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Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Bites are tender and full of flavor with just a handful of seasonings. This easy recipe uses bite-sized pieces of chicken breast, seasoned to perfection, and cooked quickly in the air fryer for a healthy, high-protein dinner or snack.
These chicken bites are versatile enough to serve as a main dish or party appetizer. Serve them with a salad for a healthy meal, or with additional party appetizers such as air fryer jalapeno poppers or crispy air fryer chicken wings.
If you’re looking for a simple, healthy way to enjoy chicken, these no-breading chicken bites are a must-try. Tossed with olive oil and a flavorful seasoning blend, then cooked at high heat, the chicken turns out juicy on the inside with lightly crisped edges. The flavor is amazing!
Quick Look At This Recipe
✨ Flavor: Juicy, tender, seasoned to perfection.
⏱️ Prep time: 4 minutes.
🔥 Cook time: 8 minutes.
⏲️ Total time: 12 minutes.
👥 Servings: 3 servings.
🥄 Tools: air fryer, medium sized bowl.
❄️ Freezer friendly: yes, in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
👩🏻🍳 Tip: Preheat the air fryer first, and don’t overcook the chicken or it will turn out dry.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Healthy & light – no breading means lower carbs and fewer calories.
- Quick cooking – ready in just 12 minutes including prep and preheat.
- Versatile – perfect for weeknight dinners, salads, wraps, or bowls.
- Flavor-packed – seasoned with paprika, garlic, and poultry spices for a savory kick.
- If you love healthy protein packed chicken without breading, chicken out these Naked Air Fryer Chicken Tenders.
Table of Contents
Reader comment: “This is one of my favorite high protein snacks to make! It’s quick, easy, and versatile.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Brad
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken breasts: cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Olive oil: keeps chicken moist, helps the seasoning stick.
- Seasonings: poultry, garlic powder, paprika, and ground black pepper to enhance the flavor.
Variations
- Spicy Chicken Bites: Add ½–1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or chili powder for heat.
- Lemon Herb Chicken Bites: Toss with lemon juice, oregano, and rosemary for freshness.
- Asian-Inspired Chicken Bites: Use soy sauce, sesame oil, and a pinch of ginger.
- Buffalo Chicken Bites: Toss in buffalo sauce and serve with ranch or blue cheese.
- Parmesan Garlic Bites: Sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley after cooking.
How to Make Chicken Bites in Air Fryer
- Preheat air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 3 minutes. Cut the chicken into small bite-sized pieces.
- Toss chicken with olive oil. Add the poultry seasoning, garlic powder, ground black pepper, and paprika. Coat chicken evenly.
- Place in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook at 400°F (200°C) for 8 minutes, tossing halfway through.
- Remove from the air fryer when cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
Tips
- Preheat first: This ensures the chicken sears right away, locking in juices and creating the lightly crisped edges.
- Cut evenly: Uniform pieces cook evenly and stay juicy.
- Don’t overcrowd: Cook in batches if needed for better crispness. Keeping them in a single layer allows the air flow to cook the chicken bites evenly.
- Check doneness: Always verify chicken is at least 165°F (74°C).
Storage and Reheating Air Fried Chicken Bites
- Refrigerator: Store cooled chicken bites in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze cooked bites in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: Air fry at 350°F (175°C) for 4–5 minutes or until warmed through.
Air Fryer Chicken Bites FAQs
Cook at 400°F (200°C) for 8 minutes, tossing halfway through. Use a digital meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature has reached 165°F (74°C).
By preheating the air fryer, you create a searing that will help keep the juices intact while cooking. It’s also important to toss the chicken in olive oil or avocado oil before seasoning to keep the chicken juicy and allow the seasonings to stick. Make sure to toss halfway through, and don’t overcook the chicken. Doing these things will keep them juicy and keep them from drying out.
Preheating the air fryer allows the chicken to sear in the juices, while the high heat allows the edges to get a light crisp, which helps ensure the chicken will remain juicy.
Yes, but you will want to lower the temperature to 360°F (182°C) and increase the cooking time to 10 minutes.
Chicken bites should be cut into approximately 1-inch cubes and kept uniform in size for even cooking.
Yes! Not only does the preheat create the sear that helps keep the chicken juicy, but it also enhances the texture of the chicken with the lightly crisped edges.
Popular dipping sauces include Ranch dressing, Buffalo sauce (with ranch or blue cheese), Honey mustard, BBQ sauce, Garlic aioli, and Ketchup.
More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
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Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Bites
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 3 minutes.
- Cut the chicken breast into bite sized pieces.
- Toss the chicken bites in the olive oil and coat the chicken evenly with poultry seasoning, garlic powder, ground black pepper, and paprika.
- Place in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook at 400°F (200°C) for 8 minutes, tossing halfway through.
- Remove when cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Great!
Thank you!!
Super easy and versatile! Perfect for meal prep or an appetizer.
Made these tonight, tired 2.different recipes. These were good and tasted to me like a chicken nugget. I did at the halfway point noticed that the breading was appearing dry so I sprayed with olive oil to get the crisp look. I would make these again and love the ease of just adding all the seasoning, flour and breadcrumbs together vs additional dipping. Thank you.
You said to dip the chicken in oil? Where does the flour come in? Thanks ????
Did you see the recipe card? It has everything in there – and it’s also written out in the post itself. You might have just read right past it. ๐