Chicken Bites Crispy & Juicy (Printable)
Crispy, buttermilk-marinated chicken bites with seasoned breading—ready in 30 minutes for snacking or sharing.
# Ingredient List:
→ Chicken
01 - 1.1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
→ Marinade
02 - 1/2 cup buttermilk
03 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
04 - 1 teaspoon paprika
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
→ Breading
07 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
08 - 1/4 cup corn starch
09 - 1 teaspoon paprika
10 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
11 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
13 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
→ For Frying
14 - Vegetable oil, as needed for deep frying
# How to Make:
01 - In a mixing bowl, combine buttermilk, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Add chicken pieces and toss until all are evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to enhance tenderness, if time permits.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, corn starch, paprika, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper until well distributed.
03 - Pour vegetable oil into a deep frying pan or deep fryer and heat to 350°F.
04 - Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess liquid drip off, and coat thoroughly in the seasoned flour mixture.
05 - Fry chicken pieces in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per batch, until crisp and golden brown and fully cooked. Transfer to paper towels to drain excess oil.
06 - Serve hot alongside preferred dipping sauces.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- If you sneak the first chicken bite while they’re still sizzling, you’ll taste why they never last long at parties.
- You get that addictive, crunchy coating without any fuss—and the leftovers never make it to the fridge.
02 -
- Breading too far in advance or stacking coated pieces before frying leads to soggy, sad crusts—always fry ASAP.
- Learning to let the oil reheat between batches fixes uneven color and texture; it’s worth the patience.
03 -
- Keep fingers just moistened with water for less sticking when breading chicken.
- A sprinkle of flaky salt right after frying makes every bite pop.