air fryer essentials: spicy buffalo chicken bites

How To Make air fryer essentials: spicy buffalo chicken bites

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  PREP/PREPARE
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  Pickle Juice Many folks think that Chick-fil-A pioneered the use of pickle juice as a brine for their chicken, but they are not even close. I have cookbooks that are over 100 years old that talk about that specific brining technique. With that said, not all pickle juices are created equal. I am using a fermented pickle brine that has a spicy kick; however, use what you have on hand The pickle brine will create a subtle tang to the chicken bites that is complimented by the hot sauce and spices.
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  Breadcrumbs Do not use panko breadcrumbs. The ones I am using are finely ground dried sourdough bread. Store bought or homemade… up to you. If you are using pre-seasoned breadcrumbs, then you might want to leave out the salt. Most pre-seasoned breadcrumbs contain a lot of sodium.
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  Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
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  Cut up the chicken breast into bite-size pieces, about 1 – 1.5 inches (2.5 – 3.8cm) thick. Do not try to be perfect; just eyeball it.
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  Add the Brine Ingredients to a bowl and add the chicken.
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  Cover and place in the fridge for an hour, but no longer than 90 minutes.
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  Add the Wet Ingredients to a bowl, large enough to hold the chicken, and whisk to combine.
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  Remove the chicken from the fridge and add the chicken to the Wet Ingredients. Let soak for about 15 minutes.
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  Add the Dry Ingredients to a large bowl, or Ziplock bag, then remove the chicken from the Wet Ingredients, shake off the excess and thoroughly coat. Leave them in the coating for about 5 minutes.
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  Meanwhile, preheat your air fryer to 375f (190c), about 2 – 3 minutes.
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  Add the breaded chicken to the basket of your air fryer and cook for 10 minutes.
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  After five minutes give the basket a shake.
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  I used my smaller air fryer, so I cooked these in two batches.
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  These chicken bites should not stick; however, if you are worried about sticking, just brush a bit of oil on the basket mesh before adding the chicken.
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  While the chicken is cooking make the Finishing Sauce by melting the butter and combining it with the hot sauce. I usually just take one of the bowls I have already used and clean it out.
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  After ten minutes, increase the heat to 400f (205c), and cook an additional 4 minutes, or until the chicken bites are cooked through, and golden brown.
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  Shake the basket two or three times while they are cooking.
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  Remove from the air fryer and toss in the finishing sauce.
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  PLATE/PRESENT
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  Serve while nice and hot with some pickles on the side and a few beers. Enjoy.
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  Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
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