Indian Chicken Bites – Barefeet in the Kitchen

Bite-size pieces of chicken are tossed in a mixture of oil and spices before being quickly cooked in a hot skillet to create these flavorful and juicy Indian Chicken Bites. Served with Cilantro Lime Rice or Mushroom and Pepper Rice Pilaf this is a meal that my whole family loves.

Chicken Bites

Incredibly flavorful and juicy Chicken Bites are a terrific dinner for the busiest of weeknights! This has become one of my favorite fast dinners over the past 12 years.

I originally stumbled across a recipe for Indian Chicken Bits and as soon as I saw the ingredient list and the simplicity of it all, I knew we’d be trying it soon. I saved the recipe in my “want to try this” folder.

Later that month, while we had a houseful of sick kids, Sean was able to toss these Chicken Bits together for a simple dinner over the weekend. There is not a distinct Indian flavor to this dish. However, the chicken is loaded with great flavor and just a hint of spicy heat. We all enjoyed it very much.

This is a very easy meal, maybe 30 minutes from start to finish and that includes letting the chicken rest for a while.

We’ve made this countless times over the past six years. As an appetizer or a main dish, this chicken is fantastic.

I’ve this chicken with the rice dishes I mentioned above, or on its own with Homemade Ranch Dip. I often serve the chicken along with a whole lot of fresh vegetables for dipping with the ranch dip.

Chicken bite recipes have become a popular dinner option in my house and we now make Southwest Chicken Bites, Honey Sriracha Chicken Bites, Huli, Huli Chicken Bites, Chipotle Ranch Chicken Bites, Honey Spice Broiled Chicken Bites, and Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites too!

Indian Chicken Bits

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

• boneless skinless chicken, thighs or breasts
• light-flavored olive oil or coconut oil
• freshly ground black pepper
• cumin
• thyme
• paprika
• kosher salt
• garlic powder
• turmeric
• cayenne

Chicken Bites Recipe

Dice the chicken into small pieces, approximately 3/4″-1″ in size. Set aside in a medium size bowl. In a small dish or measuring cup, combine all of the spices. Add 1 tablespoon of oil (melted if using coconut oil) and all of the spices to the bowl with the chicken. Toss well to combine. Let rest for at least 10 minutes.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken. Saute, turning or stirring constantly with a spatula or tongs, until the chicken is browned on the outside and cooked through. This should take just a few minutes. Be careful not to overcook the chicken.

Remove the chicken pieces from the pan when they are finished cooking. Because the pieces are small, they will dry out if left in the hot pan.

The first time we made Indian Chicken Bits, we served them with Roasted Potato Wedges and Po’dunk Sauce.

The sauce was delicious as a dip for the potatoes and I couldn’t resist trying it as a dip for the chicken as well. We really enjoyed it that way too.

Here’s a final serving tip. If you have fresh zucchini, toss it in the pan right after the chicken and make this delicious Sauteed Spiced Zucchini.

I have been known to make this chicken just as an excuse to cook the zucchini in the remaining pan juices. The chicken would also be delicious with this Easy Rice Pilaf or Skillet Mexican Street Corn.

originally published 3/14/12 – photos and recipe notes updated 9/25/24

Recipe lightly adapted from and with thanks to Madhur Jaffrey’s Quick & Easy Indian Cooking via Bo’s Bowl.