Crispy breaded air fryer chicken bites are a quick dinner the whole family will love! Made with boneless skinless chicken breasts, these delicious homemade nuggets are perfectly seasoned and ready in less than 30 minutes! {Gluten-free-friendly}
Table of Contents
Air Fryer Chicken Bites Recipe
Looking for a meal the whole family will love? These Air Fryer Chicken Bites are easy to make for a simple dinner, delicious appetizer or quick lunch the next day! They’re perfectly crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside.
To make chicken bites in the air fryer, boneless skinless chicken pieces are soaked in rich buttermilk before getting a double coating of flour and a seasoned cracker crumb mixture for an extra crispy breading.
Not only are these air fryer nuggets easy to make for supper, they also make a great high protein snack. Pair them with your favorite dipping sauce for even more flavour!
You can also make up a double batch of chicken bites, store them in the freezer and easily reheat them in the air fryer. What’s not to love?
For more family-friendly air fryer recipes, check out these Air Fryer Chicken Wings {With Baking Powder}!
Why We Love These Chicken Bites in Air Fryer
- Kid-friendly: Crispy chicken bites are the perfect finger food for kids. Add a dip for even more flavour and fun. They’re great to pack in lunch boxes too!
- Healthier option: Compared to traditional chicken bites, these homemade chicken nuggets are a healthier alternative and lighter option since they’re made in the air fryer, which requires no deep frying and overall less fat to get them nice and crispy.
- Easy: It takes only a few simple ingredients and steps to prepare these boneless chicken bites and cook them up in the air fryer. Such a great meal for busy weeknights!
Ingredient Notes
- Buttermilk: To coat the chicken chunks and make them super tender. I used 1% buttermilk, but you can use whatever fat percentage you prefer.
- Chicken breasts: Use boneless skinless chicken breast or if you prefer, boneless skinless chicken thighs work well too. You will need about 1 1/4 pounds of chicken cut into bite-size pieces.
- Flour: A small amount of flour helps the eggs stick to the chicken. For an extra boost of nutrients, we used whole wheat flour, but all-purpose flour can be used as well.
- Eggs: To help the cracker crumbs adhere for an extra crispy coating. The whisked eggs are combined with the extra buttermilk for even more tender chicken bites.
- Crackers: For the final layer of breading, we used whole wheat saltine crackers, however, regular saltine (or other crackers) can also be used as well. Crushed crackers are mixed with the seasoning to provide a crunchy, tasty breading.
- Seasoning mixture: Smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning are mixed into the cracker crumbs to add yummy flavour.
How to Air Fry Chicken Breast Bites – Step-by-Step Instructions
- Start by preheating the air fryer to 390 degrees F. Pour 1/4 cup buttermilk into a medium bowl and toss chicken in the buttermilk.
- In a resealable bag place the flour. In a shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and remaining buttermilk. In a second shallow bowl stir together crushed crackers, paprika, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
- Shake the bite size pieces of chicken in the flour, then using the two hand method, dip each piece of chicken in the egg mixture, then the cracker mixture.
- Place the chicken bites on a single layer of the air fryer basket. Be sure to leave space between each bite to allow for free hot air circulation. If you have a smaller air fryer, you may need to cook the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding them.
- Spray the chicken bites with olive oil cooking spray and cook for 8-10 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is reached. Turn the chicken bites halfway through cooking. Serve warm with your favourite dip.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Recipe Tips:
- I used whole wheat saltine crackers and whole wheat flour to add extra fibre but you can use whatever crackers you have on hand.
- To easily crush crackers, place them in a large sealable bag and pound them with the back of a meat mallet, hammer or roll with a rolling pin.
- To prevent your hands from getting overly messy, I recommend using the two hand method. Use one hand to dip the chicken pieces into the egg and buttermilk mixture and the other hand to toss with the cracker mixture.
- I used the Ninja Foodie to test this recipe. The cooking time may vary slightly depending on the type of air fryer you have.
- These chicken bites taste especially good paired with a honey mustard dipping sauce. To prepare the honey mustard dip, mix together ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons yellow mustard, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and ½ tablespoon lemon juice.
Recipe FAQs
Chicken bites are similar to chicken nuggets, except they are not coated in a batter but a healthier, crispy breading made with whole wheat flour, crackers and spices. Some chicken bites consist of no breading as well.
Cook chicken bites for 8-10 minutes in the air fryer, turning them half way through. The cooking time may vary slightly depending on your air fryer. Before serving, always ensure they have reached 165 degrees F on the inside when measured with a meat thermometer.
Yes, frozen chicken bites can be cooked in the air fryer. It will just take a bit longer to ensure they’re cooked through. Cook the frozen chicken bites for 15 minutes at 390 degrees F or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees F.
They can definitely be baked in the oven! Simply place chicken bites in an even layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees F, for 15-20 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is reached.
Storage Guidelines
Refrigerator: Cooled leftover chicken bites can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.
Freezer: Place cooled chicken bites in a freezer-safe bag or container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat: To reheat thawed chicken bites in the air fryer, reheat them at 390 degrees F for 3-4 minutes. To reheat frozen chicken bites, place them on a single layer of the air fryer basket and reheat at 390 degrees F for 15 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Crispy air fryer chicken bites make the perfect appetizer or family meal. For a more complete meal, serve with a variety of dipping sauces, a salad and baked sweet potato fries or healthy roasted potatoes. Or toss them on a salad, sandwich or wrap!
You can also pair them with any of the following side dishes:
- Dipping sauces like BBQ (try this Healthy BBQ Sauce), Healthy Chick-Fil-A Sauce, honey garlic sauce, honey mustard, sriracha mayo, buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, or sweet and sour sauce
- Baked Sweet Potato Fritters
- Blueberry Walnut Salad
- Grilled Corn Avocado Salad with Feta, Cilantro, & Lime
- Greek Yogurt Coleslaw
- Tossed Green Salad
Recipe Variations
- For a spicy kick: Add chili powder, a little bit of cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes to the seasoning mix.
- Switch up the herbs and spices: Use regular paprika if you don’t have smoked paprika. You could also try using oregano, basil, parsley or lemon pepper seasoning for a different spin.
- For extra flavour: Add some finely grated parmesan cheese to the crushed cracker mixture.
- To make gluten-free: Use gluten-free flour and crackers.
- Make them into chicken tenders: Cut the chicken breasts into strips and dip them in the coating to make air fryer chicken tenders instead!
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
- Grilled BBQ Boneless Chicken Thighs
- Grilled Chicken Nuggets
- Healthy Chicken Marinades
- Almond Flour Chicken Tenders
- Healthy Orange Chicken
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Bites
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup buttermilk divided
- 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup flour (I used whole-wheat)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups crushed crackers (I used about 38 whole-wheat saltine crackers)
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat air-fryer to 390 degrees F.
- Pour 1/4 cup buttermilk into a shallow bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat.
- Place flour in a resealable bag. In a shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and remaining buttermilk.
- In another shallow bowl, combine crushed crackers, paprika, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
- Add raw chicken bites to flour and shake until coated.
- Next, dip floured chicken in egg mixture, then in cracker mixture, tossing to coat.
- Place the chicken bites in a single layer in the air fryer basket, leaving some space between each bite. You may need to cook in batches.
- Spray with olive oil spray. Cook for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Notes
- I used whole wheat saltine crackers and whole wheat flour to add extra fibre but you can use whatever crackers you have on hand.
- To easily crush crackers, place them in a large sealable bag and pound them with the back of a meat mallet, hammer or roll with a rolling pin.
- To prevent your hands from getting overly messy, I recommend using the two hand method. Use one hand to dip the chicken pieces into the egg and buttermilk mixture and the other hand to toss with the cracker mixture.
- I used the Ninja Foodie to test this recipe. The cooking time may vary slightly depending on the type of air fryer you have.
- These chicken bites taste especially good paired with a honey mustard dipping sauce. To prepare the honey mustard dip, mix together ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons yellow mustard, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and ½ tablespoon lemon juice.
Leave A Review: