Crispy Bang Bang Air-Fryer Chicken
Bang bang chicken is the one everybody has seen and wants to make, and the air fryer version is honestly the easy way in. You give the chicken a double cornstarch dredge for that glassy shatter-crisp shell, crisp it up, and toss it in the creamy sweet-and-spicy sauce right at the end. Keep the sauce off until serving so the crunch survives, pile it over rice, and you have weeknight takeout without the takeout.
Why this one is so easy
The craveable bang bang sauce with real crispy chicken, and no deep fryer to deal with.
Cornstarch, not breading, gives it that glassy shatter-crisp shell.
It comes together in about half an hour, sauce and all. Weeknight takeout, handled.
Della's tips
Cornstarch, not flour, is the secret. Flour reads like a soft breading, cornstarch shatters.
Do not skip the oil spray or the re-spray at the flip. Dry cornstarch stays pale and powdery.
Overcrowding is the number one crisp-killer. Give every piece space and cook in two batches.
Toss in sauce right before serving. Sauced bites soften within minutes.
Make it your own
+ Hot honey: finish the sauced bites with a drizzle of hot honey.
+ Bang bang bowls: over jasmine rice with cucumber, shredded cabbage, and sesame.
+ Tacos or lettuce wraps: tuck the crispy bites into tortillas or lettuce with slaw and extra sauce.
If you are out of something
Chicken thighs instead of breast. Juicier and very forgiving, just a minute or two longer.
Kewpie or Japanese mayo for a richer sauce, or Greek yogurt for a lighter one.
No sweet chili sauce? Honey plus a splash of rice vinegar and a pinch of red pepper flakes gets you close.
The bang bang sauce keeps in the fridge up to a week, so make it days ahead. You can cube and season the chicken up to 6 hours ahead, but dredge it just before cooking so the coating stays dry. Leftover unsauced bites keep two to three days and re-crisp at 380F for a few minutes. Always sauce fresh at serving, never store it pre-sauced.
Ingredients
Steps
Season the chicken cubes with the garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Dredge them cornstarch, then egg, then back into the cornstarch, shaking off the excess between layers. That double cornstarch is what makes the shell shatter-crisp.
Preheat the air fryer to 400F. Lay the cubes in a single layer, not touching, and spray the tops with oil. In a 6-quart basket this is two batches.
Air fry at 400F for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping and re-spraying at the halfway mark, until golden and the chicken reaches 165F.
Whisk the mayo, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, honey, and rice vinegar into the bang bang sauce.
Toss the hot chicken in about half the sauce right before serving, or drizzle it over the top to stay crispier. Serve over rice with the extra sauce for dipping.
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Questions, answered
Either. Breast is leaner and classic, thigh is juicier and harder to overcook.