Juicy Chicken Bites coated in rich garlic butter and ready in 25 minutes. It’s an easy chicken breast recipe to serve over anything you love!
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These chicken bites turned out so good! Very juicy and deliciously coated in rich garlic butter. And who doesn’t love the garlic butter combo?!
They’ll be an instant hit, whether you serve them over rice or salad, or offer them as a crowd-pleasing appetizer with toothpicks.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fast and easy: The simplest way to cook chicken breast.
- Not dry: Chicken breast is very lean. These garlic butter chicken bites come out moist due to fast cooking and a bit of added butter at the end.
- Versatile: A chicken recipe perfect for any day of the week, even busy weeknights.
- Easily adaptable: Flavor them your way! I’ve got some tasty ideas for you below.
Ingredients for Chicken Bites
There are only 8 simple ingredients needed for this recipe.
- Chicken breasts: I like to cut my boneless skinless chicken breasts into larger 1.5 inch pieces, but you can cut them smaller or use chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Oil: Choose an oil with a high smoke point to sear the chicken. I used avocado oil, but light olive oil works just as well.
- Spices: Smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Garlic: I grate fresh garlic cloves for a more intense garlic flavor, it’s way better than garlic powder.
- Butter: A buttery coating makes this recipe truly mouth-watering.
- Fresh parsley: I added a garnish of fresh parsley, but it’s totally optional.
How to Make Chicken Bites
This recipe is a breeze! I recommend to use a cast iron skillet but a regular skillet will work too.
- Season chicken: In a medium mixing bowl, toss the chicken with oil, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to coat.
- Cook the chicken: Heat your skillet on medium, add 1 tablespoon of oil, and place half the chicken pieces in a single layer. Fry for 3-4 minutes without touching, then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Finish the chicken: Move cooked chicken to a plate and cover. Repeat with the rest of the chicken, adding oil if needed and cooking for less time after flipping as the skillet will be hotter.
- Add garlic butter: Return the chicken bites to the skillet with butter and garlic. Stir until the butter melts, then turn off the heat and sprinkle fresh parsley on top.
Tips for Best Results
Use my tips to get perfectly tender chicken bites recipe every time!
- Cut chicken into same size pieces: Small pieces dry out before larger ones are cooked, and diced chicken dries out fast. So it’s best to cut them into uniform size larger chunks for even cooking.
- Use cast iron skillet: It heats evenly and retains that heat, making it perfect for searing and frying.
- Flip once: Let the chicken sear undisturbed to get that golden crust. Avoid stirring, so it can cook evenly.
- Don’t overcook: Use an internal read thermometer or cut into a piece to check for doneness. Don’t let chicken sit in the skillet once it’s done because the residual heat can dry it out. Also, your second batch might need less cook time as the skillet will be hotter.
Variations
- Garlic Parmesan: Just toss the chicken in Parmesan cheese at the end.
- Parmesan ranch: Mix in ranch seasoning and sprinkle with grated Parmesan.
- Spicy: Add Cajun spice or cayenne pepper, and swap parsley for fresh thyme.
- Lemon herb: Swap the smoked paprika for Italian seasoning and add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
- Honey garlic: Drizzle in honey with the garlic butter for a sweet, savory twist.
- BBQ: Add a brush of your favorite BBQ sauce.
Serving Ideas
These chicken bites make an easy, healthy dinner and go with just about anything! I served them over basmati rice, but they’re just as delicious with mashed potatoes and veggies like garlic green beans, broccoli, or asparagus.
Toss them into pasta, stuff them into wraps, pair them with your favorite salad, or simply enjoy them with a side of dipping sauce!
How to Store and Reheat
Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or make extra and thank yourself later when lunch rolls around.
Freeze: They’ll keep fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months stored in an airtight container.
Reheat: Reheat in a skillet with a bit of oil. If you’re in a hurry, use the microwave, but it might dry out the chicken. You could also try the air fryer at 380 F for 2-3 minutes.
FAQs
Yes, you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs. I think cook time will be the same, just keep an eye on them and don’t over cook.
Yes. Air fry them at 400 F for 8-10 minutes, shaking once. Melt garlic butter in the microwave and toss in a bowl with parsley.
More Bite Size Chicken Recipes
- Buffalo chicken bites
- Healthy chicken nuggets
- Chicken and mushrooms
- Healthy orange chicken
- Greek chicken kebabs
Chicken Bites
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1.5 inches
- 1 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 large garlic cloves, grated
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, add chicken, 1/2 tablespoon oil, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Stir with tongs well to coat each chicken piece in spices.
- Preheat cast iron skillet on medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Using tongs, add half of the chicken pieces in a single layer, it's OK if they are tight. Fry for 3-4 minutes without touching, then flip on the other side and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Transfer chicken onto a plate and cover. Repeat with remaining half of the chicken, leaving it in the skillet at the end. If pan is dry, add a bit more oil. You may have to cook for less time after flipping as skillet will be hotter.
- Return previously cooked chicken bites to the skillet along with butter and garlic. Stir until butter is melted and turn off heat.
- Garnish with parsley and serve immediately with rice or potatoes or/and salad.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Reheat quickly in a skillet with a bit of oil. You can microwave them if short on time, but that generally dries out small chicken pieces. Air fryer at 380 F for 2-3 minutes works great though.
- Freeze: Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
