Baked Buffalo Chicken Bites

My buffalo chicken bites are baked instead of fried! They’re made completely from scratch, even the sauce. They’re so much better than the frozen pre-made kind at the grocery store. This recipe has helped us swap those out; I hope it does the same for you!

We absolutely love these baked buffalo chicken bites because they not only taste better but have better ingredients than pre-made frozen brands. The crunchy texture from breadcrumbs and abundant flavor from homemade buffalo sauce are amazing together.

I love serving these chicken bites with baked mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and even a cucumber onion salad.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

1. Best buffalo sauce: In our opinion it’s the best tasting buffalo sauce we’ve had.
2. Baked instead of fried: The breadcrumb coating baked in the oven creates the crunchiest texture without frying in oil.
3. Easy weeknight meal: This recipe only takes 35 minutes to prepare and bake!
4. Better than pre-made: The flavor and texture are both so much better than pre-made frozen options!

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• large boneless, skinless chicken breast: or you can use two small chicken breasts
• all-purpose flour: I like to get organic, unbleached but you can use any all-purpose
• breadcrumbs: I use homemade sourdough breadcrumbs but you can use any
• milk: I use whole milk but you can use any, buttermilk works great too
• sea salt: this is my favorite wholesome salt option
• ground black pepper: you can use already ground or freshly ground

For the Sauce

• butter: I like to use salted grass-fed butter but you can use any
• hot sauce: you can use any but I highly recommend Frank’s RedHot
• garlic powder: make sure it’s salt-free

Tools You May Need

• dredging bowls (I love these!)
• large baking sheet
• mixing bowl (for tossing chicken in sauce)

How to Make Baked Buffalo Chicken Bites

NOTE: You can double this recipe as many times as you’d like.

Make the Oven-Baked Fried Chicken

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Slice chicken breast into small bite sized pieces about 1-2 inches in size. You should get a good amount of them. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl combine flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Mix to combine and set aside.
4. In a second bowl, whisk together milk, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Set aside.
5. In a third bowl, add breadcrumbs, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper into another small bowl. Mix to combine. Set aside.
6. Place bowls of chicken, flour, milk, breadcrumbs, and sheet pan in a line, in that order, so everything is set up.
7. Dredge each piece of chicken by dipping it in the flour mixture, shaking excess off. Then dip it into the wet mixture ensuring all sides are coated. Let excess drip off. Finally, dip it in the breadcrumbs ensuring it is completely coated. Place breaded piece of chicken on the sheet pan.
8. Repeat until all pieces are breaded. Make sure they aren’t touching on the pan.
9. Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes, until fully baked and crunchy. No need to flip while baking!

Make the Sauce (while chicken bakes)

1. Place butter in a small saucepan and melt over medium heat.
2. Once melted, add hot sauce and garlic powder. Whisk until completely combined and no butter residue is around the edges of the pan.

Toss the Bites

Once chicken is baked, add to a large mixing bowl along with as much sauce as you desire. Toss or stir to fully coat. Serve and enjoy!

What to Serve with Buffalo Chicken Bites

• Italian Chopped Salad
• Old Fashioned Cucumber and Onion Salad
• Mexican Street Corn Salad 
• Baked Mac and Cheese
• Hawaiian Macaroni Salad 
• Pesto Mac and Cheese
• Homemade Mashed Potatoes

Molly’s Tips

• Read the recipe before getting started so you know what to expect.
• Wait to make any adjustments until you’ve made it once.
• Don’t flip the chicken while it’s baking, it’s best to leave it where it is.
• Keep tossing the chicken until it’s evenly coated and use as much sauce as desired.

Store leftover chicken bites in the fridge for up to 2 days. Or in the freezer, in a glass freezer-safe container, for up to 3 months. No need to thaw frozen bites before reheating!

Reheating Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and place refrigerated or frozen chicken bites on a sheet pan. Heat until warm and crispy, about 10-20 minutes. This keeps their texture and flavor.

Recipe FAQs

More Baked Chicken Recipes

• Baked Orange Chicken
• Baked General Tso’s Chicken 
• Oven-Baked Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
• Sourdough Chicken Minis
• Nashville Hot Chicken Nuggets

Recipe

Baked Buffalo Chicken Bites

Molly LaFontaine

My buffalo chicken bites are baked instead of fried! They're made completely from scratch, even the sauce. They're so much better than the frozen pre-made kind at the grocery store. This recipe has helped us swap those out; I hope it does the same for you!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

  

For the Chicken

• 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast (or 2 small)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (I use organic, unbleached)
• 1 cup breadcrumbs (I use homemade breadcrumbs)
• 1 cup milk (I use whole milk)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

For the Sauce

• 6 Tbsp butter (I use grass-fed salted)
• 1/2 cup hot sauce (Frank's RedHot is the best but you can use any)
• 1 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

 

Make the Oven-Baked Fried Chicken

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Slice chicken breast into small bite sized pieces about 1-2 inches in size. You should get a good amount of them. Set aside.
• In a small bowl combine flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Mix to combine and set aside.
• In a second bowl, whisk together milk, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Set aside.
• In a third bowl, add breadcrumbs, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper into another small bowl. Mix to combine. Set aside.
• Place bowls of chicken, flour, milk, breadcrumbs, and sheet pan in a line, in that order, so everything is set up.
• Dredge each piece of chicken by dipping it in the flour mixture, shaking excess off. Then dip it into the wet mixture ensuring all sides are coated. Let excess drip off. Finally, dip it in the breadcrumbs ensuring it is completely coated. Place breaded piece of chicken on the sheet pan.
• Repeat until all pieces are breaded. Make sure they aren’t touching on the pan.
• Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes, until fully baked and crunchy. No need to flip while baking!

Make the Sauce (while chicken bakes)

• Place butter in a small saucepan and melt over medium heat.
• Once melted, add hot sauce and garlic powder. Whisk until completely combined and no butter residue is around the edges of the pan.

Toss Bites

• Once chicken is baked, add to a large mixing bowl along with as much sauce as you desire. Toss or stir to fully coat. Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

You can double this recipe as many times as you’d like.

 

Did you make this recipe? – If you loved it, I’d be so grateful if you left a comment on the blog post. It helps more than you know. You can share a photo on social media, tag @plumbranchhome

 

A quick note: My recipes are created, tested, and loved in our home – never made with AI.

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