Baked Chicken Bites

Why I Love This Chicken Bites Recipe

• Quick. These juicy chicken bites are hot from the oven in 20 minutes or less. They’re easy to prep and bake up fast since they’re cut up into perfect bite-sized pieces.
• Versatile. I’ll whip up a batch of chicken bites as a game day appetizer to serve with a side of ranch dressing for dipping, or we’ll eat them with a side of fries on a weeknight. They’re also a tasty add-on to salads and other recipes. I include easy serving ideas later on.
• Adaptable. Just like there’s more than one way to serve these oven-baked chicken bites, there’s more than one way to season them! Changing up the recipe is as easy as swapping out the savory seasoning blend with your choice of spices, or using marinade like I do with my sweet chipotle chicken bites and honey sriracha chicken bites.

What You’ll Need

All you need to make delicious oven-baked chicken bites is boneless chicken, olive oil, butter, and your choice of seasoning. I have included some ingredient notes here. Scroll down to the recipe card after the post for a printable list with the full amounts.

• Chicken – I recommend boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs since they’re easiest to chop into bite-sized pieces. Some grocery stores also sell pre-cut chicken chunks.
• Seasoning – You can season your chicken bites any way you’d like. I use a simple blend of pantry-friendly spices for this recipe, but there are plenty of options (see below).
• Olive Oil – Or another cooking oil, like avocado oil.
• Butter – Dropping cubes of butter throughout the chicken before baking is the secret to juicy, flavorful chicken bites. The butter melts as the chicken bakes, locking in the flavor.

Easy Chicken Seasoning

It doesn’t take much to pack loads of flavor into these juicy baked chicken bites. For this recipe, I make a quick seasoning blend with garlic powder, paprika, cumin, onion powder, chili powder, and Italian seasoning, plus salt and pepper (the amounts are in the recipe card).

Feel free to change up the seasoning! My homemade chicken seasoning works great here, or you can try fajita seasoning, spicy Cajun seasoning, or blackened seasoning.

How to Make Baked Chicken Bites

This golden-baked chicken bites recipe is so easy, it’s ready in 20 minutes! I’ll usually throw together a simple green salad while the chicken is in the oven. Follow the steps below. You’ll find the printable directions in the recipe card below the post.

Air Fryer Method

If you have an air fryer, use it to make air fryer chicken bites! Season the chicken as usual, and then arrange the pieces in a single layer inside the air fryer basket (you may need to cook in batches). Cook at 400ºF for 12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until the chicken is done.

Recipe Tips

• Cut pieces that are similar in size. The best way to ensure that your chicken bites bake evenly is to cut the chicken into same-sized pieces. I usually aim for 1” bites.
• Stir halfway through, or almost halfway through the baking time. I like to take the chicken out after 8 minutes and shake the pan or stir the bites around so that they brown evenly on all sides.
• Check the chicken for doneness. These little chicken bites cook quickly, and the exact baking time depends on your oven and the size you cut the chicken pieces. To check if they’re done, check that the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165ºF on an instant-read thermometer.
• Marinate the chicken. You can easily swap out the seasoning for your favorite chicken marinade instead. These small chicken bites marinate quickly, about 15 minutes is all it takes. Borrow the marinade from my cilantro lime chicken or honey Dijon chicken. You could also toss them with teriyaki sauce, or make Buffalo chicken bites with spicy Buffalo sauce.
• For crispy chicken bites, toss a tablespoon of cornstarch into the seasoning that you use to coat the chicken.

Ways to Serve Chicken Bites

My favorite way to enjoy these baked chicken bites is with dipping sauce! They’re a great meal or appetizer dunked in honey mustard, homemade BBQ sauce, or even tzatziki for a souvlaki-inspired dinner. Serve with a Greek salad and garlic bread on the side. 

Here are just a few more of the countless ways to enjoy these chicken bites:

• As a Meal – Baked seasoned chicken bites are delicious with French fries, crispy roasted potatoes, or a veggie side, like roasted green beans. You can also serve them over rice or pasta.
• Sandwiches and Wraps – These bites are delicious between fluffy buns with coleslaw or rolled up inside a Chicken wrap. 
• Tacos – Stuff these bites inside soft flour tortillas topped with coleslaw, fresh pico de gallo, or any tacos toppings you’d like. They’re also an easy topping for chicken nachos.
• Salads – Baked chicken bites make a perfect topper for any salad. My favorites are this simple tossed salad or a Caesar salad.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

• Refrigerate. Store any leftover baked chicken bites in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
• Reheat. Warm up these bites in the microwave, on the stove, or in the oven. I like to sprinkle the chicken with a bit of water to help moisten them while they reheat.
• Freeze. Let the chicken bites cool, and then freeze them airtight for up to 2 months. Thaw the chicken in the fridge before reheating.

More Easy Chicken Dinners

• Baked Ranch Chicken
• Baked Caesar Chicken
• Boneless Chicken Wings
• Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
• Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets