Bite-sized morsels of succulent juicy chicken cooked in the air fryer. Toss them into salads, stuff them in wraps, pile them onto grain bowls, or scoff them on their own as a protein-packed snack.

Everyone loves chicken bites
People say you can’t please all of the people all of the time, but I reckon these air-fried chicken bites come close. They are super quick and easy to make (3 ingredients, no breading, around 10 mins to cook), and there’s nothing they can’t do.
Kids love them (mine declared them an instant favourite, and nicknamed them ‘naked chicken nuggets’ 🙄). I love them, not just because of the quick and easy prep thing, but because the leftovers are perfect for throwing a quick lunch together the next day, or snacking on straight from the fridge. And everyone loves served as an appetiser or nibbles with drinks (Caution: do not expect leftovers if served to adults with beer.)

Three simple ingredients
- Chicken breast – I used boneless, skinless chicken breast for this recipe, but you could substitute chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins/ goujons.
- Oil – I used light olive oil for this recipe, but you can substitute another cooking oil with a high smoke point (like vegetable oil, avocado oil, or corn oil).
- Seasoning rub – I use pre-made seasoning rub, or my go-to simple homemade chicken rub (made from paprika, sugar, garlic powder and salt – see recipe card for deets.). Swap in your go-to seasoning mix and adjust the flavors to match how you plan to serve the dish.
Let’s cook these chicken bites in the air fryer!
1
Preheat.
Preheat the air fryer to 200°C/ 400°F. Preheating is important for this recipe because the air frying time is relatively short, and so you want it to be up to temperature when you put the bites in.
If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat mode, just set it to air fry for 3-4 minutes.
2
Prepare the bites.
Chut the chicken into bite-sized chunks (around 2-3cm/ 1-inch). Drizzle with oil, add the seasoning, and toss to coat thoroughly.

3
Pop them in the air fryer.
Put the chicken bites into the air fryer basket. A single layer is best, but if the bites are piled up you will need to flip them more often and the cooking times will be longer.

4
Air fry.
Air fry the chicken bites at 200°C/ 400°F for 8-10 minutes until they are cooked through (74°C/ 165°F). Shake the basket to redistribute the chicken, or quickly flip them with tongs 2-3 times during cooking to ensure they cook evenly.

Serving ideas
- Family dinner: serve hot with a side of potato wedges and creamy coleslaw
- Low carb dinner: add to a salad of mixed greens, and drizzle with a zesty dressing
- Leftovers to lunch: wrap them up in soft tortillas with fresh lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and your favorite sauce
- Simple appetizer: Skewer them with toothpicks and pair them with a variety of tasty dips like yum yum sauce, creamy garlic dip, BBQ sauce, or ranch dressing.



Air Fryer Chicken Bites
Ingredients
- 600 g chicken breast boneless skinless
- 1 tablespoon light olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chicken seasoning rub [Note 1]
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 200°C/ 400°F.
- Cut chicken into bite-sized chunks (around 2-3cm/ 1-inch).
- Put chicken chunks in a bowl, drizzle with oil, add the seasoning, and toss to coat.
- Place chicken chunks in air fryer basket in a single layer [Note 2].
- Air fry at 200°C/ 400°F for 8-12 minutes, flipping the chicken bites during cooking a few times to ensure they cook evenly. Chicken bites are cooked through when they reach 74°C/ 165°F or higher all the way through.
Notes
- 2 teaspoons paprika (smoked, sweet, or hot), 2 teaspoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
- If the chicken bites are piled up you will need to cook them for a few minutes longer, and flip them more often to ensure they are cooked through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.