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When you see how easy it is to make chicken nuggets in the air fryer from scratch in just 20 minutes, you might never hit the drive-thru for them again! In this recipe, we use canned chicken and minimal ingredients for nuggets that are well-seasoned and air fried to crispy perfection with no breading. Also, using canned chicken means these nuggets are budget-friendly!
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 low carb unless someone told you. These nuggets have a crispy coating without breadcrumbs (or breading of any kind), and are well-seasoned and flavorful. And they’re gluten free.
You’ll be amazed at how simple these are to make! The time-saving 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!
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 are not only low carb, keto, and gluten free, but they’re also kid-friendly. Instead of heading to your favorite fast food joint, 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 economical recipes on hand that use canned protein, such as canned chicken.
- Quick and easy to make. This homemade chicken nuggets recipe is easy to make in the air fryer (and a fun with kids!), and only takes 20 minutes from start to finish. And don’t worry if you don’t have an air fryer because you can also make these in the oven (see the Notes in the recipe card below for instructions).
- 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 or freezer for easy snacks or quick meals.
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Canned chicken – This budget-friendly pantry ingredient is the base of our chicken nuggets.
- Egg – Egg and cheese act as the binders in this recipe without the need for breadcrumbs.
- Pre-shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese – Make sure to get the kind that says low-moisture on the package.
- 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 light olive oil. We only need a little bit of oil to get these nuggets super crispy in the air fryer.
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. (TIP: 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).
Storage and Reheating Tips
Store leftover air fryer chicken nuggets in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze them layered between pieces of parchment paper in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
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 oven for 5 to 7 minutes. (For even heating, flip 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, or in a 400F oven for about 15 minutes. (For even heating, flip them over halfway through.)
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! To do so:
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat and lightly brush with oil or spray with cooking spray.
- Bake. Arrange the nuggets on the prepared baking tray. Bake until crispy, about 15 to 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
How to Serve Homemade Chicken Nuggets
As a Snack
These make a good high protein snack or easy appetizer. Add cherry tomatoes, celery sticks, carrot sticks, bell pepper slices, or broccoli florets to make a well-balanced, healthy snack plate that’s perfect for kiddos after school.
You can serve nuggets with the dipping sauce of your choice, such as:
- Parmesan peppercorn dressing
- Ranch dressing
- Blue cheese dressing
- Honey mustard dressing
- BBQ sauce
- And it might sound weird, but I like these dipped in cottage cheese!
Make it a Meal
These are a good source of protein and can be part of a full balanced 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 one easy trick!
- Crispy Baked Zucchini Slices – A delicious keto side dish if you like the crunch factor.
- 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 mealtime salad! Serve them on a bed of chopped lettuce with tomatoes, carrot, celery, cucumber, shredded cheddar, and your favorite salad dressing.
My Best Tips For Homemade Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- You can use shredded chicken instead of canned chicken in this recipe. If you have leftover chicken breasts just shred it, or you can make poached chicken and shred it. You’ll need about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of shredded chicken for this recipe, and add about 1/4 teaspoon of salt if you’re not using canned chicken.
- 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.
- 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 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and working up from there.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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.
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
- Chicken Noodle Casserole – This casserole is a cozy, well-balanced comfort food meal in 30 minutes that the whole family will love.
- Canned Chicken Salad – A lunchtime staple, this is good on a bed of leafy greens or made into a sandwich.
- Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells – This recipe uses shredded chicken, and canned chicken works great too!
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Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 12.5 ounces canned chicken drained
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup pre-shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- 4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil or vegetable oil
Optional Dipping Sauce Ideas:
Instructions
- Mix. Add all ingredients (except the oil) to a medium-sized bowl and stir to combine.
- Shape. Use a 1-tablespoon scoop to measure out the mixture. Roll each into a ball, and then flatten each into a chicken nugget.
- Arrange. 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. (TIP: You may need to cook these in batches depending on how big your air fryer is.)
- Cook. Air fry until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes (there’s no need to flip).
- Enjoy. Serve warm with any dipping sauces you like.
Notes
- 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 1/4 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 freeze them 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 oven for 5 to 7 minutes. (For even heating, flip 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, or in a 400F oven for about 15 minutes. (For even heating, flip them over halfway through.)
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat and lightly brush with oil or spray with cooking spray.
- Bake. Arrange the nuggets on the prepared baking tray. Bake until crispy, about 15 to 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on January 22, 2023, and updated on January 7, 2026.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
Free Bonus
Can you make this recipe with already-cooked chicken rather than canned?
Denise, Absolutely! You’ll need about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of cooked, chopped chicken to make this recipe.