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Chicken Lunch Appetizers Air Fryer 30 Minutes or Less
4.5 from 4 votes

Chicken Poppers

Jump to RecipePrintRate
By: Joanna Cismaru •1/4/23 17 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

pin for air fryer chicken poppers.

These perfect bite-size Chicken Poppers are addictively good and take just 30 minutes to make! Lightly breaded in a sweet and savory flour mixture and then air fried until crisp golden brown, they are served with a creamy mayo honey mustard sauce. You can pop them right into your mouth, serve them over a green salad, or fry some up for a party! 

chicken poppers, air fried on a metal plate drizzled with honey mayo sauce.
Table of Contents Open
  • Easy Air Fryer Chicken Poppers Recipe
  • Why You’ll Love These Chicken Poppers
  • Ingredients You’ll Need
    • Sauce
    • Chicken
  • How To Make Chicken Poppers In The Air Fryer
    • Preheat The Air Fryer If Needed
    • Prep The Chicken
    • Air Fry The Chicken
    • Make The Sauce
    • Serve And Enjoy
  • Can I Make This Recipe Gluten-Free?
  • Can I Bake The Poppers In The Oven?
  • Air Fryer I Use
  • Expert Tips
  • Storage
  • Other Delicious Chicken Recipes To Try
  • Chicken Poppers
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Equipment
    • Notes
    • Nutrition Information
  • Did You Make This?

Easy Air Fryer Chicken Poppers Recipe

Fried chicken is even better when it’s bite-size and cooked in the air fryer! Just like my Air Fryer Chicken Tenders, this chicken poppers recipe is incredible and cuts down on the fat by using the air fryer. So yes my friends, this recipe is both delicious and on the healthy side. Not to mention, the time you save not having to clean up a bunch of oil. 

You may also notice a usual ingredient in the flour mixture. Powdered sugar! It’s actually a secret ingredient that a lot of well-known places add to the breading of the chicken on their famous sandwiches. The little bit of sweetness highlights the savory flavors and because powdered sugar is like powder it blends right in not impacting the texture at all. In fact, some say it adds to the crispiness due to the sugar, as well as helping to brown the chicken.

At my house, we normally have a hard time keeping these air fryer chicken poppers around long enough to make them more than a snack. We just love them around here with or without the sauce, though that sauce is to die for. But they could make a great appetizer at any party or protein to top your favorite green salad.

chicken poppers, air fried on a metal plate drizzled with honey mayo sauce.

Why You’ll Love These Chicken Poppers

  • Quick And Easy! From start to finish this simple recipe takes just 30 minutes! All you need is an air fryer, some chicken breasts, and a few basic pantry ingredients.
  • Bite Size Deliciousness! With a lightly crisp savory sweet coating, these tasty poppers are so darn good. Then dip them in the yummy sauce and you are going to be hooked.
  • Kid Friendly! Your whole family will love this delicious chicken that pops right in your mouth! Especially the kids! It’s the ideal healthy quick and easy snack or main.

Ingredients You’ll Need

ingredients needed to make honey mayo sauce.

Sauce

  • Mayonnaise: You can use any store-bought mayo or make your own Homemade Mayonnaise. 
  • Mustard: I like to use regular prepared yellow mustard, but Dijon is another option. 
  • Garlic Powder: Gives the sauce a little more flavor. If you are a garlic lover feel free to add as much as you like.
  • Vinegar: Adds a lovely touch of acid. You could also use lemon juice. 
  • Honey: Sweetens the sauce up just a bit and is wonderful in combination with the mustard.
  • Seasonings: Salt and black pepper are used to season the sauce.

Chicken

ingredients needed to make chicken poppers.
  • Chicken: You can use skinless boneless chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins.
  • Flour: Used to coat the chicken and make it crispy.
  • Powdered Sugar: Adds a bit of unexpected sweetness to the coating that contrasts wonderfully well with the savory flavors plus it helps brown the chicken.
  • Seasonings: Salt and black pepper are used to enhance the flavor of the chicken and season the coating. 
  • Paprika: A dash of paprika adds another layer of flavor with its sweet peppery taste.
  • Nonstick Cooking Spray: Cooking spray helps to both crisp up the nuggets more and keep them from sticking to the air fryer basket as they cook.

How To Make Chicken Poppers In The Air Fryer

Air frying chicken is super easy! It’s a great way to cut back on the fat and still enjoy juicy fried chicken. Just follow these steps and your poppers are sure to come out perfectly! 

Preheat The Air Fryer If Needed

Before you even start, preheat your air fryer to 380°F (193°C) if needed. But whether or not you need to preheat really depends on your particular air fryer. You will need to check the manufacturer’s guide of our model. I also like to spray a little bit of cooking spray on the bottom of my air fryer basket.

Prep The Chicken

process shots showing how to make chicken poppers in the air fryer.

Now let’s season some chicken! First, cut each piece of chicken into bite-sized chunks. Then add the flour, powdered sugar, salt, black pepper, and paprika to a ziplock bag. Next, close the bag and shake it until the mixture is fully combined.

process shots showing how to make chicken poppers in the air fryer.

Now, add the chicken pieces to the flour mixture in the bag, close it again, and shake it once more until each piece is completely coated. Then remove the chicken pieces from the bag while shaking off the excess flour and place them in a single layer in the air fryer basket. If all the poppers don’t fit in the basket, you will need to cook them in batches.

Air Fry The Chicken

process shots showing how to make chicken poppers in the air fryer.

To cook, put the basket into the air fryer, spray them with a little bit of cooking spray and cook for 15 minutes shaking the basket halfway through the cooking time to shake the poppers around. This helps them to evenly cook and get even more crispy. When done, the internal temperature of the chicken needs to have reached 165°F (74°C) when checked with a digital cooking thermometer. This is to ensure that it’s fully cooked and safe to eat. 

Make The Sauce

process shots showing how to make chicken poppers in the air fryer.

While the chicken poppers are air frying you can make the sauce. To do this, just stir all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl with a whisk. Then put the sauce in the fridge until you are ready to serve.  

Serve And Enjoy

When the air fryer chicken poppers are done cooking, remove them from the basket and serve them right away with the yummy honey mustard sauce. You can also serve them with buffalo sauce, bbq sauce or Ranch Dressing if you prefer.

Can I Make This Recipe Gluten-Free?

Yes! These air fryer chicken poppers can easily be made gluten-free by simply using your favorite gluten-free flour in place of traditional all-purpose flour.

Can I Bake The Poppers In The Oven?

Yes, simply prepare the poppers according to the recipe instructions until it comes time to air fry. Then lay the uncooked coated chicken on a nonstick sheet pan sprayed with cooking spray and put them in the oven to cook for 15 to 20 minutes at 380°F (193°C). 

chicken poppers, air fried on a metal plate drizzled with honey mayo sauce.
cosori air fryer.

Air Fryer I Use

Cosori Classique Dial 5.8qt Air Fryer with Skewer Rack Set

Buy On Amazon.com

Expert Tips

  1. Pat the chicken dry. Pat the chicken dry before cutting it into pieces to remove any excess moisture. This will help to create a better coating on the chicken. 
  2. Use the powdered sugar. The sugar takes this air fryer chicken poppers recipe to the next level by creating a savory sweet coating on the chicken pieces and it also helps brown the chicken. 
  3. Temp the chicken. To ensure that chicken is fully cooked, use an instant-read digital thermometer to make sure that it has reached an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C). 

Storage

Leftover air fryer chicken poppers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container or sealed freezer bag. Then when you are ready to reheat, simply pop them in the toaster oven at 350°F (177°C) for about 7 minutes.

You can also reheat them in the microwave for about 3 minutes on medium power. However, if frozen, just lay the poppers out on a baking sheet and put them in the oven at 350°F (177°C) for about 20 minutes or until warm.

chicken poppers, air fried on a metal plate drizzled with honey mayo sauce.

Other Delicious Chicken Recipes To Try

  • Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
  • Butter Chicken
  • Crispy Baked Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings
  • Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
  • Chinese Lemon Chicken
  • Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

chicken poppers, air fried on a metal plate drizzled with honey mayo sauce.
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4.50 from 4 votes

Chicken Poppers

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Total 30 minutes
Rate Recipe
These perfect bite-size Chicken Poppers are addictively good and take just 30 minutes to make! Lightly breaded in a sweet and savory flour mixture and then air fried until crisp golden brown, they are served with a creamy mayo honey mustard sauce. You can pop them right into your mouth, serve them over a green salad, or fry some up for a party! 
6

Ingredients

Sauce

  • ½ cup mayo
  • 2 tablespoons mustard (regular prepared yellow mustard)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • salt and pepper (to taste)

Chicken

  • 1½ pounds chicken breasts (skinless or boneless, or chicken tenders, cut into bite sized pieces)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

  • Preheat your air fryer  to 380°F (193°C) if needed.
  • Add all the sauce ingredients to a small bowl, whisk well and refrigerate until ready for serving.
    process shots showing how to make chicken poppers in the air fryer.
  • In a large ziploc bag add the flour, sugar, salt, paprika and pepper. Close the bag and shake it so that all ingredients are mixed well.
    process shots showing how to make chicken poppers in the air fryer.
  • Add the chicken pieces to the ziploc bag, close it and shake it until each piece is fully coated in the flour mixture.
    process shots showing how to make chicken poppers in the air fryer.
  • Remove the chicken pieces from the ziploc bag, shake all the excess flour from them and spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with a little cooking spray. Place the chicken in the basket in a single layer and spray them as well with a bit of cooking spray. Put the basket into the air fryer and and air fry the chicken for 15 minutes. Remove the basket halfway through the cooking time to shake the poppers around.
    process shots showing how to make chicken poppers in the air fryer.
  • Serve hot with the mayo/mustard sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.

Equipment

  • COSORI Air Fryer 5.8 Quart

Notes

  • Pat the chicken dry. Pat the chicken dry before cutting it into pieces to remove any excess moisture. This will help to create a better coating on the chicken.
  • Use the powdered sugar. The sugar takes this air fryer chicken poppers recipe to the next level by creating a savory sweet coating on the chicken pieces and it also helps brown the chicken. 
  • Temp the chicken. To ensure that chicken is fully cooked, use an instant-read digital thermometer to make sure that it has reached an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C). 
  • Leftover chicken poppers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container or sealed freezer bag.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1servingCalories: 381kcal (19%)Carbohydrates: 28g (9%)Protein: 27g (54%)Fat: 17g (26%)Saturated Fat: 3g (19%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.05gCholesterol: 80mg (27%)Sodium: 694mg (30%)Potassium: 481mg (14%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 11g (12%)Vitamin A: 219IU (4%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 20mg (2%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
© Author Joanna Cismaru

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

chicken poppers, air fried on a metal plate drizzled with honey mayo sauce.

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Joanna Cismaru

Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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17 Comments
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Leanne
Leanne
Posted: 18 days ago

4 stars
Fantastic! I just got an Emeril Lagasse French Door 360 airfryer and I’m trying to learn to use it. These are the best thing I’ve cooked so far. I did follow mIKE’s suggestion of soaking the chicken in milk before tossing with the flour mixture. Next time I will try using a bit less sugar and a bit more salt, but this is a good basic recipe/technique. Seasonings can be tailored for different flavors (smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, Mexican, etc) and served with a myriad of sauces. Would even be good for a sweet and sour chicken! Thank you for a great recipe.

20230226_135022.jpg
Last edited Posted: 18 days ago by Leanne
0
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Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Leanne
Posted: 18 days ago

They look great, so glad you enjoyed them!

0
Reply
Nic
Nic
Posted: 1 month ago

5 stars
Love it

0
Reply
Nic
Nic
Posted: 1 month ago

Third was easy to make and very tasty

0
Reply
mIKE
mIKE
Posted: 9 years ago

Just got done eating these a few minutes ago. Made the recipe to the T. They turned out fabulous! For my second batch, I decided to change up the breading a bit as I found it just didn’t stick well.

(Yes, I realize these aren’t supposed to be breaded, and doing the following will not make them breaded like a chicken nugget, they actually turned out even more close to a real chik-fil-a nugget).

Before dropping the chicken pieces in the bag to coat, soak them in a bowl of milk and drop them in in batches. Again, this doesn’t “bread” them in the traditional sense, but it yielded a more tasty result in my opinion.

1
Reply
Leanne
Leanne
Reply to  mIKE
Posted: 18 days ago

4 stars
Thanks for the tip! Mine turned out great and did seem “breaded” to me!

0
Reply
Talr Zraya
Talr Zraya
Posted: 10 years ago

Can I make these in the morning and reheat them in the evening for a party? Will they be soggy?

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Talr Zraya
Posted: 10 years ago

I don’t think they’ll be soggy because they’re not breaded. However I would maybe heat them up in the oven and not the microwave, because it might make the meat a bit chewey. These poppers are best served when they’re first made though.

0
Reply
Xersis
Xersis
Posted: 10 years ago

Anyone ever try baking these instead of frying?

0
Reply
Dee
Dee
Posted: 10 years ago

I find it interesting that you use sugar in some of your recipes…as I do too! Also put it in my Chicken batter..By looking through all your recipes I can tell you are a fantastic cook, and again thank you so much for sharing your recipes…They will make my family and friends happy diners!!
I am so happy to have found this site through a very old friend of ours who was looking for a good chicken pot pie !

1
Reply
purabi naha
purabi naha
Posted: 10 years ago

This looks awesome. I would love to try this recipe!! Thanks for sharing this.
http://cosmopolitancurrymania.blogspot.com/

0
Reply
myfudo
myfudo
Posted: 10 years ago

I love chicken recipes…They make my kids enjoy dinner more. Thanks for sharing!

0
Reply
Holly
Holly
Posted: 10 years ago

It is so interesting to see powdered sugar in a breading recipe! Do the poppers end up tasting sweet as a result? Thanks!
–Holly

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Holly
Posted: 10 years ago

Hi Holly,
No, I didn’t find them sweet at all, especially once you dip them in the sauce. 🙂

0
Reply
Crystal @ A Lovin' Forkful
Crystal @ A Lovin' Forkful
Posted: 10 years ago

This looks really tasty! : )

0
Reply
Simply Tia
Simply Tia
Posted: 10 years ago

You make such awesome food! These chicken poppers look sooo delightful and delicious!

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Simply Tia
Posted: 10 years ago

Thank you Tia. 🙂

0
Reply

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