Cooking frozen chicken nuggets in the air fryer is the best wat to make them hands down. The nuggets are as crispy as a freshly deep-fried nugget and the kids go nuts for them!

A close up of a woman dipping a chicken nugget in a bbq sauce

Frozen nuggets are my go-to lunch for when I’m busy and I need the kids to make their own lunch. I used to just tell them to microwave their nuggets, but then we got an air fryer and it’s changed our lunch game.

The air fryer works the same way in that you push a few buttons and boom, you are cooking your frozen goodies like a pro. But the outcome is so much better, I found we are eating these more and more often!

A plate of chicken nuggets and french fries

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How to make frozen chicken nuggets in an air fryer:

Place your nuggets in the air fryer in a single layer. This will get you the best results. If you are in a hurry or care a little less about the crispiness, you can stack the nuggets.
Spritz the nuggets lightly with a vegetable oil in a pump spray bottle. It is not recommended to use non-stick spray in a can as it can damage the liner of your air fryer.
Cook at 380 degrees F for 10 minutes. You should shake the basket after five minutes to ensure they are evenly cooked.

Frozen nuggets spread out in an air fryer basket

Favorite Chicken Nugget Dips:

Honey-don’t hate on it, just try it.
Barbecue sauce is a classic, but for some extra goodness mix barbecue sauce and mayo together.
Ranch dressing with a little bit of hot sauce on it. Just enough to give it a little kick.
Honey mustard
Szechuan sauce-if you know, you know.
Sweet and sour sauce
Peanut dipping sauce
Honey Mustard + BBQ sauce – this makes a Chick Fil A type sauce in seconds.

cooked chicken nuggets in an air fryer basket

More air fryer chicken recipes for you to try: