Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

1 . Stage

Cut the chicken into nuggets: Cut chicken breast into nugget-sized pieces, about 1-inch long and 1/2-inch thick. They should resemble more of a plank than a cube. In a bowl, add the nuggets and pickle and marinate for 30 minutes or up to an hour. Don’t marinate them for any longer or they will pickle.

2 . Stage

Make the dredging station: In a medium bowl combine flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. In a second medium bowl, whisk eggs until smooth. In a third medium bowl, add the breadcrumbs.

3 . Stage

Drain, dry, and bread the nuggets: Drain nuggets from the pickle juice and pat them dry with a few paper towels. No need to rinse them. Working with a few nuggets at a time, add to flour mixture and coat well, followed by eggs letting any excess egg drip off, and finally fully coat in the breadcrumbs. You can start cooking one batch of nuggets while you work on breading the remainder of the nuggets.

4 . Stage

Air fry the chicken nuggets: Spray your air fryer basket and the nuggets with nonstick cooking spray. Lay out your first batch of chicken nuggets in a single layer with some space in between each nugget. Air fry at 350˚F for 6 minutes. Then, flip all the nuggets and fry for another 5-6 minutes. Chicken nuggets are done when the breading is golden brown and they reach an internal temperature of at least 165˚F in the thickest part of the nugget. Repeat with all chicken nuggets until cooked.

5 . Stage

Make honey mustard sauce and serve: In a small bowl combine the mustard and honey to make the honey mustard sauce. Serve the chicken nuggets while warm with sauce or your favorite dip.