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This is the Air Fryer Lemon Chicken Bites that you won’t be able to stop eating! The chicken thighs are marinated in lemon juice until perfectly tender and air fried to golden crispy! No breading, no starch, and totally lemony-delicious! These chicken bites make the perfect air fryer appetizer, lunch, dinner, and even midnight snack! For a chicken breast Chinese takeout version, check out my Chinese lemon chicken!
Table of Contents
- Food that makes you happy – Lemony Air Fried Chicken Bites!
- What you need for the lemon chicken bites
- How to make chicken bites in air fryer
- How to debone chicken thighs
- The secret to making crispy Air fryer lemon chicken bites
- What to serve with Lemony Air Fryer Fried Chicken Bites
- Air Fryer Lemon Chicken Bites (no breading, keto, paleo, whole30)
Food that makes you happy – Lemony Air Fried Chicken Bites!
Perfectly marinated chicken thighs air fried to golden crispy and extra lemony…how can you not stop eating them? As you pull out the fryer basket, you can hear the sizzling sound. The house smells so good and everyone’s waiting to dig in!
These lemony crispy chicken bites will be gone in a hurry so read on to see how to make the best air fryer lemon chicken bites as I share all my tips and tricks because you want the best, right?
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What you need for the lemon chicken bites
- Skin-on & Bone removed Chicken thighs (see how-to debone section below)
- Lemon
- Salt
- White pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Olive oil (for marinating use)
- Avocado oil spray (for the air fryer basket)
Can I use black pepper?
Yes you can but white pepper will make this dish taste more Asian! This dish is inspired by my Taiwanese chicken nuggets and Japanese lemon chicken so I recommend using white pepper.
Can I use skinless/boneless chicken thighs?
You can but it won’t be as good! I mean who doesn’t love crispy chicken skin so I think it’s totally worth a little time to remove the bones. Once you learn how to do it, it’s quite straightforward! My suggestion is to use chicken wings instead.
How to make chicken bites in air fryer
- Debone the skin-on chicken thighs and dice to slightly larger than bite sizes.
- Season and marinate overnight with lemon juice.
- Air fry with skin-side up until the skin is golden crispy.
- Serve with extra lemon on the side and garnish!
How to debone chicken thighs
- Use a small but sharp paring knife, with one hand holding the knife and the other hand holding the bone, carefully make a small incision cut along the chicken thigh bone.
- Slowly and carefully cut along the bone to separate the leg bone and the meat. Pull the bone in upward and frontward directions a few times to help separate the meat and the bone.
- Run the tip of your fingers through the chicken to make sure there are no bones left behind.
The secret to making crispy Air fryer lemon chicken bites
- Use skin-on chicken thighs so that the chicken bites stay more moist and juicy, similar to my chicken lollipop recipe.
- Do take a little time to debone the chicken. It’s totally worth it!
- Marinate the chicken overnight (and up to 24 hours) in the fridge before air fry so the chicken will be extra flavorful.
- When air fry, place skin side up and in a single layer.
- Different air fryers have slightly different temperatures. You want the internal temperature to reach 165F (74C) on a meat thermometer.
What to serve with Lemony Air Fryer Fried Chicken Bites
- Shirataki noodles with Asian “peanut” sauce
- Shirataki Thai fried rice
- Taiwanese sauteed cabbage
- Gai lan in garlic sauce
- Chinese broccoli in vegetarian oyster sauce
- Thai larb
- Bok choy dim sum
- Chinese smashed cucumber salad
So friends! Whether it’s game day, valentine’s day, or New Year’s eve, or anytime you miss that perfectly crisp chicken, give my air fryer chicken bites a try! They are inspired by Japanese chicken karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken) but without the breading and starch. What a fantastic family friendly food that will bring all the happiness and smiles to you!
Air Fryer Lemon Chicken Bites (no breading, keto, paleo, whole30)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. Chicken Thighs skin-on
- 1.5 tsp coarse sea salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ¼ cup lemon juice about 1 to 1 ½ whole lemons
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2-3 sprays avocado oil for the air fryer basket
Serving:
- 2 tbsp chopped chives
- Sprinkle Furikake optional
- Extra lemon wedges on the side about quarter to half of one whole lemon
Instructions
To prep:
- Debone the chicken thighs and dice them to slightly larger than bite sizes. Please see how to debone chicken thighs in the blog post with photos, if you aren’t sure how to do that. Or check out this web story. Transfer them to a container that’s just big enough to hold all the pieces.
- Add the seasoning from salt to olive oil. Gently mix them and make sure all the pieces are in touch with lemon juice. Marinate overnight in the fridge and up to 24 hours.
To air fry:
- Lightly spray the air fryer basket with avocado oil. Place-in the chicken skin-side up. Try not to let the pieces touch each other too much (a little snuggle is fine just don’t overlap them) so each piece gets crisp up.
- Air fry at 380F (193C) for 18-20 minutes. The skin should be golden crispy and the chicken should be cooked through but not overly cooked. If you want to be exact, the internal temperature should reach 165F (74C) on a digital meat thermometer.
To serve:
- Transfer the chicken bites to a medium size serving plate. Sprinkle with chives and furikake, if using, and serve with lemon wedges on the side. Serve hot and immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Family devoured these 1st time made and ask for them repeatedly now.
Really enjoyed this recipe! Such simple ingredients but yield a huge flavor! I would keep this in my rotation!
Thank you, Tom.
Hi! This is a great recipe! I made this with chicken breast bc I just can’t deal with the “wierd” pieces and textures of chicken thighs. I marinated the chicken pieces for 12 hours, removed the chicken pieces from the marinade and put on a plate. Then I poured melted butter on top of the chicken pieces (sort of to give the fattiness of chicken skin) and then baked in the air fryer as per the recipe. It came out amazing – crispy, lemony, and buttery! I added a bit more salt, squeeze of lemon, melted butter, furakake, japanese mayo and shriacha! So good!!!
Wow! Jill. That’s amazing. Usually I recommend people using chicken wings if they don’t want to use chicken thighs with skin-on. But thanks for sharing your chicken breast tip. Super helpful. Thanks so much.
Oh my! This was delicious! I used chicken breast that I had on hand. Will definitely make again. Thank you!
Chicken breast? Oh wow. 🙂 You can also use chicken wings to make this recipe. it’ll be just as yummy!
amazing easy and flavoursome chicken better than any I have had at a restaurant will be making this again and again I’m sure thank you for another favourite
Thanks so much, Jojo!
Super easy to prepare and very delicious to eat! I used boneless skinless chicken thighs and ground black pepper (because it’s what I already had on hand) and it was still fabulous. We will definitely make it again in the future, trying it out with the recommended white pepper and skin-on chicken. Note: we ate this paired with some steamed veggies and basmati rice and it was perfect!
Hi can I marinate and freeze ready to defrost and cook?
I haven’t tried this method but I think it should work.
Hello, I do not have an air fryer. Can you make this in an oven or a convection oven?
Thank you!
Hi Pam, I’m so sorry I just saw this message. Try baking them at 425F for 10 minutes then turn the broiler to high for another 2-3 minutes to crisp them up a bit.
You might need to adjust the bake time a bit and watch them so they don’t get burnt. 🙂
Fantastic recipe! It’s quickly become a fave of mine! I don’t always marinate it or use the lemon pepper as suggested, I love to use Hawaiian salts or anything I’m already cooking with to season it, but the white pepper is still a must to lock in the flavor.
I now buy and debone chicken thighs (much cheaper with bone in and skin on!) and freeze them for quick dinner prep! I’ve tried with other cuts of chicken, but the thighs are for sure the best bet! So great to pair with a veggie or something that maybe isn’t your favorite or feels “too healthy” because its savory succulent goodness makes up for other things you like a little less 😂
The only thing I find is I might cut my pieces a bit smaller because I don’t air fry then quite as long. I set it 2-3 mins less and check to see if it’s done. A++++ recipe. My deployed husband in a small room with a kitchenette and air fryer also loves this recipe!
Thank you for sharing it with us. Love it! 🙂