Crispy Air Fryer Chicken with Store-Bought Sauces: Quick & Easy Weeknight Dinners
Discover the secret to making incredibly crispy and flavorful air fryer chicken effortlessly, all thanks to your favorite store-bought sauces! This comprehensive guide will walk you through creating perfect bite-sized chicken pieces in your air fryer, ready to be tossed in a variety of delicious, ready-to-use sauces. Whether you’re a busy parent, a college student, or just looking for a simple yet satisfying meal, this recipe offers a fantastic solution for a quick weeknight dinner. While homemade sauces are always an option for those seeking specific dietary requirements like gluten-free Asian Air Fryer Chicken Recipes, this post focuses on the unparalleled convenience and versatility of store-bought options.
Why Choose Store-Bought Sauces for Your Air Fryer Chicken?
In today’s fast-paced world, convenience is king, especially when it comes to meal preparation. Store-bought sauces offer a brilliant shortcut to flavorful dinners without compromising on taste. They eliminate the need for measuring multiple ingredients, simmering, and extensive cleanup, making them perfect for those busy evenings when time is of the essence. The sheer variety available ensures there’s a flavor for every palate, from sweet and tangy to spicy and savory.
Popular Store-Bought Sauce Brands and Flavors
The selection of ready-to-use sauces in your local grocery store is vast and exciting. Brands like Panda Express, P.F. Chang’s, Kikkomen, and many others offer an impressive array of flavors that can transform simple air fryer chicken into a culinary delight. You’ll find everything from classic BBQ and buffalo sauces to exotic teriyaki, sweet and sour, General Tso’s, lemon garlic, and even unique regional specialties. For this particular recipe, we’ll highlight the delicious Panda Express Kung Pao Sauce and their popular Orange Sauce – two readily available options that deliver authentic taste with minimal effort. Look for these at major retailers like Walmart or your preferred local grocery store.
It’s worth noting that this article is not sponsored; these are simply excellent examples of widely available and delicious sauces that work wonderfully with air-fried chicken. Feel free to explore and choose your personal favorites to customize your meal!
Mastering Air Fryer Chicken Preparation
The foundation of a great sauced chicken dish lies in perfectly cooked, crispy chicken. The air fryer is ideal for achieving this texture with less oil than traditional deep frying. Here’s how to prepare your chicken for optimal results.
Choosing and Prepping Your Chicken
For this recipe, we aim for bite-sized chicken chunks. While boneless, skinless chicken breast is a popular choice, I personally prefer using boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Chicken thighs tend to retain more moisture and flavor, resulting in a juicier final product that doesn’t dry out as easily in the air fryer. If you opt for chicken breast, ensure you don’t overcook it to maintain tenderness. Cut your chosen chicken into uniform, roughly 1-inch cubes. Uniform pieces are key to ensuring all the chicken cooks evenly at the same rate, preventing some pieces from drying out while others are still undercooked.
Achieving the Perfect Crispy Coating
Once your chicken is cut, transfer it to a large bowl. Add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cornstarch (or potato starch, if preferred, especially for gluten-free diets). Toss the chicken thoroughly until each piece is fully and evenly coated in the cornstarch. This starchy coating is crucial as it creates a thin, crispy crust when air-fried, mimicking the texture of fried chicken with significantly less oil. It’s the secret weapon for that desirable crunch!
Air Frying for Golden Perfection
Before placing the chicken in the air fryer, lightly coat the air fryer basket with a high smoke point cooking spray, such as grapeseed oil. This prevents sticking and contributes to the overall crispiness. Once the basket is prepped, arrange the cornstarch-coated chicken pieces in a single layer as much as possible. Avoid overcrowding the basket, as this can steam the chicken instead of crisping it. If necessary, cook in batches. Lightly spray the chicken pieces with more grapeseed oil. This step is vital; the oil interacts with the cornstarch to create that beautiful golden-brown, crispy exterior.
Cook the chicken at 390°F (199°C) for an initial 7 minutes. Then, gently shake or stir the chicken in the basket to ensure even cooking and add another light coat of oil spray. Continue cooking for another 6-8 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C) when checked with a reliable meat thermometer. It’s important to use a thermometer as air fryer cooking times can vary significantly based on the model and wattage of your appliance. A meat thermometer is your best friend for ensuring food safety and perfectly cooked chicken.
Once the chicken is done and perfectly crispy, carefully transfer it to a large mixing bowl. If you’re using a multi-cooker like a Ninja Foodi, you can simply pour the chicken directly into the main pot, discarding the air crisp basket. This prepares your delicious chicken for the next exciting step: saucing!
Effortlessly Saucing Your Crispy Air Fryer Chicken
Now for the fun part – adding your chosen store-bought sauce! The beauty of this method is that the chicken is cooked to perfection before the sauce is introduced, allowing the sauce to coat without burning or becoming too thick during the cooking process. This ensures maximum flavor and a beautiful glaze.
With the hot, crispy chicken in a large bowl, pour approximately 1/4 cup of your chosen sauce directly over it. Gently toss or stir the chicken until every piece is evenly coated. I always recommend starting with a smaller amount like 1/4 cup and then adding more to taste. This approach prevents the chicken from being overwhelmed by the sauce and allows you to achieve your desired flavor intensity. Taste a piece and adjust as needed.
Feel free to experiment with different sauces! For example, we often split our batch of chicken in half and coat one half with a tangy Orange Sauce and the other with a spicier Kung Pao Sauce. This works wonderfully for households with varying preferences, catering to both those who love a sweet and tangy profile and those who crave a bit of heat. This versatility makes it an ideal meal for family dinners or entertaining guests.
Creative Ways to Serve Your Air Fryer Chicken with Sauces
Once your air fryer chicken is perfectly sauced, it’s ready to be served and enjoyed. The serving options are as varied as the sauces themselves!
A classic and satisfying way to serve this dish is over a bed of fluffy white or brown rice. Complement the meal with a side of steamed or roasted vegetables like crisp broccoli, tender green beans, or colorful bell peppers. To elevate the presentation and flavor, consider garnishing your chicken with freshly chopped green onions, a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds, or a dash of your favorite fresh herbs. A squeeze of lime or lemon juice can also add a bright, zesty finish.
Beyond rice, consider serving your sauced chicken with quinoa for a protein boost, alongside noodles for an Asian-inspired meal, or even with mashed potatoes for a comforting twist. It can be a standalone main course or part of a larger, more elaborate spread. The key is to match your sides to the flavor profile of the sauce you’ve chosen.
Storing & Reheating Leftover Air Fryer Chicken
Should you have any delicious leftovers, proper storage and reheating can ensure you enjoy them for another meal. Store the sauced chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This ensures its freshness and prevents any cross-contamination.
When you’re ready to reheat, you have a couple of options. For a quick reheat, place the chicken on a microwave-safe plate and heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through. While the microwave is convenient, the best way to revive that delightful crispiness is by using your air fryer. Reheat the chicken in the air fryer at 330°F (165°C) for 2-3 minutes, shaking the basket once. This method helps to restore some of the crispy texture lost during refrigeration. Remember, air fryer chicken with sauce is always best served hot and fresh, but leftovers can be remarkably good with proper reheating.
Exploring Homemade Sauce Alternatives
While store-bought sauces offer unmatched convenience, some may prefer to craft their own sauces from scratch. Homemade sauces provide complete control over ingredients, allowing for precise adjustments to flavor, sugar content, and dietary restrictions, such as ensuring a sauce is completely gluten-free. For those who enjoy the process of creating unique flavor profiles or simply prefer to use pantry ingredients, homemade versions can be incredibly rewarding. If you’re inspired to try your hand at homemade sauces for your air-fried chicken, be sure to check out these fantastic recipes:
Air Fryer Sesame Chicken
Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken
Air Fryer Mongolian Beef
Each of these recipes will guide you through using basic pantry staples and a small saucepan to whip up a delicious homemade sauce that perfectly complements the crispy air-fried chicken (or beef!).
Whether you opt for the quick convenience of store-bought sauces or the customizability of homemade creations, learning how to serve crispy air fryer chicken with a variety of flavorful coatings opens up a world of easy and delicious dinner possibilities. Enjoy your culinary adventures!
Air Fryer Chicken with Store-Bought Sauces
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Ingredients
Chicken
- 6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs About 1 1/2-2 Pounds, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 Cup Cornstarch or potato starch
- Grapeseed Oil Spray or other high smoke point oil spray
Sauce
- 1/4 Cup Store-Bought Sauce e.g., Panda Express Orange or Kung Pao, P.F. Chang’s, or your favorite
Optional Garnishes & Serving Suggestions
- Green Onions chopped
- Cooked Rice
- Cooked Broccoli or other steamed/roasted vegetables
- Sesame Seeds for garnish
Instructions
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Cut the boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breast) into uniform 1-inch cubes. Place the chicken in a large bowl and toss with 1/2 cup of cornstarch (or potato starch) until each piece is fully and evenly coated.
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Preheat your air fryer if necessary. Lightly coat the basket of the air fryer with grapeseed oil spray. Place the coated chicken evenly into the air fryer basket in a single layer, ensuring not to overcrowd it. Spray the chicken again with additional grapeseed oil. Cook at 390°F (199°C) for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, shake or stir the chicken, add more grapeseed oil spray, and continue cooking for another 6-8 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches at least 165°F (74°C) using a meat thermometer. Cook times may vary by air fryer model.
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Once the chicken is perfectly cooked and crispy, carefully move it to a large glass or ceramic mixing bowl. If using a Ninja Foodi Multi-Cooker, you can pour it directly into the main pot and remove the air crisp basket.
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Add about 1/4 cup of your chosen store-bought sauce to the chicken and mix thoroughly until all pieces are evenly coated. Taste and add additional sauce if needed to reach your preferred flavor intensity.
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Serve immediately over cooked rice and alongside steamed or roasted broccoli. Garnish with chopped green onions and/or sesame seeds for added flavor and presentation.
Notes
The nutritional information provided will vary significantly depending on the specific store-bought sauce used. Always check the label of your chosen sauce for accurate nutritional data.
For approximately 4 servings, use about 1 1/2 pounds of chicken. For 6 servings, aim for closer to 2 pounds or slightly more chicken. Adjust sauce quantities proportionally if you change the amount of chicken.
Nutrition
