Our air fryer corn nuggets recipe offers a ton of flavor in an easy to put together dish kids and adults alike adore. It’s quick and easy enough to make these just about any night and feed your family a hearty dinner or give your kids a great afternoon snack that you can feel good about feeding them. This will quickly become a new favorite and on your table over and over again!
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What are corn nuggets?
Corn nuggets are delicious, fried, and sweet and savory treats that you can serve for dinner or lunch or as a snack to your hungry family. They are made using primarily frozen corn and spices mixed with some flour to help keep them together.
This naturally vegan recipe is perfect for feeding picky eaters because they can dip the corn nuggets into their favorite sauces and gravies.
Why you’ll love this corn nugget recipe
Our corn nugget recipe contains more than just corn and flour. We add in some green chilis, garlic, cilantro, and paprika to give these corn nuggets a delicious flavor that you will love.
You’ll also appreciate that we use a fraction of the oil by cooking them in the air fryer. This makes them a bit healthier so you can feel good about serving them to your kids and family.
What ingredients do I need to make corn nuggets
When you make this corn nuggets recipe, you’ll want to have the following ingredients on hand:
- Corn kernels - You can use your preferred type (white, yellow, mixed) as well as frozen, freshly chopped off the cob, or canned.
- Salt
- Rice flour - You could use a different type of flour, but you may need to adjust how much you use.
- Garlic cloves - You’ll want to mince or crush them.
- Green chili - You can add more or less depending on your heat preferences.
- Chopped cilantro
- Paprika
- Few tablespoons of water ( if needed)
How to make corn nuggets
Here’s how to make delicious corn nuggets at home:
- First, defrost frozen corn kernels in the microwave until they reach room temperature.
- Next, squeeze out any excess water from the kernels.
- When ready, add 1 cup of corn kernels to a blender and make a paste.
- Add the corn paste plus ½ cup of reserved corn to a large bowl, all spices and then mix well before forming into a dough-like ball.
- If needed, add a few tablespoons of water to make it more of a dough consistency.
- Next, apply some oil to your hands so the dough does not stick on your palms as you divide them into 10 to 12 equal pieces to create nugget patties from.
- Place the patties on a piece of foil to make it easier to air fry the corn nuggets.
Air fry corn nuggets
- First, preheat the air fryer to 360 °F.
- Next, place the corn nuggets in the air fryer and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until they are golden-brown in color
- Finally, remove the corn nuggets with the help of kitchen tongs and serve with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauces, like Copy-cat Chic Fil A Sauce.
Pro tips and tricks
When you want to make the best corn nuggets, follow these easy tips and tricks:
- Make sure to leave some spacing between each nugget to ensure even cooking.
- Frozen or fresh corn tends to have the best flavor so we typically avoid canned corn when possible.
- When mixing the dough, if it is too dry, add in a bit more water.
FAQs
We love to serve corn nuggets with ketchup, Copy-cat Chic Fil A Sauce, Spicy Mustard Aioli Sauce, and other sauces and gravies. You can serve them as a snack or as part of a dinner or lunch. You could also serve them in a wrap with lettuce, tomatoes, and your favorite sauce.
To store, allow the corn nuggets to cool and then place them in an airtight container. You can then store them in the fridge for up to 4 days. Alternatively, you could freeze them for about 6 months. 
This recipe shows you how to make delicious nuggets from scratch. You just need a few ingredients and spices, mainly corn, flour, and chili peppers. You can then use your air fryer to give them a great golden brown, crispy outside and soft interior.
We use either frozen or fresh corn. You can use sweet, super sweet, white, yellow, or mixed. When we make this corn nuggets recipe, we tend to avoid canned corn.
You could, but it won’t taste as good. Canned corn tends to be a bit rubber-like and contains lots of salt. In a pinch, canned corn can work, but generally frozen or freshly removed from the cob works great.
When we make them, we love to use chilis, cilantro, paprika, and garlic. You could make them sweeter if you like or even dessert like with a bit of sugar or sweetener and vanilla extract. You could also use just about any of your favorite seasoning mixes to make a variety of savory options.
While deeping frying corn nuggets is traditional and tasty, you can cut a lot of fat and get similar results using your air fryer. We show you how to do that below.
When we make corn nuggets, we cook them for about 5 to 8 minutes. You can also judge time needed based on the color of the nuggets. When they turn golden brown, they are generally done.
Yes, you can make them, store them, and then blast them until warmed through in your air fryer or oven.
Yes! Our corn nuggets recipe is naturally vegan so you won’t need to make any variations to the recipe to keep with your dietary needs.
When we make corn nuggets, we use rice flour which is naturally gluten free. You can use wheat or other flours, many of them are gluten free.
Several variations of corn nuggets exist. They often involve changes to the recipes such as different flours, spices, and adding milks. You can also make them into different shapes. If you like, you can also add in jalapenos, cheese, or other seasonings and spices for a unique flavor combination.
Let us know what you think
If you make this delicious recipe, let us know how it went! When you make this, be sure to take a pic and tag us on Instagram @dbellyrulesdmind or Facebook @thebellyrulesthemind!
Homemade Corn Nuggets Video Recipe
Our air fryer corn nuggets recipe offers a ton of flavor in an easy to put together dish kids and adults alike adore.
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cup Corn kernels
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup rice flour
- 2 garlic cloves / minced
- 1 green chili (chopped, adjust to taste)
- 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Few tablespoon water ( if needed)
Instructions
- First, defrost frozen corn kernels in the microwave until they reach room temperature.
- Next, squeeze out any excess water from the kernels.
- When ready, add 1 cup of corn kernels to a blender and make a paste.
- Add the corn paste plus ½ cup of reserved corn to a large bowl, all spices and then mix well before forming into a dough-like ball.
- If needed, add a few tablespoons of water to make it more of a dough consistency.
- Next, apply some oil to your hands so the dough does not stick on your palms as you divide them into 10 to 12 equal pieces to create nugget patties from.
- Place the patties on a piece of foil to make it easier to air fry the corn nuggets.
Air Fryer corn nuggets
- First, preheat the air fryer to 360 °F.
- Next, place the corn nuggets in the air fryer and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until they are golden-brown in color
- Finally, remove the corn nuggets with the help of kitchen tongs and serve with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauces, like Copy-cat Chic Fil A Sauce.
About Soniya
Hello, I am Soniya, the cofounder of The Belly Rules The Mind. Originally from Mumbai, India, I am settled in Virginia US with my husband.
I am a mother of 2 energetic boys, referred to as R2 (15-year-old) and R3 (10-year-old) on the blog. In case you are wondering who is R1, well that is my husband.
My hubby and I were born in Mumbai, India, where we were spoiled by the wealth of food choices available to us. We could enjoy everything from yummy street food to multi-cuisine restaurants and we became very picky about what we like and what we don't. Read more