These lightly crispy and moist air fryer chicken bites are perfect alone or with your favorite dipping sauce. Eat them alone or add them to a salad or rice bowl for a great-tasting main dish.
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Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the
recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.
I make my air fryer chicken bites with no breading, which means they can be prepared in minutes. No need to worry the breading coming undone in the air fryer, these chicken breast chunks are coasted in blend of seasoning and dry ground spices.
This air fryer chicken breast recipe is one I cook often, as all the family enjoys it. I love that it takes no effort at all, making this the perfect tasty weekend snack option with your favorite dipping sauce. Or a great quick and easy mid-week dinner option when added to a main meal.
If you are a fan of crispy air fryer chicken, then try these great-tasting recipes: my Air Fryer Fried Chicken, Air Fryer Whole Chicken (Peruvian Style), BBQ Air Fryer Chicken Breast, Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets or my Air Fryer Chicken Wings.
Ingredients
Here’s what you will need to make crispy air fryer chicken bites:
- Chicken: boneless, skinless chicken breast patted dry and cut into 1-inch chunks.
- Olive oil: to help the seasoning and dry spices stick to the chunks of chicken breast.
- Seasoning rub: coat the chicken chunks with kosher salt, coarse black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Equipment required for this recipe
- Air Fryer
- Large bowl
- Measuring spoons
How to make juicy air fryer chicken bites
In a large bowl, toss the chicken chunks with the olive oil. Sprinkle the salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder over the chicken pieces and toss to coat evenly. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes.
Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit (182°C).
Arrange the chicken chunks in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook for 10-11 minutes, flipping halfway through, until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74°C).
Remove from the air fryer and rest for a few minutes before serving.
Expert Tips
These tips will help you make juiciest air fryer chicken bites you’ve ever tried.
- Timings will vary from air fryer to air fryer. To ensure safety and proper cooking, always check that your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- The best way to test the internal temperature of any meat is to use a meat thermometer.
- Lay the chicken into the air fryer basket in a single layer to ensure an even cook. If needed, cook the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding.
- Remember to turn the chicken chunks halfway through the cook to ensure even cooking on all sides.
- To cut down on the cleaning up, you can line the air fryer basket with an air fryer parchment liner if you wish. Just make sure to add the paper after preheating.
- Always rest the chicken for a few minutes before serving. This allows the juices to be absorbed back into the chicken, resulting in juicy and tender chunks of chicken.
Flavor variations!
This is a versatile recipe. You can adapt the spices to suit your own tastes.
- Spices – if there is a spice you don’t like leave it out or swap it for a spice you do like, eg. ground cumin, coriander, turmeric. You can also use a pre-blended spice blend like my chicken seasoning, BBQ seasoning, or jerk seasoning.
- Chili – add some chili heat to the mix with some chili powder or red pepper flakes.
- Dried herbs – feel free to add a pinch of dried parsley or thyme to the spice mix.
What to serve air fryer chicken bites
These chicken bites can be served alone, with a dipping sauce, or as a part of a main meal or salad. For some great- tasting sides, try serving alongside my Air Fryer Potato Wedges, or my Old Fashioned Potato Salad with a crunchy green salad.
You can use any flavor and variety of dipping sauce to serve alongside these crispy chicken bites. Try sweet chili sauce, spicy mayonnaise, ranch dipping sauce, or BBQ sauce. The options are endless.
Leftover chicken bites make a great addition to salads and sandwiches the next day.
How to store
To refrigerate: Store any leftover chicken bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. When ready to enjoy, heat up in a preheated oven or air fryer at 360F until warmed through.
To freeze: Once cooked and cooled, place any pieces of leftover chicken into an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. As the chicken is already cooked, it can be reheated from frozen in a preheated oven at 350F for 30-40 minutes. If reheating in your air fryer, the time to cook from frozen can be cut down.
FAQs
Yes, you can. For the best results, place the chicken into a pre-heated air fryer and always check the internal temperature of the meat to ensure it is cooked through to 165°F (74°C).
I cook my chicken breast chunks for 10 minutes at 360°F (180°C).
As I use chunks of raw chicken breast to make my chicken bites, I coat the chicken first in olive oil. This helps the spice blend to adhere to the chicken and provides flavor.
If you have tried this chicken bites recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Bites
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast patted dry and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon course black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss the chicken chunks with the olive oil. Sprinkle the salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder over the chicken pieces and toss to coat evenly. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit (182°C).
- Arrange the chicken chunks in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook for 10-11 minutes, flipping halfway through, until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74°C).
- Remove from the air fryer and rest for a few minutes before serving.
Suggested Tools
Notes
- To ensure safety and proper cooking, always check that your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) using a meat thermometer.
- To ensure an even cook, cook the chicken in a single layer, in batches to avoid overcrowding.
- These chicken bites can be served alone, with a dipping sauce, or as a part of a meal.