Chicken tikka bites are boneless pieces of chicken marinated in a spiced yogurt mix. They are traditionally grilled, however this recipe uses an air fryer. The air fryer produces an intense, dry heat, similar to a grill does.
With the use of an air fryer, this becomes a very convenient dish to make, and so tasty. It is a perfect appetizer to serve for game days or for a get-together with friends. These chicken tikka bites also make a nice chicken to have around in the refrigerator to throw in a salad, or to make a quick wrap or sandwich out of.
Ingredients
- Chicken – boneless, skinless. I use chicken thighs because they don’t dry out as much, but other cuts of chicken should work as well
- Besan – helps brown the chicken
- Yogurt – the base of the marinade
- Chili powder
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Garam Masala – you can swap garam masala with with tikka masala or tandoori masala if you have it
- Grated beet – for color I don’t like to use artificial food coloring. I find adding a little bit of beet gives it the color I want without affecting the flavor.
The marinade is a variation of my go-to tandoori masala. I typically don’t add besan to my mix even though it is traditional. I did here because it helped with browning the chicken in the air fryer but you can leave it out.
Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Tikka Bites
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken thighs ( boneless and skinless)
- ¼ cup yogurt
- 1 Tbsp besan (chickpea flour)
- 1 tsp ginger grated
- 1 tsp garlic grated
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
- 1 Tbsp grated beets
- 2 tsp garam masala or tikka masala, tandoori masala
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- Spray oil
Instructions
- Cut chicken into 1 1/2 inch cubes
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together yogurt and besan. Remove any lumps.
- Add ginger, garlic, beet, cayenne, garam masala and salt. Mix well.
- Mix in chicken, stir to coat completely with marinade. Allow chicken to marinade in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes (can be overnight).
- Preheat air fryer to 380°F (190°C).
- Spray the air fryer tray with cooking spray. Add chicken pieces, leaving space between each piece. Cook for 9-12 minutes, turn after first 5 minutes.
Video
Nutrition
Tips
- Depending on your air fryer and how big you have cut your chicken pieces, you will need to watch the cook time and adjust. Chicken is done when an internal thermometer reads 165°F.
- It makes for a great wrap or taco-type wrap with some naan or paratha. It is delicious wrapped with some yogurt chutney, some sliced onions, a little cilantro, and squeeze of lemon.
Refrigerating
This is a perfect to chicken to make in a large batch and grab for salads, sandwiches, wraps, or just to sneak a bite every now and then. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 380 degrees F for 2-3 minutes until heated through.
You can also keep it in the freezer for up to 6 months. Reheat directly from frozen in the air fryer at 380 degrees F for 4-5 minutes until heated through.