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A plate of Air Fryer Dino Chicken Nuggets with a small bowl of ketchup.
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Air Fryer Dino Chicken Nuggets (Homemade)

Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Total Time37 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 nuggets

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated 
  • 2 large eggs
  • Cooking spray 

Instructions

  • Combine the ground chicken, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder in a large mixing bowl. Mix well until all ingredients are evenly combined and the mixture looks smooth.
  • Take the chicken and place it on a clean cutting board. Spread the chicken mixture out evenly until it is about 1-inch thick.
  • Using your Dino cookie cutters, punch out as many shapes as you can and place them on a plate or baking sheet. Reform any leftover chicken and cut out more shapes until the remaining chicken is used.
  • Place the Dino chicken shapes into the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
  • Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 3-5 minutes.
  • In a shallow bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and the Parmesan cheese. In a second bowl, whisk the eggs until they are an even consistency.
  • Dip each Dino shape into the egg, covering completely.
  • Place each egg dipped Dino shape into the breadcrumb mixture and coat the nugget evenly. Gently press each shape to ensure the coating sticks.
  • Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Place the nuggets in the air fryer basket in a single layer and spray each nugget with cooking spray. Cook for 10-12 minutes, until the nuggets are golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C).
  • Remove the chicken nuggets from the air fryer and let them rest for a few minutes. Serve with your favorite dipping sauces, such as honey mustard or ketchup.

Notes

  • Add finely chopped vegetables like bell peppers or carrots to the chicken mixture for added texture and nutrition. You can add the mixture to a food processor to hide and veggies for picky eaters.
  • You can make many batches of these nuggets and store them in the freezer for when you want to pull them out to use.  Allow the nuggets to freeze on a baking sheet and then they can be transferred to a freezer bag for storage.
  • You can experiment with the seasoning in the breadcrumbs as well as the chicken. Feel free to add fresh or dried herbs, like oregano, thyme and parsley.
  • I used 3-inch cookie cutters for this recipe which yielded about 12 nuggets. You can use smaller or larger depending on what is available.