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Dino Nuggets in the Air Fryer are the ultimate quick fix for hungry kids (and let’s be honest, adults too). Crispy, golden, and ready in under 10 minutes, these fun-shaped nuggets disappear faster than you can say “T-Rex.” Perfect for picky eaters, after-school snacks, or a crispy treat that never leaves leftovers behind!
I love air frying frozen foods for quick and easy snacks. Dino chicken nuggets are perfect for a quick snack or easy meal on busy weeknights. There are a few different brands and varieties you can choose from when it comes to dinosaur nuggets. I’ve used both the Yummy, Perdue, and Tyson brands and my kids love them all.
For more easy frozen foods try these air fryer tater tots and air fryer corn dogs next.
Quick Look At This Recipe
- ✨ Flavor: Crispy outside and juice inside.
- ⏱️ Prep time: Just a few minutes to get prep and preheat your air fryer.
- 🔥 Cook time: about 9 minutes
- ⏲️ Total time: 10-12 minutes MAX
- 👥 Servings: 4 depending on appetites (makes about 16 dinos per batch)
- 🥄 Tools: Just your favorite air fryer
- ❄️ Freezer friendly: Not really but the product is frozen so you can easily make more when needed!
- 👩🏻🍳 Tip: Don’t cook too many at one time. For the crispiest results, leave some space between the dino nuggets, just like when cooking frozen shrimp tempura in the air fryer.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Kid-friendly favorite: Dinosaur nuggets are one of my kids’ favorites. They make easy to eat finger foods for little ones and they love the fun shapes of dinosaurs over regular chicken nuggets.
- Air frying is better than the oven: I find air frying dino nuggets is quicker and less messy than the oven and this method is the best way to get crispy dino nuggets without frying.
- Easy Dinner or Snack: Whether your serving them as a whole meal with sides like air fryer steak fries or just a snack, these air fryer dino nuggets require minimal effort.
Table of Contents
Ingredients Needed
- Dinosaur Chicken Nuggets. You’ll find several different brands such as Tyson, Perdue, and Yummy, in the freezer section of your local grocery stores.
You can even try different versions, such as gluten-free, other shapes, and even plant-based options. Just note that the cooking times may need to be adjusted!
How to Cook Dino Nuggets in the Air Fryer
I make this recipe in my Cosori 5.8 qt. air fryer or this 6.8 quart air fryer following the instructions outlined below. Depending on the size and wattage of your air fryer, the cooking time may need to be adjusted by 1-2 minutes either up or down.
Step 1: Place the dinosaur nuggets into a single layer in the prepared air fryer basket.
Step 2: Air fry dino nuggets at 400°F (200°C) for 8-10 minutes. Flip the frozen nuggets halfway through the cooking process. Add an extra minute for extra crispy nuggets. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Recipe Tip
- Proper Cooking Technique: It’s best to keep the dinos in a single layer to allow the hot air to circulate better, which cooks the nuggets more evenly. This will give the nuggets that perfect crispiness and juicy flavor.
- Oven-style Air Fryers: May need to extend the cooking time 1-2 minutes after flipping. Also, a preheat is essential before adding the dino nuggets for the best results.
- Cooking Different Types of Dinos: Cooking times may vary depending on the thickness of your dinos. In particular, plant-based dino nuggets cook more quickly, so I recommend checking them around the 6-7 mark.
- Adjusting Recipe for Your Oven: For smaller ovens, you may need to cook fewer dino nuggets at a time, and if your air fryer is less than 1700 watts you may need to extend the cooking time.
- Crispier Nuggets: Check at end of cooking time and if not as crispy as you like extend the cooking time 1-2 minutes.
Storing and Reheating
- Storing Leftovers. When your eyeballs are bigger than your belly and you have leftover dino nuggets, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheating. To reheat refrigerated dino nuggets, place them in a single layer in the air fryer and cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 minutes, or until heated through.
Recipe FAQs
I love to serve these yummy dino buddies with a side of carrot and celery sticks. If your little ones aren’t a fan of those veggies, you can also serve them with air fryer side dishes like French fries in the air fryer, air fried sweet potato fries, or even make some air fryer mac and cheese to make a complete meal.
Serve these chicken nuggets with your favorite French fry sauce, ketchup, BBQ sauce, honey mustard sauce, ranch dipping sauce, or buffalo sauce if you like a little spice. You can even try it with some homemade cheese sauce.
If using a basket air fryer, I typically don’t have to coat my Cosori with anything because of the nonstick coating. However, if you need to use something to prevent sticking, you can use an olive oil cooking spray or even place a piece of parchment paper under the nuggets for easy clean up.
No! For the crispiest results only a single layer works best. You also want to give them a bit of room in between the nuggets to allow the air to circulate.
The most common cause is overcrowding the air fryer basket or not cooking at the correct temperature. For best results, preheat your air fryer, flip them over halfway during cooking, and make sure to space out the dinos a bit.
This is such an easy air fryer recipe and takes less time than a conventional oven so you can get snacks or dinner on the table fast. I personally think air frying dinosaur nuggets is the best way to make them!
More Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Recipes
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Air Fryer Dino Nuggets (From Frozen)
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 16 Frozen dino-shaped chicken nuggets, any brand
Instructions
- Place the dinosaur nuggets into a single layer in the prepared air fryer basket.
- Air fry dino nuggets at 400 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celcius for 8-10 minutes.
- Flip the frozen nuggets halfway through the cooking process. Add an extra minute for extra crispy nuggets.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
