Air Fryer Dino Nuggets (Buddies)

Name: Air Fryer Dino Nuggets (Buddies)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 8 Yummy Dino Buddies; Cooking Spray (optional if not using parchment paper)

Air fried dino buddies recipe close up, holding a single nugget.

This air fryer Dino nuggets recipe is so fast and easy to make, but yet so crispy, crunchy and delicious. Great for busy weeknights when you are looking to save a bunch of time!

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Recipe updated: April 4th, 2024

These little air fryer dino nuggets are so good! And the kids love the dinosaur shapes. It doesn’t take much time to cook them either. The cooking time is only about 8-10 minutes to air fry them, depending on your air fryer, and then lunch or dinner is ready for the kids, and us grownups too.

This dino chicken nuggets recipe is so easy to make, and a great way to make a quick meal, especially when you have busy weeknights during the week. The Yummy Dino Buddies brand we used is also a healthier option with 9 grams of protein per 4 chicken nuggets, and no preservatives or artificial ingredients. The cost is crazy too, 8 frozen chicken nuggets cost about 0.17 cents apiece, but of course, that does depend on where you buy them.

🍴 Key Ingredients

8 pieces of frozen Yummy Dino Buddies (or your favorite brand)
1 sheet of parchment paper with holes in it (optional)

Ingredients for air fryer Dino nuggets. We cooked eight. — Ingredients for air fryer Dino nuggets.

👩‍🍳 How to Make Air Fryer Dino Nuggets

These step-by-step instructions are accompanied by detailed photos for enhanced clarity and guidance.

Follow the simple steps below for some great-tasting crispy chicken nuggets!

Step 1. Preheat the Air Fryer

Set the air fryer temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep in mind that air fryers can be different from each other. Especially, the power they produce can vary.

Note: Our air fryer is a Cosori with a power output of 1800 watts, and it is also a large capacity unit that can cook for 5 to 7 people. You may have to adjust the time and temperature of your air fryer if it is a smaller unit. Always check on the food you are cooking in the air fryer at all times.

Step 2. Put Parchment Paper on the Air Fryer Basket

The first thing we did was put parchment paper with holes in it on the air fryer basket. That way we don’t have to brush or spray cooking oil on the basket since this parchment paper is non-stick.

If you do use parchment paper on your air fryer basket, or air fryer tray as some people call it, make sure it has holes in it as this lets the hot air circulate letting the air fryer unit work properly. If you don’t have any parchment paper on hand, brush or spray the tray with cooking oil before you put the Dino nuggets in the air fryer.

Pre-cut parchment paper with holes on the air fryer basket.

Step 3. Lay the Nuggets on the Parchment Paper

Put the frozen Dino nuggets in a single layer on top of the parchment paper without overlapping them.

Note: You can use any of your favorite brands of chicken nuggets, such as Tyson chicken nuggets, or if you prefer, there are also dinosaur chicken nuggets that are gluten-free. Frozen chicken nuggets are sold in the frozen foods section of many grocery stores.

Lay eight nuggets on top of the parchment paper. — Lay 8 nuggets on top of the parchment paper.

Step 4. Cook the Frozen Nuggets

Put the chicken nuggets into the air fryer frozen, there is no need to thaw them first. Cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 10 minutes until crispy, flipping them over halfway through the cooking time.

Depending on how hot your air fryer gets, and how crispy you want them, always keep an eye on the air fryer chicken nuggets while air frying them. We did 10 minutes. You can check the internal temperature at 165 degrees Fahrenheit using a kitchen thermometer.

Cook at four hundred degrees Fahrenheit for eight to ten minutes, flipping over halfway through. — Cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping over halfway through.

✅ Dipping Sauces For Chicken Nuggets

These air fryer chicken nuggets go best with your favorite dipping sauce. Our best dipping sauces are:

BBQ sauce
Tartar sauce
Ketchup
Ranch dressing
Honey mustard
Chick-Fil-A dipping sauce or a Chick-Fil-A copycat sauce of yellow or Dijon mustard, honey, BBQ sauce, and mayonnaise with a bit of lemon juice added. So good!

Eight air fryer Dino nuggets on a plate.

🙋 FAQs

What Can I Serve With Dino Nuggets?

To make Dino nuggets a complete meal for your family, try serving a fresh salad with lots of veggies alongside potato salad, fruit salad, French fries, air fryer potato wedges, mashed potatoes and green beans, corn on the cob, or mac and cheese. These are some good choices.

What Do I Do With Leftover Dino Nuggets?

Store any leftover Dino nuggets in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days, then reheat them in the air fryer for about 3 minutes, and then check to see if they are hot.

What are Other Dino-Shaped Nugget Brands?

Some other brands of chicken nuggets that are shaped like a dinosaur are:

🟩 Frozen Tyson Fully Cooked Fun Chicken Nuggets
Their label says 100% all-natural ingredients, fully cooked fun nuggets made with white chicken meat. Also, the chickens are raised with no antibiotics ever. They use no preservatives in them and 0 trans fat and no fillers.

🟦 Perdue CHICKEN PLUS Chicken Breast Vegetable Dino Nuggets
Their label says frozen Dino nuggets, fully cooked and packed with one-fourth cup of veggies per serving. They are made with a blend of white meat chicken breast, cauliflower, and chickpeas. They are shaped into dinosaurs for a nutritious, kid-approved meal. Warnings: Contains wheat.

🟩 Good & Gather™ Whole Grain Dinosaur Shaped Chicken Nuggets – Frozen
Their label says fully cooked dinosaur-shaped nuggets. Breaded chicken breast patties with rib meat. The chickens are raised with no antibiotics, no added hormones, or steroids. 13g whole grain per serving. Contains soy and wheat.

💡 Final Thoughts

If you have a few picky eaters in your family as we do, the best way to solve that is to cook up some crispy nuggets for a quick snack, lunch, or dinner. It’s an easy meal to prepare with little cook time involved.

This recipe uses Costco dinosaur nuggets, but regular chicken nuggets will work too. However, you may need to adjust the time slightly with different brands, so be sure to keep an eye out while they are cooking. The cook time depends on the size of the nuggets, whether they are bigger, smaller, or thicker nuggets than the ones we used.

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