Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Bites Recipe

An easy-to-make, delicious air fryer buffalo chicken bites recipe – buttermilk-marinated and coated with a generous amount of spices & seasonings. It is the perfect nibble featuring a blend of hot and tangy flavours, with a hint of sweetness.

It started with the other half buying a bottle of Frank’s hot sauce and then realised it was the wrong brand of hot sauce from what he originally wanted. I couldn’t bear to see it just sitting in our tiny kitchen and leaving to waste (I don’t use condiments much myself), and that’s how this Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Bites recipe came about. I rather give it a go creating something than throw it away and – look – it’s a recipe we now keep in our books and enjoy often!

Typically, I’d marinate the chicken the night before, then quickly do the coating and pop them into the air fryer. As I wait for the chicken to be cooked, I’d whip up the buffalo sauce and assemble everything in no time. For the buffalo sauce, since Frank’s hot sauce has already got a tangy touch, I simply laced it with a touch of sweetness by adding honey and brown sugar. The end result is almost like an addictive mix of hot, sweet and sour flavour combo which, dare I say, is finger-licking good!

A plate of Buffalo Chicken Bites

How to make Buffalo Chicken Bites in an Air Fryer

Ingredients

  • Chicken Thigh Fillets – you can use chicken breast if you prefer but the thigh is a lot more succulent, juicy & flavourful!
  • Buttermilk – to marinate (see recipe notes below on how to make your own buttermilk at home)
  • Garlic Powder, Paprika, Chilli Powder, Cumin Powder, Salt & Pepper – to season the chicken
  • Egg – the egg dip for gelling the chicken with the cornflour coating
  • Cornflour – the coating, also seasoned with garlic powder, paprika, salt & pepper
  • Frank’s Hot Sauce, Butter, Honey, Brown Sugar – to make the buffalo glaze.

What you need

*If you don’t own an air fryer, you can still make this recipe by frying the chicken in a pan.

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.


A plate of Buffalo Chicken Bites

Recipe notes

  • If you don’t have buttermilk at hand, simply follow this ratio: 1 tablespoon of lemon juice/vinegar to every 1 cup of regular milk. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until tiny curdles form.
  • Ideally, it’d be best to marinate the chicken overnight. But if you’re short on time, we recommend marinating for at least 3 hours.
  • As mentioned, you can substitute the chicken thigh with chicken breast. However, chicken thigh is a lot juicier and flavoursome, whereas chicken breast tends to be dry out easily and less tender to bite.
  • Seasoning the cornflour coating really gives an extra punch of flavours to the chicken bites.
  • Frank’s RedHot is the most popular pick for making buffalo sauce and is ideal for the recipe due to its more tangy flavours. But of course, you are free to try it out with other brands.
  • As mentioned, you can also deep-fry the chicken bites instead of air frying.

Looking for more chicken recipe inspo? Check these out too:

Buffalo Chicken Bites

Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Bites Recipe

ET Food Voyage
Delicious air fryer buffalo chicken bites recipe, the perfect nibble featuring a blend of hot and tangy flavours, with a hint of sweetness!
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 465 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Air Fryer
  • 1 Kitchen Tongs

Ingredients
  

  • 500 g Boneless Chicken Thighs cubed
  • 2-3 tbsp Sunflower/Vegetable Oil

Marinating the chicken:

  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Cumin Powder
  • 1 tsp Chilli Powder
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 1 cup Buttermilk*

Coating:

  • cup Cornflour
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Chilli Powder
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 Egg beaten

Buffalo Sauce:

  • ½ cup Frank's Hot Sauce
  • 4 tbsp Butter melted
  • 1 tbsp Honey
  • 1 tsp Brown Sugar

Instructions
 

  • Season the chicken with all the dry ingredients for the marinade. Marinate the seasoned chicken pieces in buttermilk for a few hours or overnight.
  • Mix together all the seasonings with the cornflour.
  • Dip marinated chicken pieces into the beaten egg. Then drench them in the coating mixture until fully coated.
  • Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Shallow-fry chicken pieces until golden in colour. Set aside.
  • Make buffalo sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients together.
  • Remove pan from heat. Transfer sauce into the still-hot pan. Add in the chicken and toss in sauce until thoroughly coated. Serve immediately.

Notes

*If you don’t have buttermilk at hand, simply follow this ratio: 1 tablespoon of lemon juice/vinegar to every 1 cup of regular milk. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until tiny curdles form.
Other recipe notes:
  • Prep time doesn’t include time for marinating the chicken.
  • Ideally, it’d be best to marinate the chicken overnight. But if you’re short on time, we recommend marinating for at least 3 hours.
  • You can substitute the chicken thigh with chicken breast. However, chicken thigh is a lot juicier and flavoursome, whereas chicken breast tends to be dry out easily and less tender to bite.
  • I used Frank’s Hot Sauce for this recipe, which I find most fitting for the flavours. But you can replace it with any other American hot sauce of your choice.
  • Seasoning the cornflour coating really gives an extra punch of flavours to the chicken bites. Feel free to play around with more or less of the seasoning/spices.
  • If you don’t have an air fryer, you can also deep-fry the chicken bites.
Keyword Air Fryer Recipe, Chicken, Party Snacks

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Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Bites Recipe

2 Comments

  1. Ellie K.

    5 stars
    Great recipe! Hubby loves it

    1. ET Food Voyage

      Thank you, glad you and the hubby enjoyed it! 🙂

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