Description
This Best Dairy Free Bang Bang Chicken recipe features tender, juicy chicken thighs coated in a flavorful marinade and tossed in a creamy, spicy bang bang sauce made with vegan mayonnaise and sweet chili sauce. The chicken is air fried to perfection, resulting in a crispy exterior without the need for deep frying, making it a healthier and dairy-free take on the classic bang bang chicken.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Marinade
- 4 chicken thighs (boneless and skinless, cut into 1-inch chunks)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp avocado oil
- 1.5 tbsp corn starch
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
For the Bang Bang Sauce
- 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade: In a bowl, combine paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, lemon juice, and avocado oil. Add the chicken thigh chunks and toss until evenly coated. Let the chicken sit in the marinade for 10 minutes to allow flavors to penetrate the meat.
- Make the bang bang sauce: While the chicken marinates, whisk together vegan mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, rice vinegar, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and toasted sesame oil in a separate bowl. Taste and adjust sriracha for desired heat. Set aside two-thirds of the sauce for tossing the chicken and reserve one-third for drizzling at the end.
- Coat chicken with corn starch: Dust the marinated chicken chunks with corn starch and toss gently to coat evenly. This coating helps create a light, crispy exterior when air fried.
- Preheat the air fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C) for 4 minutes.
- Initial air frying: Place the coated chicken pieces in the air fryer basket in a single layer and cook at 375°F for 10 minutes. This step begins to crisp the exterior and render fat from the chicken. The chicken will not be fully cooked yet.
- Toss chicken with sauce and finish cooking: Remove chicken from the air fryer and toss thoroughly with two-thirds of the bang bang sauce. Return sauced chicken to the air fryer and cook at 375°F for an additional 2–4 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C), usually about 3 minutes.
- Serve: Transfer cooked bang bang chicken to a serving plate and drizzle with the reserved one-third portion of sauce. Serve immediately while warm and crispy.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of sriracha in the sauce to control the heat level.
- Ensure chicken pieces are in a single layer in the air fryer for even cooking and crisping.
- This recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken thighs for juiciness, but chicken breasts can be used if preferred, adjusting cook times accordingly.
- Using cornstarch helps achieve a light, crispy texture without deep frying.
- Make sure the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F for safety.
- Serve immediately for best texture as the crispiness is best fresh out of the air fryer.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: dairy free bang bang chicken, air fryer chicken, vegan mayonnaise chicken, spicy chicken recipe, gluten free bang bang chicken
