When I first started looking into Air Fryers, there were two meal items that popped up in everyone’s suggestions. French fries and Chicken Nuggets. So, I knew I had to incorporate at least one of those into my meal plan. This may not be the “healthies” dinner option if you are looking at core nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, but it is going to be WAYYY healthier than stopping for fries and nugs at McDonald’s on your way home. Here is my version of my dinner for two using frozen chicken nuggets in the air fryer.
Chicken nuggets don’t have the greatest reputation, because they are associated with fast food (and are often deep-fried). However, when you dissect one, you find chicken meat covered with a little breading. When cooked without oil, either baking or air frying you have a reasonably healthy protein source for dinner.
When paired with a potato-based side dish, you are not getting a wide variety of nutrients in this meal, but you can make some easy changes to turn this into a power meal! First, swap the tots for a whole grain brown rice and quinoa microwave side dish like I used in this dinner. Make sure you have a nutrition-packed veggie side dish, like broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, or zucchini to go with it. Finally, add in a side salad full of dark leafy greens and a light dressing. Supplementing the protein in the nuggets with nutrient-packed side dishes turns this into a powerhouse of a meal choice!
This is one of the cheapest dinner options in my air fryer series. Frozen nuggets and tots usually cost about $4-5 per bag, and the bags contain around 10 servings (based on my research at a mid-cost location Safeway store). This means a serving of each cost around 40-60 cents each! What a bargain!
Let’s get cooking!
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets Dinner for Two!
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
- 1 Microwave
Ingredients
- 12 each Frozen chicken nuggets Serving on the bag is 4 nuggets, but for an adult, that can be light so I upped it to 1.5 servings or 6 nuggets each.
- 22 each Frozen Tater Tots 1 serving of 11 Tots each
- 2 cups Fresh chopped broccoli
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Garlic and herb seasoning like Ms. Dash
- 4 tbsp Dipping sauce of your choice. This recipe uses 2 tbsp. of fry sauce and 2 tbsp. of ketchup.
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.
- While it is preheating, Chop your broccoli into bite-sized pieces.
- Add chicken nuggets and tots in the air fryer leaving room for broccoli.
- Set the timer and cook for 12 minutes. When 4 minutes have elapsed, add broccoli and flip over the chicken nuggets.
- Let the items cook the remainder of the time.
- Remove from the air fryer and plate with 1/2 of the chicken nuggets, tots, and broccoli on each plate.
- Add your personal favorite dipping sauces and enjoy!
Notes
This will satisfy any fast food craving you have after a long day at work. Plus, it will be ready faster than you can Door-dash it and for way less money!
A 10 piece chicken nuggets meal from your local McDonald’s with medium fries and a Coke will be approximately 1,070 calories and costs $9.59 at my local McDonald’s restaurant. Plus it will have 62% of your daily recommended sodium in it! Yikes! This meal clocks in at 775 calories and is a budget-friendly $3.20 per serving. Plus you get the bonus nutrients from your broccoli included. Yay for healthy food to help fill you up!
This is a great example of how cooking at home can save you serious money, time, and health. Chicken nuggets and tots are easy to keep on hand in the freezer to have any time you need a quick meal. Plus, it satisfies the cravings of your inner 5-year-old child, because we all have those! These frozen chicken nuggets in the air fryer is definitely a meal that can do it all for you! Here are some other air fryer meals that fit this bill too!
What are your favorite things to cook in your air fryer? I would love for you to share some of your ideas in the comments below or over on Instagram and I may feature them in a future post!
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I love Nuggets. Your post is very nice