Air Fryer Dinosaur Nuggets are a terrific surprise for your little ones! Not only will they be thrilled at the idea of eating dinosaurs, but you’ll be able air fry Dino nuggets for a quick and easy friendly lunch or dinner!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Tyson Dino nuggets are a favorite of kids of all ages! Air frying them simply elevates them to a whole new level of mom approval. No extra oil, no hard nuggets from microwaving, and no heating an entire conventional oven just to reheat enough for one or two servings!
You will love how air fryer dinosaur nuggets turn out crisp on the outside and juicy tender in the inside. Every time! And, so will your kids!
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Air Fryer Dinosaur Nuggets Ingredients
- How to Air Fry Dino Nuggets
- Air Fryer Dinosaur Nuggets Serving Suggestions
- Related Recipes
- Substitutions And Variations
- Equipment
- Storage
- Tips for Success
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Food Safety
- Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
- 📖 Recipe
- Connect with Smells Like Delish!
Air Fryer Dinosaur Nuggets Ingredients
I used Tyson Dino Fun Nuggets, however, there are several other brands that make Dino shaped nuggets. Since size of nuggets and air fryers vary slightly, I always recommend that the first time air frying dinosaur nuggets, check on them about ¾ of the way through the cooking time.
Dino Nuggets Brands
There are several brands of dinosaur nuggets our there. The differences are negligible, and all are available in the freezer section of your grocery store. All are fully cooked and you will only be reheating them frozen, straight from the freezer.
Most of the difference has to do with how many dinosaur shapes are in the package. They all will use the same air frying instructions. Some very popular brands are below:
- Tyson Fun Nuggets
- Yummy All Natural Dinosaur Chicken Breast Nuggets
- Perdue Farms Chicken Plus Fully Cooked Dinosaur Nuggets
- John Soules Foods Jurassic World Dominion White Meat Chicken Nuggets
- Tyson Dino Fun Nuggets - or any brand of chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs (or any shape really).
- Catsup - optional, but not optional!
- Big Mac Sauce - see our Big Mac Sauce Recipe to make your very own, homemade Big Mac sauce!
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Air Fry Dino Nuggets
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Spread Out Frozen Dino Nuggets In Air Fryer Basket
- Spread the frozen dinosaur shaped Tyson Fun Nuggets in the air fryer basket in a single layer with room for air flow around them. Anticipate 5 to 6 nuggets per child as a serving. No need to spray any oil.
How Long To Cook Dino Nuggets In The Air Fryer
- Set the air fryer temperature to 400F and the timer for 7 minutes. Depending on how hot your air fryer cooks (they vary), check at 5 minutes. If your basket it elevated with air flow beneath, you don't even need to turn the dinosaur nuggets.
- Remove basket of air fried Dino nuggets and transfer to plates. Be sure to let cool a few minutes before little fingers dig in!
PRO TIP: Don't use aluminum foil underneath the frozen Dino nugget in the air fryer. Doing so restricts the air flow and makes for unevenly browned and cooked nuggets.
Air Fryer Dinosaur Nuggets Serving Suggestions
Serve these kid friendly air fryer dinosaur nuggets with our Big Mac Sauce Recipe and Air Fryer Frozen Crinkle Fries, or if you are a Chick Fil A fan, our Copycat Chick Fil A Sauce recipe. And, you can never go wrong with catsup.
Make it a Hero meal with some ant's on a log (celery with peanut butter and raisins), some healthy fresh carrot sticks, and of course, an apple (sliced, applesauce, or whole).
For additional quick and easy frozen prepared foods that kids love, see our:
- Air Fryer Frozen Pizza
- Frozen Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Hot Pockets
- Air Fryer Eggo Waffles
- Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls
Other Great Sides for Air Fryer Dinosaur Nuggets
- Air Fryer Frozen Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Broccolini
- Roasted Rainbow Carrots
- Tropical Fruit Salad
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Related Recipes
Substitutions And Variations
Here are a few scrumptious variations and substitutions using this air fryer dinosaur nuggets recipe as a base:
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets - Can't find Dino nuggets? Any frozen chicken nuggets will work just fine.
- Air Fryer Frozen Fish Stick - Kids love air fried fish sticks just about as much as they do chicken nuggets and dino nuggets in air fryer.
- Air Fryer Chicken Katsu - make your own chicken cutlets in the air fryer with Panko crumbs and an air fryer. See our Air Fryer Chicken Katsu recipe!
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making Tyson Dino nuggets in the air fryer.
- Nuwave Brio Air Fryer - Rotisserie - Grill - This 15 quart countertop Smart Oven has three slide in trays, that all can be used at the same time. You can air fry rotisserie chickens, an SO mush more!
- Nuwave Air Fryer 15 quart - This large family size basket air fryer has room to air fry enough for a large family!
- Gourmia Digital Air Fryer 6 quart - This basket style air fryer will handle four frozen waffles in the air fryer.
- Nuwave Air Fryer 3 quart - This compact basket air fryer is perfect for singles or a small family of 2 or 3. You can air fry two frozen waffles in 4 minutes.
- Oil Sprayer - This is a perfect sprayer for spritzing a light coating of oil on vegetables, meats, and other prepared frozen foods before air frying. The tiny amount of oil ensures you get as amazing results as deep frying and roasting, with a fraction of the calories and splatter!
Storage
Store any leftover air fryer dinosaur nuggets in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. You can reheat them in the air fryer again also. For best results, air fry at 300F for about 5 minutes.
Tips for Success
- Air fry frozen, straight from the freezer. No need to defrost.
- Spread the Dino nuggets in a single layer with room for air to flow around them.
- Dino Nuggets are not as thick as regular chicken nuggets, and will need less time to cook. Check the first time you make them at 5 minutes through the cook time, as air fryers do vary.
- Be careful, the air fryer is hot, and so are the air fryer Dino nuggets.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. And please don't ever spray the interior of your air fryer with non stick cooking spray. The propellant will damage your air fryer. If you ever need an oil to prevent sticking to the air fryer grill, use an Oil Sprayer.
Yes, but some brands use chopped and pressed chicken, some use both dark and white meat, and others use only chicken breast meat. You have to decide what you want to purchase.
Dinosaur nuggets, unsurprisingly, are the favorite chicken nugget shape. They first hit supermarket shelves in the 1990s, popularized by the release of Jurassic Park in 1993. They've had about three decades of little fingers loving them!
Visually, the shape of course. Nutritionally, dinosaur nuggets have more breading, and less protein though.
Shapes that is! The shapes are: Triceratops, brontosaurus and velociraptor.
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Dinosaur Nuggets
Equipment
Instructions
- Spread the frozen dinosaur shaped Tyson Fun Nuggets in the air fryer basket in a single layer with room for air flow around them. Anticipate 5 to 6 nuggets per child as a serving.12 Tyson Dinosaur Fun Nuggets
- Set the air fryer temperature to 400F and the timer for 7 minutes. Depending on how hot your air fryer cooks (they vary), check at 5 minutes. If your basket it elevated with air flow beneath, you don't even need to turn the dinosaur nuggets.
- Remove basket of air fried dino nuggets and transfer to plates. Be sure to let cool a few minutes before little fingers dig in! Serve with catsup or with our Big Mac Sauce Recipe.PRO TIP: Don't use aluminum foil underneath the frozen dino nugget in the air fryer. Doing so restricts the air flow and makes for unevenly browned and cooked nuggets.Catsup, Big Mac Sauce Recipe
Notes
- Spread the dino nuggets in a single layer with room for air to flow around them.
- Don't overcook. Check the first time ¾ of the way through the cook time, as air fryers do vary.
- Be careful, the air fryer is hot, and so are the air fryer dino nuggets.
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