Main Dishes

Air Fryer Ranch-Crusted Chicken Bites Recipe

ByNora Delaney February 25, 2026February 25, 2026

Introduction

These Air Fryer Ranch-Crusted Chicken Bites are crispy, flavorful, and perfect for a quick snack or meal. With a crunchy ranch seasoning crust and tender chicken inside, they’re sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

The image shows a close-up of a crispy, round croquette with one bite taken out, revealing a soft, creamy white inside layer with a smooth texture. The outer layer is golden brown and crunchy, made of fine breadcrumbs. In the background on the white plate, there are two more whole croquettes slightly blurred, and a small green garnish can be seen for color contrast. The plate is set on a white marbled surface. There are a few small breadcrumb crumbs scattered around the croquette on the plate. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp ranch seasoning mix
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs, beaten
Cooking spray

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat the air fryer to 375°F.
Step 2: In a bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs, ranch seasoning mix, and Parmesan cheese.
Step 3: Dip each piece of chicken into the beaten eggs, ensuring they are well-coated.
Step 4: Coat the egg-dipped chicken pieces in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing lightly to ensure a good coating.
Step 5: Arrange the coated chicken bites in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Lightly spray with cooking spray.
Step 6: Air fry for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
Step 7: Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Tips & Variations

For extra crispiness, spray the chicken bites with a little more cooking spray before the final few minutes of cooking.
Try swapping ranch seasoning mix with Cajun or Italian seasoning for a different flavor twist.
If you don’t have Parmesan, you can omit it or substitute with another hard cheese like Pecorino Romano.

Storage

Store leftover chicken bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 350°F for 3-5 minutes to maintain their crispiness.

How to Serve

The image shows a stack of five round, golden-brown fried chicken biscuits with a crispy, crumbly texture. The top biscuit is broken open, revealing a white, tender chicken fillet inside with a juicy look. The stack sits on a white plate with a white marbled surface beneath. In the background, there are small white bowls filled with crumbs and seasoning, along with extra biscuits that are slightly out of focus. The lighting is warm, highlighting the crunchy texture of the biscuits and the soft chicken inside. A woman's hand is gently touching one biscuit on the plate. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use frozen chicken for this recipe?

It’s best to use fresh chicken cut into pieces. If using frozen, thaw completely before coating and cooking to ensure even cooking and crispiness.

What dipping sauces pair well with ranch-crusted chicken bites?

These chicken bites go well with ranch dressing, honey mustard, BBQ sauce, or a spicy sriracha mayo for added kick.

Air Fryer Ranch-Crusted Chicken Bites Recipe

★★★★★

4.5 from 84 reviews

Crispy and flavorful Air Fryer Ranch-Crusted Chicken Bites are a perfect snack or appetizer. Tender chicken breast pieces are coated in a zesty ranch seasoning and Parmesan breadcrumb mixture, then air fried to golden perfection for a healthier twist on classic fried chicken bites.

Author: Nora
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: Appetizer
Method: Air Frying
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken

1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

Breading

1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp ranch seasoning mix
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Wet Ingredients

2 large eggs, beaten
Cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat the air fryer: Set your air fryer to 375°F and allow it to preheat for a few minutes to ensure even cooking and a crispy crust.
Mix the breading: In a medium bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs, ranch seasoning mix, and grated Parmesan cheese. Mix well to evenly distribute the flavors.
Coat the chicken in egg: Dip each chicken piece into the beaten eggs, making sure each piece is fully coated to help the breading stick.
Apply the breadcrumb mixture: Dredge the egg-coated chicken pieces into the breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently to ensure a thorough coating.
Arrange for air frying: Place the coated chicken bites in a single layer in the air fryer basket, leaving space between pieces. Lightly spray the chicken with cooking spray to promote crispiness.
Air fry the chicken bites: Cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping the pieces halfway through the cooking time, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F.
Serve and enjoy: Remove the chicken bites from the air fryer and serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.

Notes

For best results, use fresh chicken breast and cut pieces to uniform size for even cooking.
If you prefer extra crispy bites, you can spray them with a little more cooking spray before the second half of cooking.
This recipe can be doubled or tripled easily; cook in batches so the air fryer basket isn’t overcrowded.
Leftover chicken bites can be reheated in the air fryer at 350°F for 3-4 minutes to regain crispiness.
Try different seasoning mixes or add herbs like garlic powder or paprika to customize the flavor.

Keywords: air fryer chicken bites, ranch chicken bites, crispy chicken appetizer, healthy fried chicken, easy chicken snack

Nora Delaney

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