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. 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.
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Ingredients
Just some simple ingredients for our chicken bites recipe:
- 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.
3- Sprinkle the cornstarch over the chicken bites. Mix until they are all coated.
4- Place the coated chicken bites in the air fryer basket. Don’t overcrowd the basket, this will help for a more even cook.
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.
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.
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.
FAQS
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.
For this recipe, I would. I find it helps the chicken bites to crisp more evenly.
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.
Pairing
A main dish can have some tasty pairings. These are some of my favorite dishes to serve with these Air Fryer Chicken Bites:
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
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!
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.
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