These crispy Cajun sautéed chicken bites are ready to go in just about 20 minutes! Chicken breasts are coated in a super flavorful coating, and then the nuggets are cooked up in a skillet and served atop a Cajun slaw! Low carb and kid friendly!
I’ve been sitting on this recipe for over year. Made over and over and over again, it has even become a favorite meal of my beloved teen nieces. Paleo, Whole30, and low carb goodness.
I love it because I almost ALWAYS have these pantry ingredients on hand, and I can have dinner ready in under 30 minutes.
I am excited to be finally sharing this ultra family friendly and low carb meal with you all!
The slaw is pretty rocking, but it is definitely optional (but don’t forget the dressing makes an awesome dipping sauce for this pan fried nuggets and my baked sweet potato fries!)! Some Instant Pot broccoli would also be awesome!
How long do you sauté chicken?
Ultimately, this will depend on the size of your chicken pieces. However, I suggest 2″ squares which take anywhere from 5-8 minutes total cook time (depending on individual stove heat). A couple of tips for you:
- watch for the opaque white cooked chicken to start creeping up the sides of the bite from the bottom of the pan…your clue it’s nearly time to flip and cook the other side!
- 165 degrees is the cooked chicken temperature. Chicken continues to cook a bit after it is removed from the heat.
- don’t over crowd your pan…the chicken takes longer to cook this way and will not crisp up.
Serving Suggestions for these low carb chicken nuggets
There are many ways to enjoy these nuggets once they are made! While I serve them atop the Cajun slaw suggested below…my kids will have none of that (shock) ..so here are some additional ideas!
- Straight up green salad, sautéed broccoli, or these crispy oven baked sweet potato fries (which are super good with the Cajun dressing below!)
- A side of plain rice or my Instant Pot rice-a-roni!
- This low carb baked okra looks fun!
- Air fryer garlic fries are crispy and addicting!
Can I use chicken thighs to make these chicken bites?
Most definitely!
I would suggest small pieces, 1 or 1.5″ squared apx. Will need to cook a tad longer in the pan as well.
Additional quick and easy dishes:
- The Instant Pot makes a lot of dishes super quick and easy…and very hands off! Try my Instant Pot Chicken Adobo!
- My Instant Pot Tortilla Soup is a snap!
- Whole30 sesame chicken is one of my personal favorites!
- It needs time to marinate, but my Thai grilled chicken requires very little hands on time!
- Garlic steak bites are another one skillet wonder!
- Gochujang chicken is a Korean inspired quick meal!
- Bowls are one of my favorites, and this chicken quinoa bowl has Mediterranean flare!
Cajun Sautéed Chicken Bites Recipe:
If you try these tempting and lightening quick chicken bites, be sure to come back and leave a comment and start rating below!
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces, 2" x 2" apx
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or other high heat oil for sautéing
Cajun Coating
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch or any starch
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Cajun Slaw
- 8 oz bag of cabbage slaw
- 6 tablespoons mayonnaise I use my own homemade version
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon ketchup I like this unsweetened one
- 2 teaspoons tabasco style hot sauce
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Mix together to Cajun coating in a bowl.
- Toss in the cut chicken bites, stirring to coat evenly.
- Add half of the oil to the pan. Once hot, add in a single layer of coated chicken bites. Do not over crowd the pan or they will not crisp. Two batches likely necessary. Let the bites sit undisturbed for several minutes while you prep the slaw dressing.
- Mix together all slaw dressing ingredients in a mason jar or similar, set aside.
- Once chicken is golden and crispy on the one side, turn each piece over with tongs or a fork. Let crisp up for another 2-3 minutes until cooked through.
- Toss the slaw with enough dressing to suit your tastes. Can use any leftover as nugget dipping sauce!
Nutrition
This is THE BEST. Total family favorite! The chicken goes perfect with the slaw and some Frank’s to top it all off is the bomb.
My whole family loved this dish! The combination of the spices with the crispy outside of the chicken, and crunchy slaw is delicious! This is definitely a new family favorite!
This recipe is DELICIOUS! We used Franks Hot Sauce as the hot sauce… so good! Perfect mix of flavors, crunch from the slaw and creamy sauce. This will become a regular on our menu!