Crispy and crunchy bite-sized pieces of fried chicken which the whole family will love! Make this delicious Taiwanese-inspired Popcorn Chicken with step-by-step photos.
Popcorn Chicken
Anyone who knows me will know that I LOVE fried chicken! Nothing makes me happier than to see fried chicken on a restaurant menu, but as we haven’t been to a restaurant in the longest time, homemade fried chicken is a real treat at the moment.
The easiest fried chicken I know of making is this wonderfully delightful Taiwanese-style Popcorn Chicken.
What is Popcorn Chicken?
Popcorn Chicken is essentially little bite-sized pieces of fried chicken.
They are perfect as they are, served simply with your favourite sauce for a snack or appetiser.
In my home, Popcorn Chicken also forms the basis for many more delicious meals, including my Crispy Honey Chicken and Chinese Lemon Chicken.
Why This Recipe Works
- Use a few easy-to-find pantry ingredients to make delicious homemade fried chicken.
- This Popcorn Chicken recipe creates small and tender pieces of chicken with a crispy and crunchy coating.
Popcorn Chicken Recipe
There are many ways to flavour your Popcorn Chicken, but as I often serve my Popcorn Chicken as part of a shared family meal, I like to use Asian flavourings.
Rather than coating the chicken pieces in a heavy batter for deep-frying, I light to make a light, floury batter which sticks to the chicken pieces to create a crispy texture.
The results are tender and juicy chicken pieces, with an addictive and more-ish crunchy coating.
Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken
My Popcorn Chicken recipe is more inspired by the Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (or Taiwanese Fried Chicken) where I use a mix of soy sauce, Chinese five spice powder and a few other pantry ingredients for a flavoursome hit.
A traditional Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken is usually served with fried Thai basil leaves, which I have omitted from this recipe because it’s not always easy to find where I live.
How to Make Popcorn Chicken
Step 1
For this recipe, you can use chicken breast or chicken thigh, or a mix of both. I like to use boneless chicken thigh fillets with the skin. The skin will crisp up during frying, adding extra crunch and texture, which is what you want in a popcorn chicken.
Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces (about 2 cm/1 inch cubes) and place them into a medium-sized bowl.
Add the marinade ingredients, and give everything a good mix.
Set the chicken aside to marinate at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Step 2
Place the flour into a large bowl or baking tray. For this recipe, you can use either plain flour (all-purpose flour) or self-raising flour.
Step 3
Pour the chicken, together with all of the marinade, onto the flour.
Step 4
Use your hands to mix everything together. The liquid from the marinade will mix with the flour to create a light, floury batter.
Press the flour mixture into the chicken to create a craggy coating. It is these craggly bits which will make the chicken crispy and crunchy.
Step 5
Heat enough vegetable oil in a large saucepan to about 2 cm (1 inch) depth. The oil is ready when the temperature is 165°C (325°F), or when a wooden chopstick inserted in the oil creates lots of small bubbles.
Cook the chicken in batches until they are golden in colour.
Drain the chicken on kitchen paper or a wire rack.
What to Serve with Popcorn Chicken
For this Taiwanese-style Popcorn Chicken, I recommend any spicy sauce to go alongside, such as Sriracha, or Sriracha mixed with a bit of Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise.
This Popcorn Chicken recipe also forms the basis of my Crispy Honey Chicken and Chinese Lemon Chicken.
Homemade Popcorn Chicken
- Marinating Time: 30 mins
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Asian
Crispy and crunchy bite-sized pieces of fried chicken which the whole family will love! Make this delicious Taiwanese-inspired Popcorn Chicken with step-by-step photos.
Print
Pin Recipe
RateIngredients
For the Marinade
- 700 g (1.5 lb) chicken breast fillets and/or chicken thigh fillets (with or without skin)
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder (optional)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinese shaoxing wine
- 1 egg white
For the Popcorn Chicken
- 300 g (2 cups) plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- vegetable oil for shallow frying
To Serve
Instructions
For the Marinade
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, about 2 cm (1 inch) cubes.
- Place the chicken into a medium-sized bowl.
- Add the marinade ingredients.
- Mix everything together until the chicken is well-combined in the marinade.
- Set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
For the Popcorn Chicken
- Heat a large saucepan with enough vegetable oil to about 2 cm (1 inch) depth.
- Place the flour into a large bowl or baking tray.
- Pour the chicken, together with all of the marinade, onto the flour.
- Use your hands to coat the chicken in the flour. The liquid in the marinade will mix with the flour to form a light batter.
- Press the flour into the chicken to help form a craggy coating on the chicken. It is this craggy coating which will make the chicken crispy and crunchy.
- The oil is ready when it reaches 165°C or 325°F, or when a wooden chopstick inserted in the oil creates lots of small bubbles.
- Cook the chicken in batches until golden in colour.
- Drain the chicken pieces on kitchen paper or on a wire rack.
To Serve
- Serve immediately with a sauce of your choice. I like to mix Sriracha with some Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise.
Kitchen Notes
WHAT TYPE OF CHICKEN TO USE
For this recipe, I like to use boneless chicken thigh fillets with the skin. The skin crisps up during frying, adding extra crunch and texture. But you can also use chicken breast.
OVEN & STOVE TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website have been tested on an induction stove and/or with a conventional oven (i.e. an oven without fan). All recipes on this website use temperatures for a conventional oven, unless otherwise mentioned. Convection ovens (i.e. fan-forced ovens) are typically 20°C/70°F hotter than conventional ovens, but please check your manufacturer’s handbook.
CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
Another great recipe! Super quick and easy to make and delicious, the kids loved it!
★★★★★
Hi Donna,
I’m so glad to hear that your family loved this recipe! 🙂
Very good recipe! I would like more spice in the marinade but the recipe is easy to adapt. Great served with a couple of beers!
★★★★★
Yummy recipe!
★★★★★