Lemon Garlic Chicken Bites is a quick, simple, crowd-pleasing recipe. Serve it as an appetizer or as a main dish alongside side dishes.
Hello, little bites of joy!
What exactly are we doing here with these chicken bites?
Well, chicken bites are your solution for a high-protein appetizer, snack, or main dish.
My friends who entertain guests will find this recipe a lovely little addition to any gathering, and my fellow meal preppers will delight in how simple yet flavorful this recipe is so that it can be put on repeat for weekly lunches or dinners.
If you tried my Air Fryer Steak Bites, you may just love chicken bites as well!
These fun little protein bites are quick and easy to make, and can double as an appetizer or a main dish.
Serve them up with Sautéed Brussel Sprouts with Butter and Garlic, Garlic Herb Roasted Vegetables, or Crispy Sweet Potato Fries.
The way I see it, this is a simple dish to always have on hand, especially if you have kids and like adding little bites of protein to their dinner plates.
Ingredients for Chicken Bites:
Boneless skinless chicken breasts, avocado oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, onion powder, paprika, and sea salt.
This combination of ingredients gives us an easy chicken recipe that is big in lemon and garlic flavor.
Using ghee or butter to cook the chicken bites brings that pleasurable creaminess to the dish. You can leave out the ghee (or butter) to keep the recipe dairy-free and lower in fat.
How to Make Lemon Garlic Chicken Bites:
Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and place it in a zip lock bag. Add the remaining ingredients except for the ghee/butter (avocado oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, onion powder, paprika, and sea salt).
Seal the bag and move everything around until the chicken is well-coated in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, up to 24 hours.
When you’re ready to cook, add two tablespoons of ghee or butter to a large skillet and heat over high heat.
Once the skillet is very hot, add the chicken and spread it into an even layer.
Cook for 5 minutes without stirring the chicken. This allows much of the liquid to burn off. After 5 minutes, stir the chicken and continue cooking for another 6 to 8 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, or until much of the liquid has burned off and the chicken is golden-brown.
Note: the chicken will be fully cooked after about 7 or 8 minutes. You can stop the cooking process at that point, or you can continue cooking to get that nice golden-brown sear.
Serve the chicken bites with a dipping sauce as an appetizer or with side dishes to serve as a main entrée. My Paleo Chipotle Aioli would be great with these bites!
You can change up this recipe to your heart’s desire. Add or subtract garlic, use teriyaki sauce, or turn them into Buffalo Chicken Bites!
If you’re looking for more appetizer recipes, also check out my Cream Cheese Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers, and Ground Beef and Feta Stuffed Mushrooms.
Take a bite!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 Tbsp avocado oil
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 5 cloves garlic, minced (2 Tbsp)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp ground paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 Tbsp ghee or butter for cooking.
Instructions
- Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and place it in a zip lock bag. Add the remaining ingredients except for the ghee/butter (avocado oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, onion powder, paprika, and sea salt). Seal the bag and move everything around until the chicken is well-coated in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, up to 24 hours.
- When you’re ready to cook, add two tablespoons of ghee or butter to a large skillet and heat over high heat.
- Once the skillet is very hot, add the chicken and spread it into an even layer.
- Cook for 5 minutes without stirring the chicken. This allows much of the liquid to burn off. After 5 minutes, stir the chicken and continue cooking for another 6 to 8 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, or until much of the liquid has burned off and the chicken is golden-brown.
- Note: the chicken will be fully cooked after about 7 or 8 minutes of cooking. You can stop the cooking process at that point, or you can continue cooking to get that nice golden-brown sear.
- Serve the chicken bites with a dipping sauce as an appetizer or with side dishes to serve as a main entrée.
Notes
Nutrition
