This crispy Buffalo Chicken Bites recipe is easy to make and tastes incredible. With its crispy exterior, juicy chicken, and spicy buffalo sauce, these bites are the perfect combination of flavors and textures that will leave you wanting more. Serve as an appetizer, snack or main course with your favorite sides. Methods are given to pan fry, oven bake or air fry.
Are you ready to spice up your appetizer game? Look no further than these irresistible Buffalo Chicken Bites!
These little bites of goodness are packed with all the bold, tangy flavors of classic buffalo chicken wings, but in a more bite-sized, boneless, easy to eat form.
With a crispy exterior and juicy, tender chicken inside, these bites are sure to be a crowd-pleaser at any party or gathering.
Methods are given below to oven bake, air fry or pan fry your bites.
Serving buffalo chicken bites with a variety of dipping sauces, such as ranch or blue cheese, allows guests to customize their bites to their liking and adds a fun interactive element to your gathering.
So get ready to indulge in some seriously delicious snacking with this easy-to-follow recipe.
We love serving these chicken bites as an appetizer, with cocktail sticks at a party, as a snack, or as the protein of our main course. They're great served with a side of rice and steamed broccoli.
Bring them to a party alongside some Crispy Battered Fried Wings, BLT Bites Appetizer and dips like Taco Bell Chipotle Sauce.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Crowd-pleaser: Buffalo chicken bites are a tasty appetizer that is sure to satisfy even the pickiest eaters.
- Easy to make: This recipe is straightforward and can be whipped up in no time, making it a perfect option for busy weeknights or impromptu get-togethers. You can cook the chicken in the air fryer, pan fried or oven baked.
- Versatile: These bites can be served as a party appetizer, a game-day snack, or even as a main course with some sides.
- Deliciously addictive: With their crispy exterior, tender chicken inside, and spicy buttery buffalo sauce, it's hard to stop at just one bite.
- Customizable: Whether you prefer your buffalo chicken bites extra spicy or on the milder side, you can easily adjust the heat level to suit your taste.
- Budget-friendly: Chicken is an affordable protein option, and this recipe is an economical way to serve a crowd without breaking the bank.
- Leftovers: If you have any leftover bites, they make a great snack or lunch option the next day! We love serving them in a sub sandwich with lettuce and tomato, plus a drizzle of blue cheese dressing.
Ingredients
You only need simple pantry ingredients for this recipe!
- Chicken breasts - you'll need 1 ½ pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Hot Sauce - I use Frank's for the classic Buffalo sauce, or you can use your favorite hot sauce, or a mix of different varieties.
- Butter - Butter is the other ingredient in a classic Buffalo sauce.
- Cornstarch - to coat the chicken breast cubes and get them nice and crispy.
- Oil - for frying the chicken.
- Seasonings - I use garlic powder, paprika, white pepper and salt.
See the recipe card for quantities and method.
Instructions
Follow these step-by-step instructions, then scroll down for the full ingredients list and method.
Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. Set aside.
In a bowl, whisk the cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, white pepper and salt to combine.
Add the chicken cubes to the mixture and stir them to coat them all over.
To Pan Fry
Heat enough oil in a large skillet to completely coat the bottom of the pan, over a medium/high heat.
Add the chicken and fry for approximately 5 minutes or until golden, then turn each piece and cook for a further 5 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to do this in batches. Ensure the chicken is no longer pink and reaches 165°F with a meat thermometer.
Remove the cooked chicken from the pan and set it aside on a plate.
To Air Fry
Spray the air fryer basket with a little oil or nonstick cooking spray, and add the chicken cubes in a single layer. Air Fry at 380°F for 10-15 minutes, turning them over halfway through with tongs, or until they're golden, crispy, and the internal temperature reaches 165°F with a meat thermometer.
To Oven Bake
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
Place the prepared chicken cubes onto the baking sheet, then spray them with a little more nonstick spray.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden and cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165°F with a meat thermometer.
Meanwhile, make the Buffalo Sauce. Add the hot sauce and butter to a small saucepan over medium/low heat. Heat the sauce, stirring, until the butter melts into the hot sauce.
Serve the crispy chicken bites tossed in the Buffalo sauce.
Scroll down for the full ingredients list and method.
Serving Suggestions
There are lots of tasty ways to enjoy your crispy Buffalo Chicken Bites!
- Sandwiches and Wraps: Use buffalo chicken bites as a filling for sandwiches, subs, or wraps for a delicious and portable lunch option.
- Salads: Add buffalo chicken bites to a salad for a protein-packed and flavorful meal.
- Nachos: Use the bites as a topping for loaded nachos, along with cheese, jalapeños, and other toppings for a fun and flavorful appetizer.
- Pizza: Top your favorite pizza with these bites for a delicious and unique twist. Then, drizzle it with blue cheese dressing!
- Tacos: Use the bites as a filling for tacos, along with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced avocado, and other toppings for a fun and flavorful dinner option.
- Slider Buns: Serve the bites on slider buns with some lettuce and tomato for a mini version of a buffalo chicken sandwich.
- Party platter: Arrange the buffalo chicken bites on a platter with some vegetables and dips for an easy and impressive party appetizer.
Dips for your Buffalo Chicken Bites
These chicken bites are great on their own, but they're also awesome with dips too!
- Ranch dip: A classic and creamy dip that complements the spicy flavors of buffalo sauce. This recipe is a Wingstop copycat.
- Blue cheese dressing: The classic dip for Buffalo flavors! I love that it's strong and bold, but creamy and cooling.
- Honey mustard sauce: A sweet and tangy sauce that pairs well with the savory flavors of buffalo bites.
- Creamy Dill Mustard Sauce - This Ikea copycat dip works well with the Buffalo sauce flavors.
- Barbecue sauce: A smoky and slightly sweet sauce that adds a different flavor dimension to the buffalo wings. My favorite is Bullseye.
- Bacon aioli: A garlicky and tangy dip full of bacon that adds a depth of flavor to the chicken.
- Chipotle sauce: A smoky and spicy sauce, this one is a coypcat of the Subway classic.
Food Safety Tips
- Before cooking, wash your hands and countertops.
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that has touched raw meat.
- Always wash your hands after touching raw meat.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Keep those pot/pan handles turned in away from the front of the stove.
- When cooking at high temperatures, use oils with a high smoking point, to avoid harmful compounds.
- Ensure you have good ventilation when cooking on gas.
- Put foods in the fridge or freezer within 2 hours of cooking. Reduce this to within 1 hour if it is 90 degrees or hotter outside.
- Safely thaw food in the fridge, under cold running water, or in the microwave.
- To ensure food is cooked through, it's best to use a food thermometer. Be aware that you can’t always tell by looking.
Cook to safe temperatures:
- Beef, Pork, Lamb: 145 °F
- Fish: 145 °F
- Ground Beef, Ground Pork, Ground Lamb: 160 °F
- Turkey, Chicken, Duck: 165 °F
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📖 Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Bites
Equipment
- Bowl
- Pot
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Oil for cooking
For the Buffalo Sauce
- ¼ cup hot sauce I use Frank's Redhot®
- 2 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. Set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk the cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, white pepper and salt to combine.
- Add the chicken cubes to the mixture and stir them to coat them all over.
To Pan Fry
- Heat enough oil in a large skillet to completely coat the bottom of the pan, over a medium/high heat.
- Add the chicken and fry for approximately 5 minutes or until golden, then turn each piece and cook for a further 5 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to do this in batches. Ensure the chicken is no longer pink and reaches 165°F with a meat thermometer.
To Air Fry
- Spray the air fryer basket with a little oil or nonstick cooking spray, and add the chicken cubes in a single layer. Air Fry at 380°F for 10-15 minutes, turning them over halfway through with tongs, or until they're golden, crispy and the internal temperature reaches 165°F with a meat thermometer.
To Oven Bake
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the prepared chicken cubes onto the baking sheet, then spray them with a little more nonstick spray.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden and cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165°F with a meat thermometer.
For the Buffalo Sauce
- Meanwhile, make the Buffalo Sauce. Add the hot sauce and butter to a small saucepan over medium/low heat. Heat the sauce, stirring, until the butter melts into the hot sauce.
- Serve the crispy chicken bites tossed in the Buffalo sauce.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Christina
So delicious! I love that you can make them in the air fryer too - the calories you save can be spent on more blue cheese dressing!
Ned
These are so great! I love franks hot sauce, so these were incredible! 🙂 Thank you so much!
Stephanie
They were sort of like boneless wings but in the perfect portion size. They were good. We made them really HOT and sprinkled them with blue cheese crumbles.
Krissie
These buffalo chicken bites were so good! Served them with mashed potatoe, salad and blue cheese dressing and my teens all LOVED them. Espeically as there was no bone. Delicious.
Luba
Wow...this was so easy and amazingly delicious. I hate bone-in chicken so this was perfect. Loved it! 💕💕