Air Fryer Chicken Pineapple Bites (Printer View)

Juicy chicken and pineapple glazed with honey and ginger, air-fried for a quick flavorful bite.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken & Marinade

01 - 1.1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1 inch cubes
02 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce (gluten-free recommended)
03 - 1 tablespoon honey
04 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
05 - 1 clove garlic, minced
06 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
07 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

→ Pineapple

08 - 9 ounces fresh pineapple, cut into 1 inch cubes

→ Garnish

09 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
10 - 2 spring onions, thinly sliced

# Method Steps:

01 - In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and black pepper. Add chicken cubes and toss until evenly coated. Marinate for at least 10 minutes, or up to 1 hour refrigerated for optimal flavor development.
02 - Preheat air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes.
03 - Thread chicken and pineapple cubes alternately onto small skewers or toothpicks. If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 10 minutes before assembling to prevent charring.
04 - Place skewers in a single layer in the air fryer basket, ensuring adequate spacing to avoid overcrowding.
05 - Air fry for 10 to 12 minutes, turning halfway through cooking, until chicken reaches full doneness and develops light caramelization.
06 - Transfer skewers to a serving platter. Garnish with sesame seeds and spring onions as desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Ready in under 30 minutes, no oven heating drama or long cook times.
  • The glaze caramelizes perfectly in the air fryer, giving you restaurant-quality bites without the splatter and mess.
  • Works equally well as a party appetizer or a quick protein-packed dinner when you're too tired to think.
02 -
  • Overcrowding your air fryer basket is the fastest way to steam instead of fry—space matters more than batch size.
  • Fresh pineapple and canned are not interchangeable without care; canned needs aggressive draining or it will release moisture and make your bites soggy.
03 -
  • If your chicken pieces are uneven in size, the smaller ones will cook faster and toughen—try to keep everything uniform so everything finishes at the same time.
  • The marinade's honey-to-soy ratio is what creates the caramelization magic; don't be tempted to add more honey thinking it will be sweeter—it'll just burn and taste bitter instead.
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