These Baked Buffalo Chicken Bites have all of the zesty flavors of Buffalo chicken without the deep-fried breading. They’re tender, juicy and taste great covered in blue cheese crumbles and ranch dressing for dipping.
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Easy Baked Chicken Bites
If you’re on the hunt for a healthy crowd-pleasing appetizer, look no further than our Baked Buffalo Chicken Bites recipe. Not only are they super simple to make, they are also far healthier than the deep-fried version. These tender, juicy chicken bites are seasoned, baked, slathered in tangy Buffalo sauce and served with blue cheese crumbles and ranch dressing.
While this recipe calls for cutting the boneless, skinless chicken breast into bite-sized pieces, you could easily adapt it to use bone-in or boneless chicken wings, chicken thighs, or any other cut of chicken that you’d like.
Serve with toothpicks, crumbled blue cheese, carrots, celery sticks, and your favorite ranch or blue cheese dressing for an easy, delicious, and surprisingly healthy game day appetizer.
Ingredients in Baked Buffalo Chicken Bites
- Chicken - for this Buffalo Chicken Bites recipe, we will usually use boneless, skinless chicken breasts that have been cut into bite-sized pieces. You could just as easily use chicken tenders, boneless wings, chicken thighs or really any other type of chicken that you’d like. The only difference would be the cooking time.
- Avocado Oil - you can also use olive oil or even melted butter if you prefer.
- Salt and Pepper
- Blue Cheese - we like to top the chicken bites with crumbled blue cheese.
- Parsley - fresh chopped parsley is a great garnish for this dish.
- Ranch Dressing - this is for dipping the chicken bites into. Blue cheese dressing would make a great substitute.
- Buffalo Sauce - for this recipe, we show you how to make your own homemade buffalo sauce using Frank’s Red Hot Sauce and brown sugar. You could also substitute store bought buffalo sauce if you’d prefer.
How to Make Baked Buffalo Chicken Bites
- Make the buffalo sauce. In a medium-size saucepan, add the brown sugar and hot sauce. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil the sauce for 1 minute, then set aside.
- Season the chicken breast pieces. In a large mixing bowl, add the chicken and drizzle with avocado oil. Season with salt and pepper, using tongs to mix.
- Bake the chicken. Transfer chicken to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a large cast iron skillet. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees and is no longer pink.
- Toss chicken in buffalo sauce. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven and toss the cooked chicken in the buffalo sauce.
- Serve. Stir until coated, then transfer to a serving platter and top with blue cheese crumbles and fresh parsley. Serve warm with ranch or blue cheese dressing. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Air fried Buffalo Chicken Bites have a bit of a crispy outer layer that is oh-so-delicious. Just prep as directed and add the chicken to an air fryer basket. Cook at 390 degrees for about 9-10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.
If you want to make these “naked” chicken bites breaded, you will only need to add one extra step. Before tossing them onto a baking sheet, you’ll need to prep a bowl of egg wash (1 whole egg whisked with about 1-2 tablespoons of water) and a shallow bowl of breadcrumbs. Add the oil and seasoning as directed, then dip each chicken bite into the egg wash, then cover completely with the breadcrumbs.
Repeat with all of the chicken, then bake as directed until the chicken is cooked and the breading is lightly golden brown.
Baked Buffalo Chicken Bites are actually incredibly healthy, especially when compared to chicken nuggets or popcorn chicken. Since they are not deep fried and have no breading they are low in saturated fat, naturally gluten-free and low carb.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerator: leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: you can reheat leftovers in the microwave, or add to a 350 degree oven and warm for about 5-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss in a bit more buffalo sauce before serving.
Buffalo Chicken Bites Recipe
Ingredients
Buffalo Sauce
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
Chicken Bites
- 1 ½ pounds Chicken Breast cut into ¾" pieces
- 1 Tablespoon Avocado Oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Blue Cheese
- 1 Tablespoon Chopped Parsley
- ½ cup Ranch Dressing
Instructions
Buffalo Sauce
- In a medium-size saucepan, add the brown sugar and hot sauce. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil the sauce for 1 minute, then set aside.
Buffalo Chicken Bites
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the chicken and drizzle with avocado oil. Season with salt and pepper, using tongs to mix. Transfer chicken to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a large cast iron skillet.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees and is no longer pink.
- Remove chicken from the oven, then toss the cooked chicken in the buffalo sauce. Stir until coated, then transfer to a serving platter and top with blue cheese crumbles and fresh parsley. Serve warm with ranch or blue cheese dressing. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More of Our Favorite Healthy Appetizer Recipes
- Pico de Gallo
- Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
- Cranberry Salsa
- Honey Soy Drumsticks
- Mini Veggie Cups
- Bruschetta with Fresh Tomato and Basil
- More Healthy Chicken Recipes
- More Appetizer Recipes
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These Baked Buffalo Chicken Bites are super simple to make and far healthier than the deep-fried version. Serve with toothpicks, blue cheese crumbles, ranch dressing and celery sticks for an easy game day appetizer.
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