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Looking for an easy, delicious air fryer homemade chicken nuggets recipe the whole family will enjoy? Look no further than this boneless chicken bites recipe!

Basic Ingredients:

Boneless skinless chicken breasts: you could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs, totally up to your family’s taste! The key is to cut them into uniform bite size pieces, so they cook evenly.

Buttermilk: Marinating your chicken bites in buttermilk or using the substitution I suggest in the recipe below, is the secret to tender and juicy chicken nuggets. You CAN skip this step, but your air fryer chicken nuggets may come out a bit dry.

Seasonings: I like a mix of salt and pepper, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder. The powdered sugar is a secret ingredient that really makes the flavors pop! 

However, you can use whatever seasonings you like. Lemon pepper seasoning works well. A little cayenne pepper will give it some kick, or toss with some bbq sauce before placing in the air fryer. You could even keep it simple with salt and pepper and then toss with your favorite buffalo sauce.

Olive Oil Spray: I prefer to use a spray, rather than tossing with olive oil. It is much easier to use less olive oil and still get crispy chicken bites if you use a spray.

How to make your air fryer chicken bites

This is sure to become one of your go-to air fryer recipes. It could not be easier to make these healthy chicken bites.

Using your air fryer gives the chicken bites a nice golden brown crisp that is hard to duplicate in the oven. However you could follow this recipe and bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet instead of an air fryer.

First, make sure to cut your chicken breasts into even sized pieces. Marinate in your buttermilk for 4-12 hours. Then blot dry with a paper towel.

Once dry, mix in the seasonings. Place chicken pieces in the basket of your air fryer in a single layer.

Use a light spritz of oil to coat the top of the pieces.

Air fry at 425 degrees for 6 minutes on the first side, then make sure to rotate the chicken pieces, spray with oil and air fry an additional 6-8 minutes on the second side.

The chicken is done when an internal temperature of 165 degrees with a meat thermometer is reached.

How to serve your air fryer chicken bites

This air fryer chicken bites recipe is so easy and flexible.

Serve as the perfect appetizer with your favorite dipping sauce, ranch dressing, honey mustard sauce, etc.

Make your weekly ingredient prep/meal prep easy by preparing a batch of chicken bites. Having your chicken bites on hand makes it easy to create healthy meals without much effort. Add chicken bites to salads, wraps, or a rice bowl for a quick lunch or a quick dinner.

​These crispy air fryer chicken bites deserve a spot on your weekly menu!