Crispy Garlic Parmesan Air Fryer Chicken Bites
- Cook Time: 18–22 minutes
What you need
These crispy garlic Parmesan air fryer chicken bites are golden, juicy, and coated in a buttery garlic-Parmesan finish — different from sweet-heat hot honey, and perfect for dunking. Bite-size chicken gets a light seasoned coating, air-fries until shatter-crisp, then gets tossed with garlic butter and grated Parmesan so every piece tastes like the best part of the plate.
For the chicken:
- 500g boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 60g plain flour
- 40g finely grated Parmesan (for the coating)
- 1 large egg, beaten
- Oil spray, for cooking
For the garlic Parmesan finish:
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced (or 1 tsp garlic paste)
- 40g finely grated Parmesan
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
- Lemon wedges, to serve
Dip ideas:
- Garlic yoghurt or ranch-style dip
- Marinara
- Extra grated Parmesan
Recipe Steps
- Pat the chicken dry and cut into even bite-size pieces.
- In a bowl, toss the chicken with half the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
- In a shallow dish, mix the flour, coating Parmesan, and remaining spices. Dip each piece in beaten egg, then toss in the flour mix until evenly coated. Press gently so it sticks.
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C. Arrange chicken in a single layer (batch if needed) and spray generously with oil.
- Air-fry for 12–16 minutes, shaking or turning halfway and spraying again, until deep golden and cooked through (75 °C / 165 °F in the centre).
- Meanwhile, melt the butter with the minced garlic over low heat until fragrant (don’t brown the garlic). Toss the hot chicken in the garlic butter, then pile on the remaining Parmesan, parsley and chilli flakes. Serve with lemon wedges and your favourite dip.
Tips & Variations
- Extra crispy: Don’t overcrowd the basket, and spray oil again halfway so the coating browns evenly.
- Milder garlic: Use roasted garlic paste in the butter for a sweeter, softer garlic flavour.
- Spicy kick: Add ½ tsp cayenne to the flour mix or finish with hot honey (separate from the garlic-Parmesan version).
- Oven option: Bake on a wire rack at 220 °C fan for 16–20 minutes, flipping once.
- Make ahead: Coat up to 4 hours ahead and chill; air-fry just before serving.
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