rolls, sweet potatoes to corned beef brisket.

When it comes to the question – ‘Can I cook frozen chicken nuggets in an air fryer machine?’ – The answer is definitely a ‘Yes’. In fact, when you choose an air fryer for cooking frozen chicken nuggets, you can enjoy a number of benefits as well.

Why Cook Frozen Chicken Nuggets In An Air Fryer?

Well, too many reasons are there for which you should use an air fryer machine to cook your frozen chicken nuggets. In the following, I am going to mention only the major ones:

  • Air fryer frozen chicken nuggets are much crispy & crunchy – a perfect evening snack for any family.
  • The air fryer helps you to cook a large amount of food at once. So, if you are planning for a party or some special occasion then an air fryer is definitely an ideal option available in the market these days.
  • When you air fry frozen chicken nuggets, it will be Easy & Super Quick. Trust me, without an air fryer, it would have never been so simple or delicious!
  • Air frying frozen chicken nuggets also ensures easy clean-up to help you save time and energy while cooking.
  • Cooking frozen chicken nuggets in an air fryer ensures a healthy recipe because it cuts down both fat & calories.

How To Cook Frozen Chicken Nuggets In Air Fryer?

Cooking frozen chicken nuggets in air fryer

In this section, I am going to share a step-by-step guideline on how to cook frozen chicken nuggets in an air fryer machine.

Ingredients You Will Need

  • Frozen Chicken Nuggets: To work this recipe out, you can use any well-known brand of chicken nuggets.
  • Cooking Spray: Although using cooking spray is not mandatory, you can consider as optional. Actually, it will help the chicken nuggets from sticking with each other while air frying in the fryer basket.

Steps To Follow for Cooking Chicken Nuggets in Air Fryer

how to make frozen chicken nuggets in air fryer

Step 1

In the first step, you have to remove the packet of frozen chicken nuggets from your freezer and then take out the portion of chicken nuggets you want to cook in your air fryer.

Step 2

Now, preheat your air fryer for approximately 5 minutes at 370-degree Fahrenheit. (This is a mandatory step you need to follow if you really want to make your chicken nuggets crunchy & crispy).

Step 3

Next, you have to lightly spray the fryer basket using a good quality air-fryer-safe cooking spray.

Step 4

Now, put your frozen chicken nuggets in the air fryer basket. In this case, you have to keep in mind that it is not a good idea to overfill the fryer basket.

Step 5

In this step, you have to air fry frozen chicken nuggets for a period of 10-12 minutes.

Step 6

If you find out that your desired level of crispiness hasn’t been achieved after cooking for the mentioned period, then you can cook the chicken nuggets in the air fryer machine for additional 1-2 minutes.

Step 7

Finally, it is time to serve the air-fried chicken nuggets and enjoy a beautiful time with your family members.

Chicken Nugget Dipping Sauce Ideas

Chicken Nugget Dipping Sauce Ideas

I think you can cook your frozen chicken nuggets even better by using the following dipping sauce ideas:

  • Mayonnaise with a spoon of sour cream and some freshly chopped chives.
  • Ranch Dressing (store-bought or make it at home by mixing equal quantities of mayo & sour cream along with salt, pepper, and fresh dill).
  • BBQ Sauce mixed with ranch dressing. Yes! This is my favorite as well! 🙂
  • Honey Mustard Sauce (mix honey, mustard & mayo together and get ready to enjoy the taste of this sauce).
  • Ketchup mixed with some black pepper.
  • Bang Bang Sauce (mix mayo, sriracha sauce, and garlic powder in a bowl. Now dip your chicken nuggets into this mixture).
  • Avocado-Cilantro Dip (in a bowl, mix avocado cubes along with sour cream and some freshly chopped cilantro).
  • Garlic Aioli (mix mayo and some freshly chopped parsley in a bowl. Now add garlic powder, salt & pepper into this mixture).

How Long To Cook Frozen Chicken Nuggets In Air Fryer?

How long to cook frozen chicken nuggets in air fryer

It basically depends on the level of crunchiness you want to enjoy after air frying frozen chicken nuggets in an air fryer.

Besides, 2 other important factors basically determine how long you have to cook frozen chicken nuggets in an air fryer which are as follows:

  1. The amount of chicken nuggets you want to cook at a time.
  2. The size & quality of your air fryer machine.

However, in most cases, it generally takes around 10-12 minutes to air fry frozen chicken nuggets if you preheat your air fryer at 370-400-degree Fahrenheit.

In this case, always remember the fact that you definitely need to preheat your air fryer machine if you want to achieve your desired level of crunchiness.

Storage Tips For Air-Fried Chicken Nuggets

After cooking the frozen chicken nuggets in an air fryer, I always recommend enjoying them right at that very moment (it gives you the best taste, trust me!).

However, if you have any leftovers, you can store these cooked food items in a freezer bag or any other suitable container and then keep them inside your refrigerator.

This is the ideal way to store your leftover chicken nuggets and yes, I follow the same method.

If you know any different method other than the above one, don’t forget to share that with me by sending me a direct message.

What To Serve Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets With?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions by my readers & followers! I think this question comes into most people’s minds because they don’t know how to make use of leftover air-fried chicken nuggets.

So, here are some tips for all those who want to serve their family delicious recipes using their leftover air-fried chicken:

  • You can add extra flavor (if required) after reheating the air-fried chicken nuggets in any oven, grill or even on a pan.
  • You can make some delicious BBQ Chicken Pizza using leftover air-fried chicken nuggets.
  • Add your favorite dipping sauce (I recommended you to try the honey mustard sauce with this recipe) and then enjoy it with French fries! 🙂

How Do I Reheat Chicken Nuggets In Air Fryer?

In order to reheat your leftover air-fried chicken nuggets, first of all, you have to remove the food item from a freezer bag or any other suitable container.

Then, put them in an oven-safe dish and place this tray on top of preheated air fryer basket for about five minutes at 370-degrees Fahrenheit.

And, yes, that’s it – Your delicious meal is ready! 🙂

Expert Tips For Cooking Frozen Chicken Nuggets In Air Fryer

air frying frozen chicken nuggets

Now I am going to share some Expert Tips that will help you cook frozen chicken nuggets in the air fryer machine in the most efficient way.

  • Preheating the air fryer machine to get the best outcome. If you don’t preheat your air fryer, then there is a higher level of chance that the end result would be nothing but soggy chicken nuggets. And, this is what you would never want to happen while cooking frozen chicken nuggets in your air fryer.
  • Defrosting the chicken nuggets before air frying them is never a good idea at all. Always try to cook them straight from the frozen condition.
  • Using air-fryer-safe cooking spray can be a great idea. It will help keep the chicken nuggets from sticking with one another.
  • Always try to cook the frozen chicken nuggets in a single layer in order to get the best sort of crispiness.
  • If you want to cook a large amount of frozen chicken nuggets, then I would suggest you to cook them in a small batch. This will cook them evenly – that is all you want to enjoy your desired level of crispiness.
  • You can also flip the nuggets halfway because it will help to cook them evenly.
  • Air fryer frozen chicken nuggets cooking time may vary depending on the chicken brand and size. So, it will be better if you cook a small batch of nuggets to get the perfect idea about the cooking time and temperature.
  • Always try to store the leftover chicken nuggets in an air-tight container. This will keep the chicken nuggets fresh.
  • You can always add your favorite flavors to the chicken nuggets. This will help you enjoy a new taste every time with the same old frozen chicken nuggets from the supermarket.
  • You can always go for the spicy flavor of chicken nuggets. I will recommend you to use buffalo sauce while cooking the frozen chicken nuggets in an air fryer machine.

Best Air Fryer to Cook Frozen Chicken Nuggets – My Recommendations

At present, a wide range of air fryer models are out there in the market from different renowned brands. So, it is quite challenging for anyone who is looking for the appropriate air fryer machine for the kitchen.

Here I am sharing My Preferences for the best air fryer machines for cooking frozen chicken nuggets.

1. Instant Vortex Plus 6 Quart Air Fryer

2. NUWAVE BRIO 6 Quart Digital Air Fryer

3. Ninja DZ201 Foodi 8 Quart 6-in-1 Air Fryer

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

How do you make crispy frozen chicken nuggets?

The secret to making crispy and crunchy nuggets is by making sure that you cook them at a high temperature.
However, if your air fryer machine doesn’t have adjustable temps then I would suggest you to preheat it using manual mode for about ten minutes. And yes! This will surely help you to get the desired level of crispiness in your chicken nuggets.

 

Can you cook chicken nuggets and fries together in the air fryer?

Absolutely! You can cook any sort of food items in the same basket.
However, I will suggest you to use the cooking spray because it is going to help you save your time and effort as well.
You should also try to avoid stacking them up otherwise they won’t get cooked properly – that’s for sure!

 

Do you flip the chicken nuggets in the air fryer?

Yes, you can flip the frozen chicken nuggets in the air fryer. I will recommend you to avoid flipping them too often during cooking because it may affect their texture and crispiness – not good!
So, always try to cook your nuggets for a longer time at a single side so that they get cooked properly without getting burnt or overcooked.

 

How long do you air Fry Tyson chicken nuggets?

I would suggest you to preheat the air fryer machine by using manual mode for about ten minutes.
After that, cook them at a temperature of 390 degrees F until they get brown and crispy from both sides – this might take around six or seven minutes. You can also flip your nuggets after every three minutes so as to ensure even cooking on all sides.

 

How do you cook Tyson panko chicken nuggets in the air fryer?

You can either follow the same procedure as mentioned above or you should try to cook them for ten minutes at 390 degrees F.
However, I would recommend you not to preheat your machine because it might affect their texture and crispiness – not good! So, always use manual mode only while cooking chicken nuggets in the air fryer without defrosting.

 

Conclusion

We all know that how delicious chicken nuggets are! I would recommend you to try cooking them at home instead of buying from a restaurant or supermarket because they taste way better – believe me!

In the above discussion, I have made detailed discussion on how to cook frozen chicken nuggets in air fryer following the right way. Besides, I have also described some of the most efficient tips for cooking frozen chicken nuggets in the air fryer.

So, what are you waiting for? Start cooking your favorite low-calorie foods at home without compromising on their taste – that’s the beauty of using a kitchen appliance like an air fryer!