Buffalo Chicken Bites Recipe

Prep chicken

Trim any fat from the chicken tenders and cut each tender into 1-inch bite-sized pieces. Pat dry with paper towels.

Place the cut chicken in a bowl. Add salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and olive oil. Toss to coat evenly. Let marinate 10 minutes at room temperature (or up to 30 minutes refrigerated).

If you want crispier bites, prepare three stations: flour mixture (combine flour, cornstarch, paprika, and cayenne), beaten eggs, and a clean tray. Dredge each chicken piece in the flour mixture, shake off excess, dip in beaten egg, then return to the flour mixture for a light second coat.

For frying: heat 1/2-inch neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it registers 350°F (175°C). Fry chicken in batches 2–3 minutes per side until golden and cooked through (internal temp 165°F / 74°C). Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. For oven-baking: preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Place breaded bites on a wire rack over a baking sheet, spray or brush lightly with oil, and bake 12–14 minutes, flipping once, until golden and internal temp 165°F (74°C). For air fryer: 400°F (200°C) for 8–10 minutes, shake once halfway.

If you prefer no breading, simply saute marinated chicken in a skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tbs olive oil for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through.

While chicken finishes cooking, make the buffalo sauce: in a small saucepan over low heat, combine the hot sauce and butter. Stir until butter melts and sauce becomes glossy. Taste and stir in honey if you'd like to mellow the heat.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 oz crumbled blue cheese and 1 tablespoon blue cheese dressing. Pour in 1/3 cup of the warm buffalo sauce and stir to create a creamy blue-hot coating. (Reserve the remaining sauce for drizzling or serving.)

Add the cooked chicken bites to the bowl with the blue-hot mixture while the sauce is still warm. Toss gently but thoroughly so each bite is coated. If you prefer a saucier finish, add more buffalo sauce to taste (use remaining sauce).

Transfer the tossed buffalo chicken bites to a serving platter. Sprinkle the extra blue cheese crumbles over the top and scatter the chopped parsley for color.

Serve immediately with celery sticks and extra reserved buffalo sauce or blue cheese dressing on the side for dipping.