These crispy chicken bites need only 15 minutes to cook in the air fryer. They’re seasoned with a handful of tasty spices and so quick and delicious, you’ll want to make them all day, every day!
Serve these juicy, seasoned air fryer chicken bites as a meal or appetizer with your favorite dipping sauces, like honey mustard or BBQ sauce.
I love using my air fryer to cook rotisserie chicken, but on nights when I need something quick and just as versatile, I make air fryer chicken bites. These tender chicken morsels are seared and crispy without breading, and you can air fry these bites with significantly less oil than it takes to pan-fry them. I love mine tossed in a simple blend of paprika, garlic powder, and spicy red pepper flakes. If you don’t like your chicken spicy, it’s fine to leave out the chili. Season your chicken any way you’d like!
Reasons to Love This Chicken Bites Recipe
- Ready in minutes. This chicken bites recipe takes just 15 minutes in the air fryer. It’s an easy way to cook chicken that doesn’t involve marinating or preheating your oven or firing up the grill. Clean up is just as quick!
- Crispy without breading. Even without breading, the heat inside the air fryer gets these chicken bites perfectly golden and crispy outside, locking in all the flavor and juiciness.
- Super versatile. Like my steak bites and air fryer salmon bites, these chicken bites are the perfect meal or appetizer. Serve them with dipping sauce and save the leftovers as easy meal prep to add to salads, pasta recipes, and more. I include serving suggestions further on, and I’m still finding new ways to enjoy them!
What You’ll Need
These air fryer chicken bites are like extra juicy chicken nuggets with zero breading or deep-frying. They’re lighter, but still tasty, with a few seasonings. I’ve included my notes below on the ingredients, but you’ll find the full recipe details in the printable recipe card after the post, followed by step-by-step photos.
- Chicken – You can make these bites with boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Chicken thighs are slightly more tender and juicy.
- Olive Oil – Avocado oil is a good alternative.
- Seasonings – Sweet or smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, plus salt and pepper. Feel free to adapt the seasoning any way you’d like. Omit the red pepper flakes if you’re sensitive to spice, or you can use your favorite chicken seasoning.
Tips and Variations
- Cut the chicken into the same-sized pieces. Try to cut the chicken so that the pieces are similar in size. This way, they’ll cook evenly.
- Preheat the air fryer. It’s important to preheat the air fryer to a hot 400ºF for this chicken bites recipe. If your air fryer isn’t hot enough, the outside of the chicken won’t sear. The chicken should sizzle when it hits the air fryer basket. If it doesn’t, that’s a sign your fryer needs more time to heat up.
- Try a different seasoning blend. Add extra aromatics with Italian herbs or Herbes de Provence. For Tex-Mex chicken bites, try fajita seasoning, or make jerk chicken bites with homemade jerk seasoning.
- Buffalo chicken bites. Make air fryer Buffalo chicken bites tossed in wing sauce, like Frank’s Red Hot Sauce and melted butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket! The key here is to coat the chicken bites with oil and spread them out in an even layer, with space between the pieces. The hot air needs room to circulate, so the chicken crisps instead of steams.
These chicken bites usually take about 10 minutes to cook in my air fryer. The exact cooking time can depend on your air fryer and the size of your chicken pieces. So, check that the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF.
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Prep. Preheat your air fryer to 400˚F.
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Prepare the chicken. Meanwhile, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
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Season the chicken. Add the chicken pieces to a large bowl and toss them with olive oil, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper.
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Air-fry. Add the chicken bites to the air fryer basket in a single layer. (You will have to cook them in batches.) Cook the chicken for 10 minutes, shaking it well and tossing it halfway through the cooking time.
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Serve. Remove the chicken bites from the air fryer and serve them with honey mustard or your favorite dipping sauce.
- Cooking time may depend on the size of your chicken bites. You are looking for an internal temperature of 165°F.
- You can also use skinless chicken thighs if you are looking for juicier chicken bites.
- The chicken bites can be served with BBQ sauce, honey mustard, mayonnaise, or ranch dressing.
- If you want, you can omit the red pepper flakes for chicken bites with less heat.
Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 268mg | Potassium: 878mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 634IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Bites
I love that this chicken recipe goes from one bowl and into the air fryer, with minimal fuss or clean up. Here are the easy steps:
- Prepare the chicken. Start by cutting up your boneless, skinless chicken into bite-sized pieces (about 1-1½” in size). Afterward, toss the chicken with the olive oil and seasonings.
- Air fry. Arrange the chicken in the air fryer basket, making sure the pieces are in a single layer. Cook at 400ºF for 10 minutes. Give the basket a shake halfway through the cooking time.
- Serve. Serve these bites with your favorite condiments, or any way you’d like! See the section earlier for serving ideas.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerate. Store your chicken in an airtight container or seal it in a Ziploc bag to keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat. Reheat the chicken in the air fryer or on a baking sheet in the oven at 350ºF. Take care not to overcook the chicken while reheating, or it’ll become tough and chewy.
- Freeze. You can freeze the cooked and cooled air fryer chicken for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge before you reheat them.
