These Air Fryer Chicken Bites are ultra crispy, tender and juicy with a crunchy panko breading and minimal oil. Think of them as the ultimate grown up version of your favorite childhood chicken nugget. They make a delicious appetizer or game day snack served with dairy-free chipotle sauce or creamy jalapeno dip! They're also versatile enough for a quick dinner and can easily be made kid friendly by scaling back the spices.
Want to save this recipe for later?
Enter your email address and I'll send it straight to your inbox. You'll also receive new recipes from me regularly!
Quick Look: Air Fryer Chicken Bites
- ⏱ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 👩🏻🍳 Air Frying Time: 24 minutes (for 2 batches)
- ⏳ Total Time: 39 minutes
- 🍽 Servings: 4
- ⚡ Calories: 312 per serving
- 🔥 Flavor/texture: tender and juicy with a crunchy panko breading.
- 👌 Difficulty: easy with just a few steps for the breading process.
- ❤️ Why you'll love: elevated chicken nugget, ultra crispy, minimal oil, seasoning variations included.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
What makes these chicken bites so crispy?
The secret lies in three key factors that deliver a classic, deep fried crunch using minimal oil:
- Air fryer hot air circulation - You get that classic, deep fried texture using only a fraction of the oil. Hot air circulating around the air fryer creates an even crunch around every chicken bite, and you only need a light spritz of spray oil on the panko crumbs. It's the same reason I love making crispy chicken schnitzel in the air fryer!
- Pre-toasted panko crumbs - I know it's an air fryer recipe, but toasting the panko crumbs in the oven first, for just 5 minutes, is totally worth it. They turn out golden brown and give the chicken bites an extra crunch. (I use this same technique for the crispy breading on my air fryer chicken patties).
- Initial dusting of flour - Coating the chicken lightly in flour before the egg and panko coatings helps absorb moisture on the surface of the chicken, which seals in juices and boosts crispiness. (You can see how flour works it's magic with these double flour breaded crispy boneless chicken wings)!
Table of Contents
- Quick Look: Air Fryer Chicken Bites
- What makes these chicken bites so crispy?
- Ingredient notes
- Seasoning variations
- How to make breaded chicken bites in the air fryer
- Expert tips for making these chicken bites
- Storage, freezing and reheating
- Air fryer chicken bites FAQs
- More crispy air fryer recipes
- 📖 Recipe
Ingredient notes
You only need 8 ingredients to make this recipe!
- Chicken - You'll need 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast for this recipe, cut into roughly 2-inch pieces. This is about 2 large chicken breasts.
- Flour - The chicken bites are tossed with a ¼ cup of flour. It's just a light dusting and will help the egg wash stick to the chicken. The recipe calls for whole wheat flour to make it a little more wholesome, but you can substitute white flour.
- Egg - You'll need to whisk together two eggs for the egg wash. Dipping the floured chicken in the egg helps the panko breading stick to the chicken.
- Panko crumbs - I used white panko crumbs for the crispy breading, but you can also use whole wheat. (White was all I could find around here).
- Seasonings - A simple mix of smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper is used to season the panko crumbs. You can also substitute with other dried herbs and spices (suggestions are included below).
Seasoning variations
- If you want to make them more kid friendly, use regular paprika instead of smoked paprika.
- For an extra smoky flavor, add some chipotle seasoning.
- To make the nuggets spicy, add chili powder, a pinch cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes.
- For a savory flavor, add some dried herbs like oregano, basil or parsley.
- Everything but the bagel seasoning would also be a delicious option.
How to make breaded chicken bites in the air fryer
Below is a brief overview with photos. Please see the recipe card below for all of the details.
Step 1: Get your breading stations ready. Whisk together the eggs in a shallow bowl. Add the flour and chicken pieces to a large ziplock bag and toss until the chicken are fully coated with a light dusting of flour. Toast the panko crumbs and once cooled, mix with seasonings.
Step 2: Dip the floured chicken pieces in the egg wash, letting any excess egg drip off, and then coat them in the panko crumb mixture. (I use my fingers to lightly press the crumbs into the surface of the chicken).
Pro tip: I usually use one hand to coat the chicken bites in the egg, keeping the other hand dry to coat each one in the panko mixture and transfer to the air fryer. If you use the same hand, your fingers will quickly get clumped up with egg and panko crumbs. You can also use tongs!
Step 3: Place the chicken pieces in a single layer in the air fryer basket. (You'll need to air fry in two batches so place the remaining breaded chicken in the fridge).
Step 4: Air fry on 400F for 6 minutes. Flip the nuggets over and air fry for another 5-6 minutes. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Expert tips for making these chicken bites
- Seasoning. Since nuggets are meant for dipping, these are not overly seasoned. If you like extra seasoning, feel free to add more. (As for dipping, we love a simple BBQ sauce or the honey garlic sauce I make for my air fryer boneless skinless chicken thighs).
- Size of nuggets. The chicken was cut into 2-inch pieces. Larger pieces will take longer to cook. Make sure you cut them all roughly the same size.
- Coating with flour. Instead of dipping each chicken piece in flour, I find it's easier to add all of the chicken pieces and flour to a large ziplock bag and toss them around until the chicken is evenly coated. Just shake off any excess flour before dipping the pieces into the egg wash.
- Air fry in a single layer. For quick and even cooking, make sure you air fry the chicken bites in a single layer and avoid overcrowding the air fryer. Depending on the size of your air fryer, this will require at least two batches.
- Don't overcook. The chicken nuggets are ready when their internal temperature reaches 165F. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness so you don't overcook them as they will dry out.
Storage, freezing and reheating
Leftover chicken bites should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and will last for 3-4 days.
The breading will soften in the fridge, so to reheat, just air fry on 350F for 6-7 minutes, or until the chicken is warmed through and the breading is crispy again. Be careful not to reheat the chicken bites for too long as they will dry out.
To freeze, arrange the cooked chicken nuggets in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the freezer for a few hours. Once frozen, transfer the nuggets to a freezer bag and store in the freezer.
To reheat from frozen, air fry on 350F for about 12 minutes or until the breading is crispy and the chicken is heated through.
Air fryer chicken bites FAQs
For a crispy coating, I recommend using panko crumbs. These are Japanese-style bread crumbs that are larger than regular bread crumbs with a flaky, coarse texture. Regular bread crumbs are soft with a fine texture, so they will not get as crispy. If you don't have panko crumbs, crushed cornflakes also create a super crunchy coating. I use it all the time for these cornflake chicken tenders in the air fryer!
This isn't absolutely necessary, but toasting them adds flavor and will result in an extra crunchy breading.
Yes! You can substitute 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the breasts. They'll turn out even juicier!
Of course! To make seasoned chicken bites without breading you can follow the seasoning directions for my air fryer chicken cutlets recipe.
While we love to serve them as a snack or appetizer, if you want to enjoy them for lunch or dinner, you can pair them with these air fryer potato slices or crispy air fryer baby potatoes. I also think they would work really well served with a pasta salad like this bow tie pesto pasta salad or this Italian orzo salad!
More crispy air fryer recipes
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Sign up for our newsletter and follow Crumb Top Baking on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook!
If you make this recipe, please leave a review and rating below to let me know what you think. If you have a question, drop that below too!
📖 Recipe
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Bites (with Breading)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups panko crumbs
- spray oil
- 1 pound (454 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (about 2 large breasts), cut into 2-inch pieces
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out the panko crumbs. Lightly spray with oil (non-stick cooking spray works well). Bake for 5 minutes, or until the crumbs are golden brown. (Stir a few times to ensure they brown evenly and don't burn). Remove from oven and let cool.
- Add the flour and chicken to a large ziplock bag and toss until the chicken pieces are lightly coated with flour.
- Whisk together the eggs in a shallow bowl.
- In a separate shallow bowl or large rimmed plate, mix together the toasted panko crumbs, salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder and black pepper.
- Dip the floured chicken pieces in the egg wash, letting any excess egg drip off, and then coat with the panko crumb mixture. (Use your fingers to lightly press the crumbs into the surface of the chicken).
- Place the chicken pieces in a single layer in the air fryer basket. (You'll need to air fry in two batches so place the remaining breaded chicken in the fridge).
- Air fry on 400F for 6 minutes. Flip the nuggets over and air fry for another 5-6 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the nuggets reach 165F.
- Repeat with remaining chicken. (The second batch may cook faster than the first).
Notes
- You can substitute 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the chicken breasts.
- It's not absolutely necessary to toast the panko crumbs in the oven first, but toasting them will result in an extra crunchy breading.
- These nuggets are not overly seasoned. If you like extra seasoning, feel free to add more, or change it up with different dried herbs and spices.
- For a non-smoky flavor, use regular paprika instead of smoked paprika.
- The chicken was cut into 2-inch pieces. If you cut your pieces larger or smaller, you'll need to adjust the cooking time slightly.
- I usually use one hand to dip the chicken pieces in the egg wash and keep the other hand dry to coat the chicken in the panko crumbs. If you use the same hand, your fingers will get clumpy with egg and panko crumbs.
Want to save this recipe for later?
Enter your email address and I'll send it straight to your inbox. You'll also receive new recipes from me regularly!
Nutrition Facts per Serving
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is an estimate only and will vary depending on the substitutions made and the brands used.
Did you make this recipe or have any questions?
I love reading your comments and addressing your questions, so please leave your comments and ratings or questions below!
Marilyn says
These chicken bites are delicious - much better than the frozen variety. So crispy on the outside and nice and tender inside.
Leanne says
Thank you! So glad you liked them!