These bite-sized Sweet Potato Chicken Bites are flavorful, delicious and made right in the air fryer for a perfectly crispy (and healthy!) alternative to chicken nuggets!
I have a confession. So I purchased my air fryer a couple years ago, but I really didn’t start using it regularly until a few months ago….well now I’m hooked! Not only does it make food perfectly crispy, but it takes less time and is so much easier to clean up. We literally can’t stop using our air fryer and since my two year old daughter is such a fan of nuggets, I wanted to make her a healthier alternative that she could love just a much. Enter these sweet potato chicken bites!
Yes I created these bite-sized treats with my daughter in mind, but let’s be honest…my hubby and I gobbled them right up! Super flavorful, easy to make with just a few simple ingredients, and loaded with fresh herbs and spices that make these taste SO dang good. This recipe is also gluten-free, paleo and Whole 30 compliant!
Here’s What You’ll Need
- Ground chicken – I used ground chicken in this recipe to try and recreate my daughter’s beloved nuggets, but you could also use ground turkey!
- Sweet potato – you’ll want to finely grate the sweet potato or you can blend it up in a food processor
- Almond flour – this helps to bind everything together and any type of flour (or breadcrumbs) will work!
- Fresh herbs – I used fresh parsley and thyme, but you could also use dried herbs if that’s all you have on hand, just cut the amount in half
- Seasonings – I used a combination of garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika and salt/pepper
How to Make Sweet Potato Chicken Bites
I just love how easy these are to make! Simply combine all your ingredients in a bowl, mix really well and, using a small cookie scoop, form the chicken bites into balls and flatten them out a bit so that they look like nuggets. Then just pop them into your air fryer (or oven) and let them cook for about 13 minutes, flipping them halfway through, for perfectly crispy chicken bites! No oil needed. Depending on the size of your air fryer you may need to cook these in a few batches, but trust me, it’s worth it!
Now if you don’t have an air fryer, you can bake these in the oven, but unfortunately they will need to bake for double the amount of time and won’t turn out a crispy. Still delicious though!
Air Fryer vs. Oven Baked
So yes as I said before, this recipe will work great in both the air fryer and baked in the oven and there are pros and cons to both (however I still swear by my air fryer!)
Air Fryer – Pros/Cons
- No oil necessary!
- Bakes in half the time of the oven
- Perfectly crispy every time
- May need to cook in batches depending on the size of your air fryer
- Easy to clean!
Baking – Pros/Cons
- Can cook the chicken bites all on one pan
- Won’t be as crispy (but you can pop the broiler on to crisp them up a bit at the end)
- Requires almost double the time (about 20 to 25 minutes)
- Also easy to clean!
How to Serve Sweet Potato Chicken Bites
These taste great with good old fashioned ketchup or you can serve them with my creamy avocado ranch or sriracha dipping sauce for a little spice! Personally I think these taste great all on their own, but who doesn’t love a good dip?
How to Store and Reheat
These sweet potato chicken bites will keep in your fridge in a sealed, airtight container for about 4 to 5 days. Unfortunately they won’t stay very crispy so I like to throw them back into my air fryer at 375 for about 2 to 3 minutes! They crisp right back up and taste delicious. Or, if you have a toaster oven, you can reheat these chicken bites in there too and they’ll get nice and crispy. These chicken bites will also freeze for about 3 months, then just thaw completely before reheating.
RECIPE
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chicken Bites
These bite-sized Sweet Potato Chicken Bites are flavorful, delicious and made right in the air fryer for a perfectly crispy (and healthy!) alternative to chicken nuggets!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 13 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken (or turkey)
- 2 cups finely grated sweet potato
- 2 Tbsp almond flour
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried)
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together chicken, grated sweet potato, parsley, thyme and seasonings. Using a small cookie scoop, form them into balls and flatten them out a bit so that they resemble nuggets. You should get about 24 chicken bites.
- To make in the Air Fryer, spray the basket of your air fryer with non-stick spray and arrange the chicken bites in a single layer. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to do this in 2 or 3 batches. Set the fryer to 400 degrees and cook for about 13 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
- To make in the Oven, arrange chicken bites on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper or non-stick spray and bake in the oven at 400 degrees F for about 25 to 28 minutes, flipping them halfway through. If you want them more crispy, pop the broiler on in the last couple minutes, making sure to watch them closely so that they don’t burn.
- Serve immediately with your choice dipping sauce and enjoy!
Notes
*These chicken bites will keep in a sealed airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days. They will also freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Facts:
- Serving Size: 4 chicken bites
- Calories: 226
- Sugar: 4.2 g
- Sodium: 277.4 mg
- Fat: 1.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 19.9 g
- Fiber: 3.2 g
- Protein: 14.8 g
* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
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