Description
These Buffalo Chicken Bites are great as appetizers or part of your game-day spread. The chicken bites are flavorful and juicy. The buffalo sauce is tangy, slightly sweet with a little kick. My favorite dipping sauce for these is my homemade ranch dressing.
Ingredients
Servings: 4
Chicken Marinade
1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
¼ cup hot sauce, such as Frank’s RedHot Original
1 cup buttermilk*
Buffalo Sauce
6 Tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced, or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup hot sauce such as Frank’s RedHot Original
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp distilled white vinegar
¼ cup honey
Ranch Dressing
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs, such as dill, parsley, and chives
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
Black pepper, to taste
½ tsp celery salt
½ tsp dry mustard
¼ cup buttermilk, plus more as needed
Chicken Bites
2 cups neutral oil
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup rice flour*
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken bites: In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, hot sauce and buttermilk until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, make the buffalo sauce: Melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat, then add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute, until fragrant, then add the hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and honey. Bring to a simmer and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce has slightly thickened. If making ahead, let cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 week.
- Make the ranch dressing: in a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, herbs, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, celery salt and dry mustard. Slowly add just enough buttermilk until the dressing reaches your desired consistency. If making ahead, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 week.
- Fry the chicken bites: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the temperature reaches 350°F (180°C).
- Prepare the dredge by whisking together the all-purpose flour, rice flour, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder and onion powder in a large bowl (or add to a gallon-size zip-top bag).
- Coat the chicken pieces evenly in the dry ingredients, shaking off the excess.
- Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, add the coated chicken pieces to the hot oil and fry for about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the chicken bites to a large bowl and pour in the buffalo sauce, reserving some for drizzling later. Toss until the bites are well-coated.
- Arrange the bites on a plate and drizzle with the reserved buffalo sauce. Serve with the ranch dressing for dipping.
- Enjoy!
Notes
*to make your own buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to a liquid measuring cup and fill with whole milk until it reaches the 1 cup line
**If you don’t have rice flour, use 1 cup of all-purpose flour and ½ cup cornstarch