Keto Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets made with canned chicken are well-seasoned and crispy outside with no breading! You won’t believe how easy they are to make in just 20 minutes. And using canned chicken means these nuggets are budget-friendly too!
Get ready to have your mind blown. Fast food chicken nuggets from the drive thru will be a thing of the past after you make this recipe!
Air fryer chicken nuggets is one of those surprising keto recipes that you’d never know is keto unless someone told you. These nuggets have a crispy coating without breadcrumbs (or breading of any kind), and are well-seasoned and flavorful.
You’ll be amazed at how easy these are to make! Our trick is to use canned chicken. You just mix together all ingredients in a bowl, scoop it into nuggets, and air fry until blissfully golden and crispy.
There’s no breading to deal with, and no carbs that go along with the breading!
Air fryer chicken nuggets are not only low carb, keto, and gluten free, but they’re also kid-friendly. Instead of heading through the drive thru, whip up a batch of homemade chicken nugs.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Budget friendly recipe made from pantry staples. I love putting pantry staple ingredients to good use, and this recipe does just that! With the price of groceries skyrocketing, it helps to have a few budget friendly recipes on hand that use canned protein, such as canned chicken.
- Keto chicken nuggets are quick and easy to make. This homemade air fryer chicken nuggets recipe is really easy to make (and a fun with kids!), and only takes 20 minutes. And don’t worry if you don’t have an air fryer because you can easily make these in the oven.
- Low in carbs and gluten free. These keto chicken nuggets are naturally low carb and gluten free. They cook up perfectly crispy with no breading needed!
- High protein snack. Each serving has 18 grams of protein. These make a great after-school snack for kids.
- Perfect for stocking the freezer. If you like to meal prep, make a double (or triple!) batch of these chicken nuggets to stash in the fridge for easy snacks or quick meals.
Easy Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets Recipe with No Breading
Keto chicken nuggets with canned chicken are crispy and delicious with minimal ingredients. This recipe is a version of three ingredient chicken nuggets; the base ingredients are canned chicken, egg, and cheese. We add a couple spices to really bump up the flavor, but all the seasonings are optional.
Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets Ingredients
- Canned chicken - this budget-friendly pantry ingredient is the base of our chicken nuggets
- Egg - acts as a binder in this recipe
- Pre-shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese - also acts as a binder here
- Grated parmesan - use the finely-grated stuff in the canister, which simulates breadcrumbs and keeps these chicken nuggets keto
- Onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper - adds savory flavor to season our nuggets
- Avocado oil - you can also use vegetable oil or olive oil; we only need a little bit of oil to get these nuggets super crispy in the air fryer
Pro Tip: Don't Add Salt
These nuggets are made with canned chicken and cheese, which both have salt. They are definitely salty enough without adding more salt.
How to Make Keto Chicken Nuggets in the Air Fryer
- Add all ingredients (except the oil) to a medium-sized bowl.
- Stir to combine.
- Use a 1-tablespoon scoop to measure out the mixture.
- Roll each into a ball, and then flatten each into a chicken nugget.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400F. Once hot, brush the air fryer basket with oil. Arrange the nuggets in the air fryer basket so they don’t touch and brush the top of each with oil.
- Air fry until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes (there’s no need to flip).
Storage
Store leftover air fryer chicken nuggets in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Or you can freeze leftover nuggets layered between pieces of parchment paper in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Reheating
To keep chicken nuggets crispy, you can reheat them in the air fryer or the oven.
You can reheat chicken nuggets from the fridge. To do so, heat them in a 350F air fryer for 3 to 5 minutes, or in a 375F for 5 to 7 minutes (flipping them over halfway through).
Also, you can reheat frozen chicken nuggets without thawing them first. To do so, heat them in a 400F air fryer for 6 to 10 minutes (flipping one time halfway through), or in a 400F oven for about 15 minutes (flipping once).
How to Make Spicy Chicken Nuggets
If spicy nugs are more your thing, they're easy to make! To do so, simply add cayenne pepper to taste along with the other seasonings. I recommend starting with ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper and working up from there.
How to Make Easy 3 Ingredient Chicken Nuggets in the Oven
You can easily make this chicken nuggets recipe in the oven instead of in the air fryer!
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat and lightly brush with oil or spray with cooking spray.
- Arrange the nuggets on the prepared baking tray.
- Bake in a preheated 425F oven until crispy, about 15 to 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
How to Serve Homemade Chicken Nuggets
Chicken Nuggets as a Snack
These make a good protein-rich snack or easy appetizer. Add celery sticks, carrot sticks, sliced bell pepper, or broccoli florets to make a healthy snack plate.
You can serve nuggets with the dipping sauce of your choice, such as:
Make it a Meal
Chicken nuggets are a good source of protein and can be part of a full meal. Here are a few side dishes that pair well with chicken nuggets.
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries – no need to fry, these are perfectly crispy in the oven with 1 easy trick!
- Crispy Baked Zucchini Slices – a delicious keto side dish
- Mac and Cheese – decadent and super cheesy with a crunchy topping
- Ramen Noodle Salad – basically a kicked-up flavor-packed slaw with crunch from toasted ramen
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad – this is a good option if you want a side dish you can make ahead of time
- Or turn chicken nuggets into a salad! Serve them on a bed of chopped lettuce with tomatoes, carrot, celery, cucumber, shredded cheddar, and your favorite salad dressing
Keto Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets Recipe FAQs
Can I Use Cooking Spray in the Air Fryer?
No, don’t use aerosol cooking sprays (such as PAM) in the air fryer. These types of cooking sprays typically contain ingredients known as propellants (which is what makes the spray come out of the can) that are known to chip the coating on the air fryer basket.
However, you can use a small basting brush in the air fryer, or use an oil mister to spray the oil.
Do You Have to Flip Nuggets in the Air Fryer?
No. When you’re making air fryer chicken nuggets, there’s no need to flip them. They will get perfectly crispy on both sides without flipping if you leave space between each nugget so air can flow through.
How Long Do You Cook Chicken Nuggets in the Air Fryer?
These chicken nuggets are made from canned chicken, which is pre-cooked. They only need to cook for 6 to 8 minutes in the air fryer at 400F.
More Canned Chicken Recipes to Make
Let's Connect
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media.
To stay up-to-date, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!
Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12.5 ounces canned chicken drained
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup pre-shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- 4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil or vegetable oil
Optional Dipping Sauce Ideas:
Instructions
- Add all ingredients (except the oil) to a medium-sized bowl and stir to combine.
- Use a 1-tablespoon scoop to measure out the mixture. Roll each into a ball, and then flatten each into a chicken nugget.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400F. Once hot, brush the air fryer basket with oil. Arrange the nuggets in the air fryer basket so they don’t touch and brush the top of each with oil. (You may need to cook these in batches depending on how big your air fryer is.)
- Air fry until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes (there’s no need to flip).
- Serve warm with any dipping sauce you like.
Faith's Tips
- Net Carbs: 1g per serving (4 nuggets = 1 serving)
- Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes 16 to 18 chicken nuggets; each serving is 4 nuggets for about 4 servings.
- Nutritional Information: The nutrition information for this recipe was calculated without the optional dipping sauces.
- Don’t Add Salt: These nuggets are made with canned chicken and cheese, which both have salt. They are definitely salty enough without adding more salt!
- For Spicy Chicken Nuggets: Add cayenne pepper to taste along with the other seasonings. I recommend starting with ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper and working up from there.
- Storage: Store leftover air fryer chicken nuggets in the fridge for up to 3 days. Or you can freeze leftover nuggets layered between pieces of parchment paper in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: To keep chicken nuggets crispy, you can reheat them in the air fryer or the oven. You can reheat chicken nuggets from the fridge. To do so, heat them in a 350F air fryer for 3 to 5 minutes, or in a 375F for 5 to 7 minutes (flipping them over halfway through). Also, you can reheat frozen chicken nuggets without thawing them first. To do so, heat them in a 400F air fryer for 6 to 10 minutes (flipping one time halfway through), or in a 400F oven for about 15 minutes (flipping once).
How to Make Chicken Nuggets in the Oven
You can easily make this chicken nuggets recipe in the oven instead of in the air fryer!- Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat and lightly brush with oil or spray with cooking spray.
- Arrange the nuggets on the prepared baking tray.
- Bake in a preheated 425F oven until crispy, about 15 to 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
Nutrition
Denise Charron says
Can you make this recipe with already-cooked chicken rather than canned?
Faith says
Denise, Absolutely! You'll need about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of cooked, chopped chicken to make this recipe.