These crispy Thai sweet chili chicken bites pack a ton of flavour into each tiny bite! The combination of flavours from the sauce checks all the boxes: sweet, spicy, sour and of course delicious. Pairing it with some cooling cucumber slices helps to balance it even more. You're going to love these Thai chili chicken bites for serving to family and friends or serving as an appetizer or as part of dinner. Don't forget to make extra sauce to dip into!
I really never thought that I'd love my air fryer as much as I do, but it's true - I'm pretty obsessed with it. Since getting one about a year and half ago, I can't stop finding ways to use it. It really can get food quite crispy in a short amount of time, and these Thai chili chicken bites are no exception.
The key to making crispy Thai sweet chili chicken in the air fryer is with a dry/wet batter. Similar to a batter you would use for deep frying, it also works in the air fryer.
Add the cubed chicken to a bowl and season with salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk and set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together both flours and spices.
Dredge each piece of chicken into the flour and tap off any excess.
Transfer each piece of chicken and place in the buttermilk. Let it sit for about 30 minutes.
Remove chicken pieces from the buttermilk one at a time and transfer back to the flour and coat on all sides. Place the chicken bites on a large plate or lined baking sheet and let them sit for 10 minutes. This helps the coating stay on better.
Preheat the air fryer to 390℉ and spray with a bit of avocado oil. Place chicken bites into the air fryer, leaving space between each bite. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes, until cooked through and crispy. There is no need to flip pieces, just open halfway through and spray with more oil as needed to make sure the flour is coated and can get crispy.
If you'd prefer to save time, buy a Thai sweet chili sauce that you love. Most of the time, I find the store bought versions too sweet so I like to make my own. It's actually really easy to make at home.
You can easily whip up this sweet chili sauce for chicken while it's hanging out in the buttermilk mixture.
The fun part of course is assembling because this means you are closer to eating ;)
I have only tested this recipe in the air fryer. I'm not sure if the breading would crisp up the same in a regular oven.
The air fryer I use and really enjoy and recommend is this T-Fal Easy Air Fryer. I like the size of it for cooking for 1 to 2 people. Plus, I think it's fairly affordable as well and doesn't take up too much room.
If you make these air fryer crispy Thai sweet chili chicken bites please share with me, by tagging me on Instagram or leave a comment and/or review below. I truly love seeing and hearing form you!
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share products and services I have personally used and love. Disclosure here.
These crispy Thai sweet chili chicken bites are made in the air fryer and served with cooling cucumber for a delicious dinner or appetizer.
For the Thai Chicken Bites:
For the Thai sweet chili sauce:
For serving:
For the chicken bites:
For the Sauce:
To assemble:
Air fryer: check on the bites as they are cooking and spray with a bit more oil as needed. If flour spots remain on any, spray with a bit of oil to get it crispy. There is no need to flip the chicken as its baking.
Thai sweet chili sauce: make ahead of time and reheat when ready to use. Also, feel free to use a store bought version if you prefer.
Comment Below
Did you love this? Let us know!