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A tray of Air Fryer Flamin' Hot Cheetos Nuggets with a small bowl of ranch dressing.
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Air Fryer Flamin' Hot Cheetos Nuggets

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Total Time27 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1.5 pounds chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 4 cups Flamin' Hot Cheetos
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • Olive oil spray

Instructions

  • Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) or your oven to 425°F (220°C).
  • Place the Flamin' Hot Cheetos in a resealable bag and use a rolling pin to crush into fine pieces. You can also use a food processor and pulse a few times until the Cheetos are broken down. Place the Cheetos in a shallow dish.
  • In a second shallow dish, mix the flour with the garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and black pepper.
  • In a third bowl, crack the eggs and whisk together.
  • Dredge each chicken chunk first in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.
  • Dip the floured chicken into the beaten eggs making sure to fully coat.
  • Finally, press the chicken chunks into the crushed Flamin' Hot Cheetos. Lightly press the Cheetos into the chicken so the coating sticks.
  • Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray and place the chicken nuggets in one layer. Coat the tops generously with cooking spray. Cook in multiple batches if your basket can not fit all the chicken comfortably. Cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping the chicken midway through, until crispy and the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F).
  • Serve the nuggets hot, with your favorite dipping sauces like ranch or blue cheese.

Notes

  • For extra crunch, double-coat the chicken chunks by repeating the egg and Cheetos coating process.
  • You can omit the cayenne pepper in the flour mixture if you do not want too much heat or you can add more for extra heat. Also you can add some hot sauce to the nuggets after they are done cooking for extra extra heat.
  • A finer crumb from the Cheetos will adhere better to the chicken, but you can leave some larger pieces for added texture.
  • These freeze well, so feel free to make a larger batch and place in a freezer friendly container. The cooking process is the same, just allow for extra time if the budgets are fully frozen,