Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets
These healthy air fryer gluten free chicken nuggets are completely homemade, crispy and full of flavor. Dip in ketchup, honey mustard or your favorite barbecue sauce! Plus, these can easily be frozen for meal prep!
These healthy air fryer gluten free chicken nuggets are seriously going to take you back to your childhood. They’re SO crispy and so easy to make. They aren’t loaded with tons of oil or weird ingredients, just simple pantry staples! A lot of store bought chicken nuggets like Tyson can be considered “healthy,” but making them from scratch is definitely the healthiest option.
You’re in control of the sodium and fat content, but they’re still a super high protein recipe that’s perfect for both kids and adults! The Chick-fil-A grilled nuggets are gluten free (not the breaded ones), but Wendy’s, McDonalds etc. do not have gluten free chicken nuggets, so let’s make our own from scratch!
These chicken nuggets are made of white chicken breast meat, a bunch of spices for lots of flavor, egg and gluten free breadcrumbs. Try my air fryer salmon patties or chicken tenders next!
Before we get started…
- I opted to make these in an air fryer, but you can easily make them in an oven. Scroll down for baked chicken nugget instructions!
- I suggested plain, unseasoned breadcrumbs since we’ll be adding some of our own seasoning to them.
How to make air fryer gluten free chicken nuggets
Slice the chicken. You’ll first want to pound the chicken until it is about 1/2 inch thick. This will help tenderize it and give it the best texture. Then, dice it up into about 1 inch pieces and add to a large mixing bowl.
Season. Toss the chicken with a mixture of flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, onion powder and pepper.
Egg wash. Next, take each piece of seasoned chicken and dip in an egg wash. This will ensure the breading sticks!
Breading. Roll in the gluten free breadcrumbs and press them into the chicken pieces so they stick really well. Place them on a baking sheet while you repeat with all pieces.
Air Fry. Add a single layer of chicken to an air fryer and spray with avocado oil (or any oil of choice). Air fry for 4-5 minutes, then flip and fry an additional 4-5 minutes.
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Serve. I love to keep it simple and serve these air fryer chicken nuggets with ketchup, but they’re also delicious with buffalo sauce, honey mustard or even my teriyaki sauce. Try my air fryer boneless chicken thighs or gluten free chicken wings next!
Oven vs. air fryer
If you want to bake instead of air fry these chicken nuggets, you can definitely do that. You’ll want to follow all the instructions as usual, but bake at 400 Fahrenheit for 15-18 minutes.
To get the crispiest nuggets, I suggest baking them on a wire rack that you can place on top of a regular baking sheet to make clean up easier!
What should I serve these with?
The classic way would be with fries or sweet potato fries, but you can also do sweet potato mac and cheese with peas or a simple side salad for some veggies!
How to store and freeze
These air fryer chicken nuggets are definitely best served fresh, but they will keep in the fridge for about 48 hours.
I like to reheat them in the air fryer so they get crispy again (just a few minutes at 400), but the microwave also works! They’ll be soft, not crispy, in the microwave, but still delicious.
Once cooked, these air fryer gluten free chicken nuggets can be frozen for up to 1 month. You’ll want to let them cool completely, then transfer to a freezer safe bag or container until you’re ready to eat.
To reheat the frozen chicken nuggets in the air fryer, preheat it to 400 degrees, then cook for about 8-10 minutes or until warm through to the center. Since they’re already fully cooked, you just need to worry about getting them warm, not fully cooked!
Try these chicken recipes next!
- Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken
- Orange Chicken
- Chicken Bolognese
- Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs
- Air Fryer Chicken Breasts
If you try this recipe, leave a comment below and let me know how it turns out! Be sure to follow me on instagram and subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes.
Gluten Free Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 pound chicken breast
- 3 tablespoons gluten free all purpose flour can sub regular if not GF
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Egg wash
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
Breading
- 1 ½ cups gluten free panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon Old bay seasoning
- ½ teaspoon parsley
Instructions
- Pound your chicken with a meat tenderizer until it is about 1/2 inch or so thick.
- Cut into 1 inch strips and add to a large bowl.
- Add in the flour and all spices in the chicken category. Toss to coat the chicken.
- In one bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.
- In a second bowl, whisk together the breadcrumbs, old bay seasoning and parsley.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Take one piece of chicken at a time and dunk in the egg mixture, then roll in the breadcrumbs. Press the breadcrumbs into the chicken. Place on a baking sheet and repeat until all pieces have been coated.
- Add about half of the chicken into your preheated air fryer (you only want one layer so the chicken gets crispy) and lightly spray with avocado oil spray.
- Air fry on each side for 4-5 minutes, flipping halfway and spraying again with oil halfway.
- Remove from the air fryer and repeat with the second batch of chicken.
- Serve with ketchup, honey mustard, barbecue sauce or buffalo sauce. Enjoy!
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