Bang Bang Chicken in the Air Fryer
a sauce you'll want on everything, dinner ready in under 30 minutes
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Otherwise, enjoy this one. It is a good one.
This one has been on repeat at our house. Troy said it is one of his favorite meals I have ever made. That creamy, spicy bang bang sauce is something I could lather all over any sort of meal. The whole dish comes together in the air fryer with no breading, no complicated steps, and less than 10 ingredients. If you’re new to cooking chicken or just need dinner done fast, start here!
Quick Links
Servings: 2-3 / Prep: 8 min / Cook: 16-19 min / Total: ~26 min
INGREDIENTS
For the Chicken:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 medium breasts)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil (to help the seasoning stick)
For the Bang Bang Sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
1 tablespoon sriracha (adjust to your heat level)
1 teaspoon honey
Juice of 1 lime
Optional Toppings:
Thinly sliced green onions or spring onions
Toasted sesame seeds
Chopped cilantro
Extra drizzle of Bang Bang sauce
Crushed peanuts
Lime wedges on the side
Microwavable rice packets for the base (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Step 1: Prep the chicken. Take your chicken breasts out of the packaging and pat them completely dry using a paper towel. This step matters more than it sounds. Dry chicken gets better color and the seasoning sticks to it properly. Wet chicken just steams.
Once they’re dry, place them on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, make shallow cuts across the top of each breast in a criss-cross pattern, about 1/4 inch deep. You’re not cutting through, just scoring the surface. This helps the spices and sauce actually get into the meat instead of just sitting on top.
Step 2: Season. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, garlic powder, ground ginger, salt, and black pepper. Give it a quick stir so it’s mixed evenly.
Drizzle the olive oil over both sides of each chicken breast and rub it in with your hands. The oil helps the spices stick. Then sprinkle the spice mix evenly over both sides and press it in with your fingers so it’s well coated. I like to wear food grade gloves for this part since we’re handling raw chicken.
Step 3: Make the bang bang sauce. In a medium bowl, add the mayo, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, honey, and lime juice. Whisk everything together until the sauce is completely smooth and creamy with no streaks. Taste it. If you want more heat, add a little more sriracha. If it feels too spicy, add a small drizzle of honey to balance it out.
Before moving on, scoop out roughly 1/4 of the sauce and set it aside in a separate small bowl. This is your finishing sauce and you’ll drizzle it on at the end. The rest goes on the chicken now.
Step 4: Coat and air fry. Using a brush or a spoon, coat the chicken all over with the remaining sauce, top and bottom. Make sure it’s fully covered.
Preheat your air fryer to 375°F. Once it’s hot, place the chicken breasts in the basket in a single layer. Do not stack them. Air fryers cook with circulating heat and the chicken needs space around it to cook evenly.
Cook for 16 to 19 minutes, flipping the chicken over at the halfway point. When you flip it, you can brush a little extra sauce on the top side if there’s any left in your bowl.
The chicken is done when the internal temperature reads 165°F on a meat thermometer. If you don’t have one, cut into the thickest part and make sure the inside is white all the way through with no pink.
Step 5: Slice and serve. Let the chicken rest for 2 to 3 minutes before cutting into it. This keeps the juices inside instead of running out onto your cutting board.
Slice the chicken and lay it over a bowl of white rice. Drizzle the reserved bang bang sauce on top and finish with whatever toppings you like. Green onions and sesame seeds are my go-to.
WHAT I USED TO MAKE THIS
TIPS THAT ACTUALLY HELP
Dry your chicken before you do anything else. It makes a real difference in how the seasoning sticks and how the chicken cooks.
Use a meat thermometer if you have one. It takes the guesswork out completely. You’re looking for 165°F in the thickest part.
Set aside your finishing sauce before you start coating the chicken. Once a brush or spoon touches raw chicken, that bowl is done. Keep it separate from the start.
The sauce keeps in the fridge for up to a week, so you can make it ahead of time and use it on whatever you’re cooking.
FOR BEGINNER COOKS
Scoring the chicken just means making shallow cuts with a knife. You are not cutting it in half. Think of it like drawing lines across the top, about as deep as a pencil.
Preheating the air fryer just means turning it on and letting it run for 3 to 5 minutes before you put food in. Same idea as preheating an oven. Most air fryers have a preheat setting or you can just set the temp and let it run for a few minutes.
A meat thermometer is a small tool you stick into the thickest part of the chicken to check the temperature. They’re inexpensive and worth it. It removes all the guessing about whether chicken is done.
If your chicken breasts are really thick on one end and thin on the other, use a sharp knife to carefully slice them in half horizontally so the thickness is more even. This helps them cook at the same rate.
SWAPS AND MODIFICATIONS
Swap the protein: shrimp works great with this sauce and only takes about 6 to 8 minutes in the air fryer. Salmon and tofu are also good options.
Swap the mayo: Greek yogurt works as a 1 to 1 substitute if you want something lighter. It gives the sauce a slightly tangier flavor but still delicious.
Swap the honey: maple syrup or agave both work fine.
No sweet chili sauce: mix a spoonful of apricot jam with a pinch of chili flakes.
No air fryer: preheat your oven to 400°F. Place the coated chicken on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Broil for the last 2 to 3 minutes to get some color on top.
Make it spicier: add another 1/2 tbsp of sriracha or stir in some chili garlic sauce.
Make it milder: cut the sriracha in half and add a little extra honey.
FOR MEAL PREP
Double the chicken and sauce and you have four servings ready to go. Let everything cool fully before putting it in the fridge. Store the chicken and sauce in separate airtight containers and it’ll keep for up to 4 days. Reheat the chicken in the air fryer at 350°F for a few minutes and it comes right back.
If you liked this, my Bang Bang Salmon Bites use the same sauce, and it’s just as good.
Made this? Tell me how it went and how you served it. I'm always looking for new ways to remix it.
Yum! Thank you.