Name: BBQ Chicken Bites
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: ½ cup BBQ sauce (your favorite); 3 Tablespoons honey; 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar; 1 pound chicken breasts (cut into 1-inch pieces); ¾ cup cornstarch; 1 ½ teaspoons salt; ½ teaspoon pepper; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon chili powder; ¼ teaspoon paprika; 2 large eggs; ¼ cup milk; 6 Tablespoons oil (divided (vegetable or canola))

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Looking for a deliciously tasty appetizer? Then these super easy BBQ Chicken Bites will satisfy your craving. Easy ingredients and full on flavor.

BBQ Chicken Bites on metal tray with vegetables and bbq sauce with more chicken and ranch in background.

Chicken is a weakness of mine and so are appetizers, and these BBQ Chicken Bites are one of my favorites.

I say this all the time, but if you have followed me for any length of time then you know that appetizers are one of my most favorite things in the world.

I love making a bunch of them and making a meal out of them. We do it for a lot of get togethers rather than a large meal with sides.

These BBQ Chicken Bites are super easy with readily available ingredients, you really can’t go wrong at all.

With a little bit of breading to give them a little crispy coat and then slathered in BBQ sauce, they are mouthwatering.

If you love chicken and love appetizers than these BBQ Chicken Bites are just what you need in your life.

Some of my other favorite appetizers that we have on our site include: Sloppy Joe Dip, Buffalo Shrimp and Mini Tacos.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

Done in under 30 minutes this recipe is super easy to throw together.
Easily double this recipe to serve more people.
Change up your sauce or use a different flavor of BBQ sauce to change the flavor.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST):

BBQ sauce (your favorite)
Honey
Apple cider vinegar
Chicken breasts
Cornstarch
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Chili powder
Paprika
Eggs
Milk
Oil

Ingredients needed to make BBQ Chicken Bites.

HOW TO MAKE BBQ CHICKEN BITES, STEP BY STEP:

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the BBQ sauce, honey, and apple cider vinegar. Set aside.
In a shallow bowl add the cornstarch, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and paprika. Whisk together.
In a second shallow bowl add the egg and milk and whisk together.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
Work in batches to dredge the chicken in the cornstarch mixture, shaking off excess. Next, place the chicken pieces in the egg to coat, letting excess drip off. Last, dredge one more time in the cornstarch mixture. Set on a clean plate and continue this process until all the chicken is coated.
In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Once the oil is glistening, add about half the chicken pieces and fry for 2 minutes. Rotate the chicken pieces and cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until chicken reaches 165 degrees F and is cooked through.
Remove to a paper-towel lined plate and cook the second batch of chicken.
Gently toss the chicken in your prepared sauce and serve warm.

Step by step photos on how to make BBQ Chicken Bites.

I DON’T LIKE A LOT OF BREADING, WHAT CAN I DO?

For a very thin breading you can skip the egg and second dip in the cornstarch mixture and cook the same way.

You can also choose to not bread them at all, but the seasonings in the cornstarch give a lot of flavor so if you are not wanting to bread, toss your chicken pieces in the seasoning.

CAN THESE BE MADE IN THE AIR FRYER?

Yes! Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees and add your chicken in batches and spray with olive oil spray. Cook for about 8-10 minutes flipping halfway through.

Make sure to check for doneness using a kitchen thermometer where they should be 165 degrees F.

CAN I USE A DIFFERENT SAUCE?

If you want to use a different sauce for this recipe you absolutely can. You can choose to still use the seasonings we have. Some other sauce coating ideas include:

Garlic Parmesan
Lemon Pepper
Teriyaki
Southwestern Ranch
Buffalo Suace
Asian BBQ Sauce

There are so many different sauces in the grocery store that you could make these for days trying new flavors.

DO I HAVE TO ADD THE HONEY AND VINEGAR TO THE BBQ SAUCE?

No, this is an absolute personal preference that we like to do and we love the flavor that it gives.

You can just use plain BBQ sauce of your choosing without having to add any of the additions and it will turn out perfectly fine.

Close up of the chicken showing them coated in the bbq sauce.

HOW TO STORE:

These can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator where they will keep for up to 4 days.

They can be frozen, but we suggest freezing before coating in the sauce. Place in a freezer bag or container and they will keep for up to 3 months.

To defrost, remove to the refrigerator until defrosted. To reheat, we suggest heating in the air fryer at 280 degrees F for about 5-6 minutes, then coat in the sauce.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

Make sure to cook in batches, overcrowding the pan will make the chicken less crispy.
You can choose to do a thinner batter or no batter, see above on information regarding that.
Other sauces can be used, see my ideas above.
These can be made in the air fryer.
Change up the seasoning mixture if you’d like.
Serve with more BBQ sauce or another dipping sauce of your choice.
These can be frozen, see above on how to do that.

Hand dipping one of the BBQ Chicken Bites into ranch.

Love appetizers as much as I do? Then you will not go wrong in making these BBQ Chicken Bites.

If you like this recipe you might also like:

Lemon Pepper Wings
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels
Popcorn Chicken

If you’ve tried these BBQ CHICKEN BITES or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and what shenanigans I’m getting into!

BBQ Chicken Bites