Air fryer chicken bites are completely delicious. Each juicy nugget is an explosion of flavor! Whip them up in under 30 minutes for the perfect, easy weeknight meal. Don't forget the dipping sauce, I like sriracha aioli.
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Air fryer chicken nuggets pair perfectly with fries, a roasted veggie, and simple dipping sauce like ketchup, honey mustard or bbq sauce.
You can also get more creative and use boneless chicken bites as an alternative protein in salmon poke bowls when you're not in the mood for fish!
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Busy Weeknight Bliss
Simple: Homemade chicken nuggets are easy, delicious and super straightforward with no hard-to-find ingredients. Something the whole family can enjoy!
Quick: Boneless chicken nuggets cook fast in the air fryer so you can them ready in under 30 minutes.
Versatile: Use any seasonings you like on your chicken bites! You can make all kins of different flavors.
Your Grocery List:
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You can also use chicken thighs. If you want to totally switch things up, you can make air fryer salmon bites instead!
- Soy sauce: Or sub teriyaki sauce! Coconut aminos also work (they're a good gluten-free option should you need one).
- Honey: For a sweet touch!
- Toasted sesame oil: Regular sesame oil also works, but I love the flavor of toasted or roasted sesame oil. Olive oil will do the trick if that's what you've got on hand.
- Seasonings: Salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, ground ginger and paprika! Feel free to mix things up and use different seasonings.
- **Optional garnish: Fresh lemon juice adds zesty flavor! Chives are super aromatic and colorful, you can also use green onion.
Making Chicken Bites In The Air Fryer
Keep scrolling for the full recipe card and measurements. We’ll start here with a quick overview!
Prep chicken:
- Some air fryers require preheating. If yours does, do that first! Set it to 400°F.
- Cut chicken into bite sized, one-inch pieces and place in a medium bowl. Try to make cubes somewhat uniform in size but don't stress too much, perfection isn't necessary.
Season cubes:
- Add soy sauce, honey, toasted sesame oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, ground ginger and paprika. Stir well to coat nuggets fully.
Air fry nuggets:
- Coat air fryer basket with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Arrange seasoned chicken chunks in a single even layer, leaving space between pieces to avoid overcrowding so all cubes can brown properly. Cook in 2 batches if necessary!
- Fry at 400°F for 7-10 minutes, shaking halfway through.
Serve and enjoy:
- Use a food thermometer to check bites, once the largest one reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, they are done.
- Garnish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and chives. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
Stacey's Top Tips
Don't worry about uniform-size chicken pieces too much. Smaller ones may get crispier in the air fryer, but that's a good thing in my opinion. Some variety in texture is yummy.
What To Serve With Your Bites
Sauce: Turn boneless chicken bites into an appetizer. Serve with toothpicks and creamy poblano sauce, spicy mayo or Baja sauce for dipping!
Roasted veggies: Serve bites atop brown or white rice with roasted broccoli and cauliflower on the side.
Salad: Add chicken nuggies to a garden salad to make it extra filling.
Tacos: Wrap golden brown chicken bites in corn or flour tortillas for the perfect chicken tacos!
Make Ahead & Storage
Make ahead: Cube chicken, season and mix well to coat. Place in an airtight container or cover your mixing bowl with plastic wrap until you're ready to cook! Mind the expiration date on your chicken packaging.
Storing leftovers: Place leftover bites in an airtight container and refrigerate 3-4 days.
How to reheat: I recommend reheating bites in the air fryer at 400°F for 2-3 minutes, or until warmed though. You can also microwave leftovers, but I feel texture is better with an air fryer.
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Air Fryer Chicken Bites
Equipment
- 1 Knife, cutting board, mixing bowl and spoon *For prepping and seasoning chicken
- 1 Air fryer *Mine is Chefman brand, 4 quart size!
Ingredients
- 1 & ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts *cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce *see note below
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil *or regular sesame oil, avocado oil, olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Chives and lemon wedges *for garnish *lime also works!
Recipe notes:
Soy sauce: Or make teriyaki chicken bites by subbing teriyaki sauce! Need a gluten free option? Try coconut aminos.Instructions
- If your air fryer requires preheating, fire it up to 400℉.1 & ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Don't worry too much about pieces being uniform size and thickness! Some will be meaty and others crisp. This variation in texture is tasty.
- Add soy sauce, oil, honey and seasonings. Mix until chicken is coated.1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon honey, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Add coated chicken pieces to the basket of the air fryer in a single layer, leaving a little space between cubes. You'll likely need to cook two batches which isn't a huge deal because they cook pretty fast!
- Air fry chicken cubes at 400℉ for 7-10 minutes. The largest piece of chicken should reach an internal temperature of at least 165℉. Use a food thermometer to check.
- Garnish with a splash of fresh lemon juice (or lime juice) and chives or fresh parsley! Serve bites with spicy mayo, ranch or dipping sauce of choice and enjoy.Chives and lemon wedges
Storage & Reheating:
- Place leftover chicken bites in an airtight container and refrigerate 3-4 days. To reheat: air fry 2-3 minutes at 400°F or until warmed though. You can also microwave leftovers, but I feel texture is best with an air fryer.
Nutrition
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