Ground turkey nuggets in the air fryer are a kid favorite! These simple nuggets can be made with ground turkey or ground chicken and are super easy to make. Using an air fryer crisps outside just like the store-bought variety without the fat and calories. Gluten-free.
Ground turkey nuggets prepared in the air fryer have become a cherished favorite among children and adults alike! These delectable nuggets are not only delicious but also exceptionally simple to prepare. Whether you opt for ground turkey or ground chicken, the result will be equally delightful.
The magic of the air fryer lies in its ability to achieve that coveted crispy exterior reminiscent of store-bought nuggets, all without the excess fat and calories that often come with deep-frying. Plus, these nuggets are a fantastic option for those with dietary restrictions, as they are gluten-free, catering to a wide range of palates and preferences.
With just a few easy steps, you can create a batch of these golden nuggets that will satisfy even the pickiest eaters. Say goodbye to the frozen, processed nuggets, and hello to a healthier, homemade alternative that’s both scrumptious and guilt-free. These ground turkey (or chicken) nuggets are sure to become a regular fixture on your family’s menu, making mealtime a delightful experience for everyone.
If your kids enjoy creating this recipe, they will have to check out our French Toast Muffins and Ham & Cheese Breakfast Bowl Foil Packs to make for their next meal or snack.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs, divided
- 2 large eggs, whisked
How To Make
1. Blend the ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, add the ground turkey, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 3 tablespoons of bread crumbs. Mix together using clean hands blending until well mixed.
2. Prepare the egg and breadcrumb coating. Add the whisked eggs to one of the shallow bowls and the remaining bread crumbs to the other. Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the bread crumbs. Stir.
3. Coat the nuggets. Using a cookie scoop or spoon scoop about 2 tablespoons of ground turkey mixture. Place the ball into the breadcrumb mixture then coat. Coat it in the egg wash then place it back into the breadcrumbs. Form coated nugget into a chicken nugget shape. Place onto air fryer tray. Repeat for all chicken nuggets. Makes 16 large nuggets or 20 smaller-sized nuggets.
4. Preheat air fryer then bake. Preheat air fryer to 350°F. Spray chicken nuggets with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 8 minutes. Using a flipper carefully flip nuggets, spray with nonstick cooking spray, then bake an additional 7-8 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165°F. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Tips
- Encourage kids to wear gloves or to wash their hands immediately after handing the raw ground turkey.
- Make gluten-free chicken nuggets by using gluten-free breadcrumbs or ground up potato chips.
- Double the chili powder by seasoning with 1 teaspoon of chili powder for spicy chicken nuggets.
- Dip the nuggets into ketchup, honey mustard, BBQ or Chick-Fil-A Sauce.
- Assist your kid chef in steps 1, 3 and 4 depending on the age of your child.
- Crisp the nuggets by using a non-stick cooking spray to coat the chicken nuggets prior to frying and once flipped.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cook for 8 minutes then flip and cook an additional 7-8 minutes in the air fryer or oven. We recommend using a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the nuggets is 165°F before serving.
Yes – ground chicken is a great alternative. Simply swap the ground turkey for ground chicken then follow the same step by step instructions.
Serve with any dipping sauce. Pair with Fruit Salsa, Instant Pot Broccoli (without a steamer basket) or Watermelon Sticks for a complete and nutritious meal.
How to Make Ground Turkey Nuggets in the Oven
No air fryer? Simply bake in the oven.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 8 minutes, flip, then bake an additional 7-8 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165°F.
Cooking Tip: Chicken nuggets cooked in the oven will not brown as they would in the air fryer – but taste just as good!
More Air Fryer Ideas
- Air Fryer Chicken Legs
- Air Fryer Drumsticks
- Easy Air Fryer Taquitos
- Air Fryer Salmon Patties
- Air Fryer Ranch Chicken Thighs
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.
The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.
Ground Turkey Nuggets Recipe
Equipment
- 2 shallow bowls
- cookie scoop or spoon
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey ✅
- 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, divided ✅
- 1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, divided ✅
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder ✅
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free bread crumbs, divided
- 2 large eggs, whisked
Instructions
- ⭐️ Blend the ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, add the ground turkey, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 3 tablespoons of bread crumbs. Mix together using clean hands blending until well mixed.1 pound ground turkey, 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, divided, 1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, divided, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, divided, 1 1/2 cups gluten-free bread crumbs, divided
- Prepare the egg and breadcrumb coating. Add the whisked eggs to one of the shallow bowls and the remaining bread crumbs to the other. Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the bread crumbs. Stir.1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, divided, 1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, divided, 2 large eggs, whisked, 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- ⭐️ Coat the nuggets. Using a cookie scoop or spoon scoop about 2 tablespoons of ground turkey mixture. Place the ball into the breadcrumb mixture then coat. Coat it in the egg wash then place it back into the breadcrumbs. Form coated nugget into a chicken nugget shape. Place onto air fryer tray. Repeat for all chicken nuggets. Makes 16 large nuggets or 20 smaller-sized nuggets.
- ⭐️ Preheat air fryer then bake. Preheat air fryer to 350°F. Spray chicken nuggets with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 8 minutes. Using a flipper carefully flip nuggets, spray with nonstick cooking spray, then bake an additional 7-8 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165°F. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
Oven Instructions
No air fryer? Simply cook in the oven.- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 8 minutes, flip, then bake an additional 7-8 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165°F.
Nutrition
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Bess says
My five year old asked for more!
Samantha says
This is a wonderful recipe for picky eaters! My toddler couldn’t get enough, the hubby and I enjoyed them too. 🙊
Jodi Danen, RDN says
So happy to hear you enjoyed them!!
Ericka says
Can these be stored in the freezer?
Meghan says
Can you freeze these prior to cooking?
Jodi Danen, RDN says
Hi Meghan! I have not tried to freeze them prior to cooking, but if you freeze them on a baking sheet, then store them in a sealed container I would think they would freeze well. Let me know if you give it a try!
Lola says
Great recipe! I used a little less salt (not that the recipe required a lot of salt) My husband and I enjoyed it just as much as our toddler. We used a plastic reusable ziplock bag to freeze the remaining nuggets… didn’t even last a week lol we couldn’t get enough
Mike says
That’s awesome, how did you prepare your toddler?
Ericka says
Got it I will try that out, thank you!
Diane Haugen says
How would you suggest re-heating these in the air fryer? Time and temp.
Jodi Danen, RDN says
Hi Diane! Yes, you can totally reheat them in the air fryer. Check out this post on my air fryer site that walks you though how to do it. I’d cut the time a minute or so for nuggets as compared to tenders. https://quickairfryerrecipes.com/reheating-chicken-tenders-in-air-fryer/
Kelly Burgin says
Hi there. We are navigating a new elimination for my son. I am familiar with GF foods but his recent test indicates that chicken is causing an inflammatory response. So here I am for these turkey nuggets. I have a question: Is there a method to cook these, and then freeze them so he can heat them up in the air fryer on another day? Kind of like having frozen Perdue or Tyson nuggets on hand? (but they don’t have any GF, DF, and chicken-free options.) Looking to ease my daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner cooking requirements.
Jodi Danen, RDN says
Thanks for reaching out, Kelly! I can’t say I’ve done this, but here is how I would go about freezing them for later use. Prepare per recipe instructions then cook the nuggets.
Allow the cooked nuggets to cool completely before freezing. You can place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them for about an hour until they’re firm. This prevents them from sticking together during storage. Once the nuggets are partially frozen, transfer them into airtight containers or freezer bags. When you’re ready to enjoy the homemade chicken nuggets, place the frozen nuggets on a baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 10-15 minutes, or until they’re heated through and crispy. Alternatively, you can also reheat them in an air fryer or on a stovetop in a skillet with a little oil.
Jessica Ward says
Can you add cheese?
Jodi Danen, RDN says
Hi Jessica! If you mean add cheese to the ground meat mixture you could. I wouldn’t add too much or it might not work great. Start with maybe 1/3 cup or so and see how that works.
Amanda Walsh says
It’s summer time and my kids are blowing through store bought chicken nuggets at an alarming rate. Even though we buy the “healthier” kind I’m still really put off by the amount of junk in them. Plus the healthy once are like twice as expensive. But this past week ground chicken and turkey were both on sale so I decided to try our own homemade ones.
I left out the chili because my 7 year old freaked out that it would make them to spicy, so we subbed paprika instead. We have a surplus of Italian bread crumbs from making our year supply of meatballs in Spring, so we used that too. The kids didn’t even let me try the first batch that came out the air fryer once I check the internal temperature. This is definitely going to be a go to recipe!
Marilyn says
My 10 month old and 2.5 year old both loved them. I didn’t have breadcrumbs or potato chips, so I ground up some Fritos corn chips and instant potatoes for the breading. Thanks for sharing this recipe!