Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Bites Recipe
Crispy and flavorful Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Bites coated in a spicy Buffalo wing sauce, perfect for a quick appetizer or snack. These bite-sized pieces of chicken tenderloin are breaded with a seasoned panko crust and cooked to golden perfection in the air fryer, served with classic celery, carrot sticks, and your choice of ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Chicken and Breading
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins, tendons removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
- 1 teaspoon onion powder, divided
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, divided
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper, divided
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons Buffalo Wing Sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot)
- Oil cooking spray (neutral, high-heat like vegetable oil)
Sauce
- 1 cup Buffalo Wing Sauce
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
For Serving
- Celery sticks
- Carrot sticks
- Ranch dressing or buttermilk blue cheese dressing for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat the Air Fryer: Set your air fryer to 400°F to warm it up while you prepare the chicken, ensuring a crispy finish.
- Prepare Breading Stations: Set out three shallow bowls or trays. In the first, mix the flour with half of the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. In the second bowl, whisk the egg with 2 tablespoons Buffalo wing sauce. In the third, combine the panko breadcrumbs with the remaining garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Bread the Chicken: Dip each chicken piece first into the seasoned flour, coating lightly. Shake off excess flour, then dip into the egg and Buffalo sauce mixture, allowing excess to drip back. Finally, roll the chicken piece in the seasoned panko mixture, pressing firmly to adhere the crumbs well.
- Air Fry the Chicken: In batches, place the breaded chicken pieces in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Lightly spray them with neutral oil spray. Cook for 8 minutes, flipping halfway through. Check that the internal temperature reaches 165°F to ensure doneness and that the bites are golden and crispy.
- Prepare the Buffalo Sauce: While the chicken cooks, combine 1 cup Buffalo wing sauce with melted butter in a large mixing bowl.
- Toss Chicken in Sauce: Once cooked, immediately transfer the hot chicken bites to the bowl with Buffalo sauce and gently toss to coat each piece evenly in the buttery sauce.
- Serve: Plate the Buffalo Chicken Bites alongside celery and carrot sticks. Offer ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping to complement the spicy flavors.
Notes
- Make sure not to overcrowd the air fryer basket to allow the chicken bites to crisp evenly.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to check internal temperature for food safety.
- Adjust the amount of Buffalo sauce in the tossing step to suit your preferred spice level.
- For extra crispy bites, double coat the chicken by repeating the egg and panko steps.
- Serve immediately for best texture, as the breading can soften if left too long.