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    Home » Air Fryer Recipes

    Air Fryer Chicken Bites

    Published: Feb 22, 2023 · Modified: Nov 4, 2024 by Karina

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Air Fryer Chicken Bites are perfect for any occasion. Quick and easy to make in the air fryer, they can be enjoyed by all.

    Air Fryer Chicken Bites are perfect for any occasion. Quick and easy to make in the air fryer, they can be enjoyed by all. You can serve them as an appetizer, at kids' parties, simply served on a salad, over rice, or with pasta. The flavor combinations are endless. this recipe

    You can serve them as an appetizer, at kids’ parties, simply served on a salad, over rice, or with pasta. The flavor combinations are endless. But this one is by far my favorite, Honey Mustard, sweet and tangy, thanks to the Dijon mustard and honey. If you prefer a spicier version, check out our, Spicy Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets. Both are tender and juicy, made with only a few ingredients easily found in the cupboard.

    Why you will love this recipe?

    • Simple ingredients
    • Easy directions to follow
    • Kid-Approved
    • Can be served in different ways, great if you have leftovers.
    Jump to:
    • Why you will love this recipe?
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • Storage – Reheating
    • FAQS
    • Interested in more chicken recipes?
    • Pairing
    • Air Fryer Chicken Bites
    • Food safety

    Ingredients

    Just some simple ingredients for our chicken bites recipe:

    Ingredients for our recipe: honey, spices, mustard, cornstarch, and cut breast pieces. They are perfect for any occasion. Quick and easy to make in the air fryer, they can be enjoyed by all. You can serve them as an appetizer, at kids' parties, simply served on a salad, over rice, or with pasta. The flavor combinations are endless.
    • Chicken Breasts: I like to use chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces.
    • Honey Dijon Mustard: There are different flavors of Dijon mustard, my favorite is honey Dijon for a sweeter, sharper taste. Yellow mustard, which is more crisp and tangy can be a good substitute.
    • Cornstarch: Coating the chicken bites with cornstarch will bring a layer of crispiness to the chicken. Always remember a little goes a long way, too much will give a bland final flavor and unpleasant texture.

    Scroll to the bottom of the post and print or save the recipe card. All the quantities and step-by-step directions on how to make these air fryer chicken bites are there.

    Instructions

    1- Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, about a 1-inch cube. Place in a large bowl.

    2- Sprinkle the salt, celery seed, ground pepper, and dry mustard on the chicken. Mix to coat all the chicken bites.

    Seasoning for bites are usually right in your cupboard. It is just: celery seed, ground mustard, salt, pepper.

    3- Sprinkle the cornstarch over the chicken bites. Mix until they are all coated.

    Air Fryer Chicken Bites are perfect for any occasion. Just coat with some cornstarch for a crispy finish.

    4- Place the coated chicken bites in the air fryer basket. Don’t overcrowd the basket, this will help for a more even cook.

    All you need to do to ensure crispiness is leave some space around the bites for the air to flow. Than the Air Fryer Chicken Bites are perfectly crisp for any occasion. The air fryer makes them quick and easy, so they can be enjoyed by all.

    5- Spray some olive oil over the bites (Optional).

    6- Air Fry on manual setting at 390 degrees F. for 10 minutes, flip halfway through the cook.

    7- The chicken bites are cooked once they have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

    8- While the chicken is cooking, mix the honey and the Dijon mustard together in a mixing bowl.

    9- Once the chicken bites are cooked, place the chicken into the honey/mustard mixture and coat the bites.

    10- Place the chicken back into the air fryer basket and air fry for an additional 4 minutes.

    Once the chicken bites are cooked coat them with the honey/mustard mixture. Now just place them back into the air fryer basket and finish. Head down to the recipe card for more information.

    11- Serve and Enjoy!

    Note: This recipe was done in a Cosori 5.8 QT. The size and the wattage of the air fryer may have an impact on cooking time and temperature. You may need to adapt the time by a few minutes.

    Variations

    These chicken bites can be done to please everyone’s palate. So many flavor combinations are possible. Here are a few ideas:

    • Spicy – Add chili pepper flakes or chili powder (1/4 teaspoon) to the spice mixture. Use spicier mustard. Dijon mustard has so many flavors, or try stone ground mustard.
      Or, check out our Spicy Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets!
    • Sweet BBQ – Want the chicken bites sweeter with that BBQ flavor, give the rub from our Smoked Pork Butt a try.
    • Kid-friendly – If the spice mixture is a bit too much, simplify it by just using salt or change that to onion salt for a sweeter taste. As always, I find getting the kids involved in cooking makes them excited to try something new. You can have them sprinkle the spices on while you coat them.
    • Deluxe – Now you can have some fun here. While the bites are cooking sauté up some onions and mushrooms. Why not do some bacon too? Just add them in when you put the bites back with the sauce.
    Air Fryer Chicken Bites are perfect for any occasion. Quick and easy to make in the air fryer, they can be enjoyed by all. You can serve them as an appetizer, at kids' parties, simply served on a salad, over rice, or with pasta. The flavor combinations are endless.

    Equipment

    For this recipe we used:

    • Air Fryer
    • Large mixing bowl

    Storage – Reheating

    • Storage: Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in a freezer for 3 months. If freezing, we suggest a freezer-safe zip-top bag with as much of the air removed from it as possible.
    • Reheating: If frozen defrost in the refrigerator, and place back in the air fryer at 350 degrees F. for 2 to 3 minutes or until the desired temperature.

    TOP TIP
    Cooking chicken when you can’t see can be concerning. My solution is an instant-read thermometer. This way, I am 100% sure that the chicken has reached the perfect internal temperature. There are so many out on the market, but this one is working great for us.

    You can serve them as an appetizer, at kids' parties, simply served on a salad, over rice, or with pasta. The flavor combinations are endless. But this one is by far my favorite, Honey Mustard, sweet and tangy, thanks to the Dijon mustard and honey. If you prefer a spicier version, check out our, Spicy Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets. Both are tender and juicy, made with only a few ingredients easily found in the cupboard.

    FAQS

    How many chicken bites can I cook at once in the air fryer?

    This comes down to how big or small you cut them. If you are following the 1-inch size, we were able to do 22 pieces in the first batch.

    Do I need to flip the food when cooking in the air fryer?

    For this recipe, I would. I find it helps the chicken bites to crisp more evenly.

    What can I serve with chicken bites?

    My daughters’ favorite is to eat them as is…sometimes right out of the basket. I like them on a salad. Sean enjoys doing a “Po’boy” version. Scroll down to our Pairing section.

    Interested in more chicken recipes?

    The Kitchen Bucket List loves giving you ideas for a tasty meal. You can save or print these recipes for the next time you are cooking chicken.

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    Pairing

    A main dish can have some tasty pairings. These are some of my favorite dishes to serve with these Air Fryer Chicken Bites:

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    Welcome to The Kitchen Bucket List. My name is Karina and I am very excited to share with you our Simple, Easy, and Tasty recipes. After years of cooking and baking with my girls, where even dad shows up from time to time, especially for the BBQ, The Kitchen Bucket List was created in the Spring of 2020.

    Tasty Chicken Bites are cooked in under 15 minutes. Now you have a drive-thru right in your kitchen…Yum!
    How did you serve them? Let us know below.

    Air Fryer Chicken Bites are perfect for any occasion. Quick and easy to make in the air fryer, they can be enjoyed by all. You can serve them as an appetizer, at kids' parties, simply served on a salad, over rice, or with pasta. The flavor combinations are endless.

    Air Fryer Chicken Bites

    Karina
    These bites are so quick and easy to make in the air fryer. You will love them as an appetizer or as the star of a tasty light meal.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 14 minutes mins
    Total Time 19 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4

    Equipment

    • Air Fryer
    • Mixing Bowls

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into bite-size
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 1 teaspoon celery seed
    • ½ teaspoon ground pepper
    • ½ teaspoon ground mustard
    • ⅓ cup cornstarch
    • ⅓ cup honey
    • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

    Instructions
     

    • Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, about a 1-inch cube. Place in a large bowl.
    • Coat the bites with salt, celery seed, ground pepper, and dry mustard.
    • Lightly sprinkle the chicken bites with cornstarch and mix to ensure an even coating.
    • Place the seasoned chicken bites in the air fryer basket. Leave enough space between the bites for airflow and even cooking.
    • If you prefer the chicken bites even crispier, you can spray some olive oil over them (Optional).
    • Air Fry on manual setting at 390 degrees F. for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through the cook.
    • Your chicken bites are cooked once the internal temperature is 165 degrees F.
    • Once you start cooking the chicken, it is time to mix the honey and the Dijon mustard together in a bowl.
    • When the chicken bites are cooked, coat the bites in the bowl with the honey/mustard mixture.
    • Return the chicken bites back into the air fryer basket and air fry for an additional 4 minutes.
    • Serve and Enjoy!
    Keyword air fryer chicken, air fryer chicken breasts, chicken bites, Honey Mustard Chicken

    Food safety

    You will be working with chicken breasts and a knife, so please be careful. Take all the standard precautions with chicken, like washing your hands and avoiding cross-contamination. USDA has more food safety information if you need it.

    HAPPY AIR FRYING!!!

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    I'm Karina,

    After years of cooking and baking with my girls, where even dad shows up from time to time, especially for BBQ. The Kitchen Bucket List was created.
    I hope you enjoy these Simple, Easy, and Tasty Recipes with your friends and family.

    More about me →

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    Modern footer. Welcome to The Kitchen Bucket List's Recipes & About footer. My name is Karina and I am very excited to share with you our Simple, Easy, and Tasty recipes. After years of cooking and baking with my girls, where even dad shows up from time to time, especially for the BBQ, The Kitchen Bucket List was created in the Spring of 2020.

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