on May 11, 2021, Updated Sep 06, 2023 I recently caved in and bought an Air Fryer. I wasn’t convinced at first because it seemed small, and I wasn’t sure how well it worked. But it’s definitely a step closer to making our favourites (aka junk food) healthier. These Chicken Nuggets were the first thing that I made in them because we LOVE nuggets.
Reasons to make these air fryer chicken nuggets
Its FAST. Not as fast as deep frying them, but faster than the oven. Chicken Nuggets take 6 minutes to cook in the Air Fryer, and you don’t even need to preheat like the oven.There was very little mess. Deep Frying means you have an oily dish to wash, and there’ll be definitely oil splatter and basically oil in a lot of places. With the Air Fryer, there was almost no mess. Once I was done cooking, I let the basket soak for 10 minutes in water and all the bits and bobs just came off. Healthier because so little oil/butter went into making these Chicken Nuggets and they tastes exactly the same. Same taste. Crunchy outside, and really juicy inside. No overcooking or checking the temperature etc.
Let’s talk about these nuggets now. It’s really simple to make them. I marinated them for 20 minutes to get some flavour in. And then breaded them with panko breadcrumbs. A few minutes in the Air Fryer and they were ready!
Marinating to keep chicken nuggets juicy
This is a simple marinade with some Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and my secret ingredient – mayonnaise. Mayonnaise works really well in a marinade and add moisture to chicken. A lot of recipes using egg while breading, but mayonnaise does the same job without any of the mess, and adds flavour and tenderises. The marinade creates a coating around which is just right for the bread crumbs to stick on.
Richa’s top tips to make the best air fryer chicken nuggets:
You can easily customise the seasoning of these nuggets based on your personal preference. Add a little cayenne pepper for extra heat or mixed herbs for a delicious earthy flavours. Avoid overcrowding the air fryer and make sure to leave enough space between two nuggets to help bake evenly and prevent them from becoming a soggy mess.
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