Air Fryer Chicken Bites

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Air Fryer Chicken Bites are golden brown and crispy, with minimal ingredients and just 9 minutes per batch in the air fryer! Serve these boneless chicken bites with a dipping sauce for a delicious appetizer or with veggies for a complete meal!

You guys, these bite sized chicken pieces couldn’t be easier to prepare in the air fryer. We’ve been enjoying them as an appetizer with remoulade sauce, but you could easily make a meal out of them.

I think they would be delicious served with crispy roasted potatoes and some sous vide broccoli. You could even add them to salads or grain bowls for a healthy lunch.

These chicken bites are simply coated with flour and seasonings, so they come together quickly and easily.

If you’re looking for panko breaded chicken, check out these air fryer chicken tenders!

Why this recipe works

1. The chicken bites require minimal oil to get crispy so they’re not overly greasy. Just lightly spray them with oil before air frying.
2. You just need flour, parmesan cheese and a few simple seasonings (which are pantry staples) so these chicken bites are super easy to make.
3. You don’t need to turn on your stove to cook these chicken bites, and they air fry quickly, in just 7-9 minutes.

What is an Air Fryer?

The Air Fryer is a healthier alternative to frying foods. It's basically a small, powerful convection oven that sits on your countertop.

It circulates hot air around the food you're cooking, which is what gives it that crisp texture that mimics fried food (without all the grease).

Read more about the health benefits of using an air fryer.

I personally use this Ninja MAX XL Air Fryer because it hold 5.5 quarts, which is more than most. It has worked great so far and we just love how easy it is to use!

More air fryer chicken recipes

• Air Fryer Orange Chicken
• Air Fryer Sesame Chicken
• Air Fryer Whole Chicken
• Air Fryer General Tso’s Chicken

Ingredients

For the full list of ingredients and quantities, please see the recipe card below.

You’ll need 2-3 chicken thighs for this recipe, cut into bite sized pieces. I prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs as they’re easier to cut into pieces, but you can use bone-in if that’s all you have.

For the coating, you’ll simply need flour, seasoning and parmesan cheese.

I like to use salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika and black pepper for the seasoning. You can adjust these seasonings to suit your taste, or even add other dried herbs and spices. 

If you don’t have smoked paprika, any kind of paprika will do.

Make sure the parmesan cheese is finely grated so it mixes in with the flour and seasoning easily.

Step by step instructions

Combine all the ingredients (except chicken) in a bowl and mix together.

Place the chicken pieces in the bowl and mix to fully coat the chicken.

Spray the inside of the air fryer basket lightly with oil.

Place the chicken pieces in the basket in a single layer, being careful not to overlap so all the sides get crisped. *You'll likely need to cook the chicken in 2 batches.

Spray the chicken lightly with oil then cook at 390F degrees for 7-9 minutes. *The chicken should register at 165F degrees when done.

Remove and serve with dipping sauce (ranch, remoulade, ketchup, etc).

Expert tips

1. You can change up the seasoning by adding different dried herbs and spices. We sometimes spice it up by adding some Cajun seasoning.
2. To get the chicken crispy, you’ll need to lightly spray them with oil. I don’t recommend using cooking spray. Use an oil sprayer and fill it with your favorite oil.
3. For even cooking, the chicken bites should be cut in roughly the same size pieces and air fried in a single layer. This may require cooking them in more than one batch.
4. To get crispy edges, be careful not to overcrowd the air fryer. You don’t want your chicken pieces to overlap.
5. If you cut your chicken into larger pieces, you will need to increase the air frying time.
6. If the chicken bites start to brown too much on one side, you can flip them over. 
7. Be careful not to overcook the chicken bites as they will dry out. They’re done when the internal temperature reaches 165F degrees. I like to check with a meat thermometer to be sure.
8. If your air fryer model requires preheating, you should preheat it before adding the first batch of chicken bites. 
9. Different air fryer brands and models will vary, so you may need to adjust the temperature and air frying time slightly. 

Common questions

Storage, freezing and reheating

If you have leftover chicken bites, just store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.

To reheat, just place them in the air fryer and air fry them at 350F degrees for 3-5 minutes, or until heated through. 

Serving options for chicken bites

• While we love them with spicy Cajun remoulade sauce, they’re also delicious coated in this homemade barbecue sauce.
• Serve them with creamy garlic mashed potatoes or Instant Pot Jasmine rice with this sautéed mushroom sauce.
• Pair them with veggies like these Instant Pot carrots, sous vide green beans or honey roasted parsnips.

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!