Air Fryer Recipe
Crispy Butter Chicken Bites
Crispy Butter Chicken Bites offer a modern twist on traditional butter chicken, perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 500g chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons butter chicken curry paste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour (or plain flour)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Method
- In a large bowl, combine Greek yogurt, butter chicken curry paste, lemon juice, salt, garam masala, and turmeric powder to create a marinade.
- Add diced chicken to the marinade, ensuring each piece is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, combine chickpea flour with a pinch of salt for coating.
- Preheat the air fryer to 180°C for about 5 minutes.
- Remove marinated chicken from the refrigerator and coat each piece with chickpea flour, shaking off excess.
- Arrange coated chicken pieces in a single layer in the air fryer basket and drizzle or spray with vegetable oil.
- Cook chicken bites at 180°C for 12-15 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden brown and cooked through.
Why this works in an air fryer
Yoghurt and lemon lightly tenderise the chicken while the thick marinade helps spices cling. Chickpea flour absorbs surface moisture and forms a dry, starchy shell; a little oil lets the air fryer’s fast convection brown it instead of leaving powdery patches.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 4–5 litre basket holding the 500g chicken in one uncrowded layer; smaller baskets need two batches. In a single-drawer model, place pieces around the hotter outer edge and turn halfway. In dual-zone fryers, split evenly between drawers and check 2–3 minutes earlier, as smaller loads brown faster.
Common pitfalls
- Coating looks pale and dusty after 10 minutes: too little oil has reached the flour; mist the dry patches lightly and cook for another 2–3 minutes.
- Chicken is golden outside but rubbery or underdone in the centre: the dice are too large or uneven; cut future pieces to about 2.5cm and check the thickest piece reaches 74°C.
- Bites steam and shed wet coating: the basket is overcrowded or excess marinade was carried into the flour; cook in batches and let excess yoghurt drip off before coating.
- Dark speckling before the chicken is cooked: curry paste sugars are catching; reduce to 170°C and extend cooking by 3–5 minutes, turning more gently.
Variations & substitutions
- Use chicken thigh instead of breast for juicier bites; it tolerates the same temperature but may need 2–4 extra minutes because of the higher fat and connective tissue.
- Swap chickpea flour for plain flour for a lighter, less nutty crust; it browns a little less deeply, so oil coverage matters more.
- Add 1 tablespoon cornflour to the chickpea flour for a crisper, thinner shell; it dries quickly, so check from minute 10.
- Use tikka masala paste instead of butter chicken paste for a sharper spice profile; watch browning closely if the paste contains added sugar.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooled bites refrigerated for up to 3 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 180°C for 4–6 minutes until hot and re-crisped.
Nutrition
Calories: 320
