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Close-up overhead square image of a white bowl filled with crispy Air Fryer hot honey chicken bites, garnished with chopped spring onions and sesame seeds.
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Air Fryer Hot Honey Chicken Bites

Crispy pieces of chicken in a seasoned coating, air fried then tossed together in a sweet, spicy sticky hot honey sauce. A tasty crowd-pleasing dinner!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Marinating Time30 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: accompaniment, Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer, crispy chicken
Servings: 4
Author Nicky Corbishley

Equipment

  • Double Stack Air Fryer - you can of course use a regular single-basket air fryer, but you'll likely need to cook in two batches
  • Spray Oil - I use avocado oil

Ingredients

Chicken and Marinade:

  • 500 g (1lb) skinless chicken breasts chopped into small bite-size pieces
  • 80 ml (1/3 cup) buttermilk
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp white pepper
  • ¼ tsp garlic salt (or use garlic powder + an extra 1/4 tsp regular salt)

Crispy Coating

  • 100 g (2/3 cup) cornflour (cornstarch in USA))
  • 1 large egg
  • 120 g (1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp garlic salt
  • ½ tsp celery salt
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • spray oil (I use approx 15ml or 1 tbsp across the whole recipe)

Hot Honey Sauce:

  • 180 ml (1/2 cup) runny honey
  • 3 tbsp hot pepper sauce (I use Franks hot sauce)
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp garlic powder

To Serve:

  • sliced spring onions (scallions)
  • sesame seeds

Instructions

  • Add the chicken to a bowl.
    500 g (1lb) skinless chicken breasts
  • Add the buttermilk, salt, white pepper and garlic salt. Give it a good mix together and let it marinade for 30-60 minutes (you can get away with 10 minutes if you're in a real rush).
    80 ml (1/3 cup) buttermilk, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp white pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic salt
  • Preheat your air fryer basket(s) to 200C/400F.
  • Take three bowls, to the first add the cornflour. Break an egg into the second bowl and lightly whisk with a fork. To the third bowl add the flour, salt, pepper, garlic salt, celery salt, paprika and thyme and mix together.
    100 g (2/3 cup) cornflour, 1 large egg, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic salt, 1/2 tsp celery salt, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 120 g (1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
  • Spray the preheated air fryer basket(s) with spray oil.
    spray oil
  • Toss a piece of chicken in the cornflour, then dip in the egg (you want to fully coat it so the final layer sticks), then dredge in the seasoned flour mixture.
  • Add the chicken in to the air fryer basket. Repeat with the rest of the chicken, adding to the basket in a single layer (you may need to work in two batches). Try to leave a little space around each piece for air flow.
  • Spray liberally with spray oil and cook for 15-20 minutes at 200C/400F until golden and crispy. Turn the chicken (or shake the basket) twice during cooking and spray on a little more oil each time.
    spray oil
  • While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce.
    Microwave method:
    Place all of the sauce ingredients in a microwave-safe small bowl. Cover loosely with a lid and microwave for 2 minutes, or until the butter just melts. Rest for a minute, then carefully stir.
    Saucepan method:
    Alternatively, place ingredients into a small saucepan. Heat over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts. Turn off the heat.
    180 ml (1/2 cup) runny honey, 3 tbsp hot pepper sauce, 2 tbsp unsalted butter, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • When the chicken is cooked, toss with the sauce and serve topped with spring onions and sesame seeds.
    sliced spring onions (scallions), sesame seeds

Notes

Can I make it ahead?
This tastes best when made right away, but you can prep ahead by mixing the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and covering (I leave at room temp if it's less than a day ahead). Then heat the sauce when ready.
If you wanted to make the crispy chicken ahead, then cook the chicken (don't toss in the sauce),  cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a day. Reheat them in the air fryer for about 5-6 minutes at 200C/400F until they’re nice and crisp again.
The heat the sauce and toss together.
Nutritional information is approximate, per serving (this recipe serves 4)
 

Nutrition

Calories: 660kcal | Carbohydrates: 102g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 1658mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 54g

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