Chicken nuggets and fries is a quick fast food restaurant lunch or dinner idea that can be easily replicated at home. While I use my air fryer frozen chicken nuggets and fries for this recipe you can easily make these from scratch with chicken bites. You can also make it in the oven.
Looking for more dinner ideas? Try our chicken bolognese and chicken marsala next then find out what to serve with chicken nuggets besides fries.
This recipe post contains helpful tips, tricks and answers to FAQs please read through to ensure you get the recipe right when you try it.
Easy Chicken nuggets and fries (Air fryer)
This makes for a delicious and popular fast food combo. My kids love McDonald’s happy meal not only for the toys but also because of the chicken and fries. By the way if you are a McDonald’s chicken nuggets fan, you should check out how to reheat nuggets in the air fryer you’ll love it too.
Now that we are outgrowing the happy meal we have graduated to making chicken nuggets and fries in the air fryer either together or individually if we are making larger batches.
Why you’ll love this
Budget friendly: Preparing these dishes at home can be more cost-effective than purchasing them from a restaurant, especially when feeding a family or a group of people.
Healthier Options: Making this at home with an air fryer takes away the need for extra oio that comes with deep frying.
Quick and easy: Ready in less than 15 mins with minimal prep and clean up.
Picky eater approved: This is a kid’s favorite that’s guaranteed to be a plate clearer with no leftovers.
Ingredients
You favorite brand of frozen chicken nuggets. I usually use Tyson, Perdue or Banquet brands for this. If using the Aldi chicken nuggets I recommend using Shoestring fries if you intend to cook them together because Aldi chicken nuggets tend to cook in less time than the others mentioned above.
Frozen fries: Choose from French fries, crinkle cut fries, curly fries etc.
Tools used for this recipe
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- Air fryer
- Kitchen tongs
How to make chicken nuggets and fries
See printable recipe card at the end of this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions!
Together
Place the chicken nuggets inside the air fryer basket on one side then add the frozen French fries.
Cook at 400°F (200°C) for 12 to 15 mins. Shaking the basket at 5 mins intervals to ensure even cooking.
Individually
You can also cook these individually by cooking the nuggets first at 400°F (200°C) for 12 to 15 mins. Remove the nuggets and cook the fries at 400°F (200°C) for 10 to 12 mins for regular cut fries and up to 15 mins for crinkle cut fries.
When the fries are done, return the nuggets back into the basket with the fries and warm them up at 300°F for a couple more minutes and serve.
How to serve
Chicken nuggets and fries are already a meal as is. All you need is your dipping sauce like this homemade Mayocue sauce or you can easily choose from bbq sauce, ketchup, fry sauce and lots more.
If you need some think extra for the kiddo lunch box or after school snack, throw in some fruits in season, strawberries and blueberries work or go the route of apple slice line you would on a drive thru order.
Veggies: Think carrots, beets, broccoli or any vegetable of your choice, steamed, air fried or roasted.
Desserts are a way to enjoy this combo! You’ll love this Instant Dutch oven dump cake. It’s super easy to make and so good!
How to store and Reheat
Allow the food to cool down to room temperature before storing them.
For leftover chicken nuggets, place them in an airtight container or wrap them tightly with plastic wrap. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
For leftover fries, store them in a separate airtight container or wrap them in foil or plastic wrap. Keep them in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
If you have a large quantity of chicken nuggets and fries, consider dividing them into smaller portions for easier reheating later.
Reheating
Air Fryer Method: Arrange the chicken nuggets and fries in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Reheat at 400°F (200°) for about 3-5 minutes, or until they are heated through and crispy.
Microwave Method (for chicken nuggets only): While microwaving fries can make them soggy, it's okay for chicken nuggets. Place the nuggets on a microwave-safe plate, cover them loosely with a damp paper towel, and heat on medium power for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until they are warm.
While you can reheat fried in the microwave on a paper towel lined microwave safe, it won’t be as crispy as when done in the oven or air fryer. I highly recommend reheating both in the air fryer.
Tips
- Do not overcrowd the basket: Make sure to arrange the chicken nuggets and fries in a single layer a little overlap is ok. However do not overcrowd the basket ti enough so even cooking and crispy results.
- Shake basket or flip food: To ensure even browning, shake the air fryer basket or flip the chicken nuggets and fries every 5 mins or at least halfway through the cooking process. This helps achieve consistent crispiness on all sides.
- Don't Overcook: Keep an eye on the cooking time, as overcooking can lead to dry and less flavorful chicken nuggets and fries. Adjust the cooking time as needed based on your air fryer and the size of the food.
- Serve Immediately: Air fryer chicken nuggets and fries are best enjoyed right after cooking while they are still hot and crispy. Serve them with your favorite dipping sauces for an extra enjoyable experience.
FAQs
Yes, you can! Air fryers are great for cooking frozen chicken nuggets and fries. Just follow the steps in the recipe card below for best results.
I usually don’t preheat my air fryer in most recipes because I don’t find it necessary. If you do preheat, keep an eye on the food as it may likely cook faster so adjust accordingly.
Yes, you can! Air fryers are great for cooking frozen chicken nuggets and fries. Just follow the steps in the recipe card below for best results.
Cooking times can vary based on the brand and model of the air fryer. In general, chicken nuggets and fries may take around 12 to 15 mins. Check for doneness and crispiness while you cook.
Yes, you can cook chicken nuggets and fries together in the air fryer. Just make sure not to overcrowd the basket to allow proper air circulation for even cooking.
crispy in the air fryer?
To achieve crispiness, make sure the chicken nuggets and fries are evenly spaced in the air fryer basket, avoiding overcrowding. Also shaking or flipping the nuggets and fries at least twice during the cooking process helps.
More Recipes like this
- Air fryer chicken tenders and fries
- Air fryer frozen chicken patties
- Tyson chicken fries
- Check out all our chicken recipes.
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Chicken nuggets and fries
Ingredients
- 10 Pieces chicken nuggets
- 8 oz frozen fries
Instructions
Method 1 (cooking nuggets and fries together)
- Place chicken nuggets on one side of the air fryer basket and fries on the other side.
- Set temperature to 400°F (200°C) and air fry for 12 to 15 mins, shaking the basket at 5 mins intervals to ensure even cooking.
Method 2 (Cooking the nuggets and fries individually)
- Cook the chicken nuggets at 400°F (200°C) for 10 to 12 mins or until heated through. Transfer to a plate.
- Add fries to same basket and air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 10 to 12 mins for think cut fries or 12 to 15 mins for crinkle cut fries. Add back the nuggets in the last minute so everything is nice and warm.
Notes
- No preheat needed. Cook from frozen
- For the first method, I recommend regular cut fries so that the regular cut fries not thick cut fries like steak fries or crinkle cut fries as this may have a longer cook time then the nuggets.
So what do you think?