Pork Nuggets

5 from 1 vote

These pork nuggets are tender and juicy surrounded in a crunchy, flavor-packed coating. They can be baked, fried or cooked in the air-fryer...delicious served as-is or with your favorite dipping sauce!

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pork tenderloin

Servings:

Calories: 220kcal

Author: Kelsey Byrnes

Ingredients

1 pork tenderloin 1 - 1 1/2 pounds
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/4 cups panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

Cut the pork tenderloin into bite-sized pieces. I recommend shooting for 1-inch cubes. Pat them dry with a paper towel.
1 pork tenderloin
Whisk together the eggs and milk in a small shallow dish; set aside.
2 eggs, 2 tablespoons milk
In another bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and seasonings.
1 1/4 cups panko bread crumbs, 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Grab a piece of pork, dunk into the egg mixture and then coat in the crumb mixture.
Repeat with remaining pork.
Now it's time to cook the pork nuggets! You can choose to fry, air fry or bake them.
Fry: Pour vegetable oil or canola oil into a saucepan until it's about 1 1/2 inches deep. Heat the oil to 350℉ and fry a few nuggets at a time until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145℉. Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined dish.
Air Fry: Preheat the air fryer to 375℉. Place several nuggets into the basket, making sure to give some space between them. Air fry for 5-7 minutes or until the largest nugget in the batch reaches 145℉. Remove from the basket and repeat until all the nuggets are cooked.
Bake: Preheat oven to 400℉. Place the nuggets onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spreading them out as much as possible. Spray the nuggets with cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 145℉.
Serve the warm pork nuggets in your favorite dipping sauce.

Video

Notes

Make pork tenders instead! Simply cut the pork tenderloin into strips then bread and bake as directed. They will take a couple additional minutes to cook through.

*Nutrition calculated as if the pork nuggets were baked.

Nutrition