Air Fryer Ranch Chicken Nuggets are an easy chicken recipe that everyone will love! Our kids love when these nuggets are on the dinner menu!
Dinner recipes like these chicken nuggets are always a hit at our house! Try our Air Fryer Chicken Nugget recipe for chicken without ranch flavoring. And don’t forget the Air Fryer French Fries too!
The age old question…”What’s for dinner?” We get it almost as soon as our kids come home from school, like immediately when they are walking in the door.
I get it, food is on my mind all the time too. Like seriously, a little too much if you ask me…I’m always looking forward to the next meal. So I guess the apples haven’t fallen far from the tree because our boys are the exact same way.
And when we answer them that these Air Fryer Ranch Chicken Nuggets are for dinner there’s nothing but love.
A Healthy, Air Fryer Chicken Recipe
As much as we like to indulge in our comfort food recipes here on the site, we also need to have a some keep it real moments and make a few healthier recipes, too.
Chicken recipes are one of the most searched for recipe categories, according to the Google Gods, and we’re here to deliver. Some of our favorite healthy chicken recipes include:
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Rotisserie Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Slow Cooker Mongolian Chicken
- Easy Chicken & Broccoli Meatballs
- Sheet Pan Chicken and Asparagus
- Slow Cooker Mongolian Chicken (not fried!)
Can I Make These Chicken Nuggets In The Oven?
Yes, you definitely can! Use a rack to place over a baking sheet, spray the chicken with cooking spray and bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes, flipping once in between cooking.
I have to tell you, they come out SO much more crispy in the air fryer. They really do. But the oven will do the trick!
Obviously grab some Ranch dressing for dipping, but another great dipping sauce is for these chicken nuggets is our Awesome Sauce! We put Awesome Sauce on just about everything…and it makes everything awesome!
How Does An Air Fryer Work?
An air fryer works by circulating hot air around food, similar to a convection oven. The air is circulated at a high speed which can then imitate the texture and flavor of fried food. The texture can be spot on but the flavor is still, in my opinion, is still better when fried the traditional way.
Most air fryers have temperature controls and timer controls that enable you to cook your food to allow for more precise cooking. Some air fryers have deep baskets to hold the food and some have shelves that allow food to be placed in a single layer.
If your air fryer is the basket kind, you’ll need to stir the food during the cooking process so that the food browns evenly. Our air fryer has shelves or racks so we can add food in a single layer and not have to turn it or stir it at all.
If your oven has a convection setting, this would be the best way to mimic using an air fryer in a traditional oven.
Can You Freeze These Chicken Nuggets?
Oh yes, we make big batches of this chicken nugget recipe and freeze them for an easy dinner. To reheat, preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees and then cook the frozen nuggets for 10-12 minutes until warmed through.
To reheat these nuggets in the oven, place them in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, flipping once during cooking.
Looking For More Easy Chicken Recipes?
- Sheet Pan Chicken Murphy
- The Ultimate Chicken Marsala
- Crock Pot Sticky Chicken Legs
- Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings
- Baked Marsala Chicken Wings
- Chicken Francese
- 15 Minute Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti
Air Fryer Ranch Chicken Nuggets
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeThese healthy Air Fryer Ranch Chicken Nuggets are loved by kids and adults! Who doesn’t love super crispy, super delicious chicken nuggets?
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast, cut into large “nugget” size pieces
- 2 cups seasoned panko bread crumbs
- 2 ounces dry ranch seasoning
- 2 eggs, beaten with a splash of water
- Kosher salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Set up a breading station by placing the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl, the ranch seasoning in another bowl, and the eggs in another bowl.
- Coat each nugget with the ranch seasoning, then into the egg and finally a coating of the breadcrumbs.
- Place the breaded nuggets in a single layer in your air fryer for 8 minutes until browned and cooked through. Different air fryers cook at different speeds so cut into a nugget to make sure they are cooked through before removing the batch.
- Repeat with remaining chicken nuggets, then serve with ranch dressing our Awesome Sauce!
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
