Air Fryer Chicken Bites
Air fryer chicken bites are so easy to make, ready in just 10 minutes and perfect for any meal. Great for simple weeknight meals or quick and easy lunches. These healthy air fryer chicken chunks can be used in any meal, including pasta, wraps, salads or tacos. Whole30, gluten free, low carb and paleo friendly.
Servings 4
Calories 205kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1.25 pounds boneless, skinless chicken
Instructions
- Combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic powder, paprika and dried thyme in a large bowl.
- Cut the chicken into 1-1.5 inch cubes. Add the chicken right into the bowl with the spice mixture.
- Stir the chicken well until fully coated.
- Add chicken to the air fryer basket. Cook at 375F for 10 minutes.
- After 7 minutes, pause the air fryer and flip the chicken (use silicone tipped tongs. Continue to cook 3 more minutes.
Video
Notes
Top tips
- Be sure to cut the chicken into equal size pieces for even cooking. Use a sharp knife and a plastic cutting board (for easy sanitizing) or kitchen shears to cut the chicken up into cubes.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs and chicken tenders are often not as thick as chicken breast so may be done cooking in 9 minutes.
- Time saving tip: use chicken tenders or prep your chicken breast or chicken thighs in advance (1-2 days in advance, store in an airtight container in the fridge).
- Be sure to coat the chicken with the spices, olive oil and vinegar in a large bowl to ensure the chicken is well coated. It's tough to do this in the air fryer basket and you may lose some of your seasoning.
- Don't overcrowd the air fryer. My 6 qt air fryer can handle about 1.25 pounds of chicken at a time. It can slightly overlap but shouldn't be piled on top of each other.
- Take the time to pause the air fryer and flip the chicken with about 3 minutes left. This helps ensure the chicken is well cooked on both sides.
- Use silicone tipped tongs to ensure you don't scratch the air fryer basket as you are flipping the chicken.
- Use different spice blends to change up the flavors.
- Taco - omit the dried thyme and add 2 teaspoons taco seasoning
- Italian - omit the paprika and dried thyme. Add 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
- Greek - omit the paprika and dried thyme. Add 1 tablespoon italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon oregano and use red wine vinegar in place of ACV.
- Ranch - omit the paprika and thyme. Add 1 tablespoon dried chives, 1 teaspoon dried parsley and 1/2 teaspoon dried dill.
- Cajun - Add 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning to the spices listed.
- Curry - omit the dried thyme and paprika. Add 2 teaspoons curry powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin and use lime juice in place of the ACV.
- Everything bagel seasoning - omit the dried thyme and paprika, add 1 tablespoon everything bagel seasoning
- Spicy - add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Nutrition
Calories: 205kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 9g | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.1g
