Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken
User Reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Total Time
45 mins
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Servings
4 servings
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Calories
299 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Appetizer, Snacks
Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken
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The secret to EXTRA crunchy popcorn chicken come down to two critical aspects - The flour used and method of frying. This recipe gives you the crispiest crunchiest chicken that'll keep you coming back for more!
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Ingredients
MARINADE:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thigh cut in 2-inch pieces
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon 5-spice
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 egg white
SEASONING:
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon 5-spice seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ -¼ teaspoon ground Szechuan peppercorn
BREADING:
- 1 cup Potato Starch
- 3 1/2 tablespoons water separated
INGREDIENTS:
- Handful basil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken and marinade ingredients - chicken, minced garlic, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, 5-spice, white pepper, & egg white.. Massage the marinate into the chicken until it’s fully absorbed. Cover & marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. Keep chicken cold in the fridge until the dredge is ready and you're ready to fry.
- In a small bowl, combine the seasoning mix - salt, 5-spice, white pepper, sugar, garlic powder, and ground Szechuan peppercorn. If you haven’t had szechuan peppercorn before, start with a little, taste, and adjust if you’d like more for that tingly-numbing effect! Be careful not to add too much though, otherwise, it’ll overpower with a strong floral flavor.
- Prep the dredge by pouring potato starch onto a large bowl or plate. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of water at a time to the potato starch, using your fingers to mix and create crumbles in the starch. Repeat the process until you have crumbly nuggets throughout the dredge (photo example in blog post above).
- Add a few pieces of chicken to the dredge at a time, pressing or scrunching the potato starch & its crumbles into the chicken so it really sticks. Repeat for remaining chicken & let chicken rest for 10-15 minutes - this will help the starch better stick to the chicken instead of falling off when cooking!
- In a medium-sized pot, heat enough oil to deep fry on medium-high heat. You’ll know it’s hot enough if you stick a wooden chopstick or spoon in the oil & it starts to sizzle. Add chicken in the oil, working in batches to avoid overcrowding. Best practice is you should be able to see the bottom of the pot. Gently stir the chicken so they don’t get stuck together while cooking. Cook for about 1-3 minutes, or until chicken is golden brown and oil is producing small bubbles instead of large violent bubbles lol. Remove and drain on a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate. Turn off heat & let chicken rest for 15-20 minutes.
- Re-heat the pot of oil on medium-high, then once hot, add chicken back in batches. Again, don’t overcrowd otherwise your chicken won’t get to maximum crispiness! Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until a slightly darker brown & only small bubbles are showing in the oil. Remove, drain on a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate.
- Turn off the heat, add the basil leaves to the oil, and QUICKLY cover with a lid to avoid splattering. Cook for about 1 minute, or until you no longer hear popping / splattering. Remove basil leaves.
- In a large bowl, toss together chicken, basil leaves, and seasoning. Enjoy!
Notes
- Potato Starch: This creates a crunchy crust for the chicken! You can easily find it at local Asian markets or Amazon. A common alternative is cornstarch, but keep in mind your chicken won't be nearly as crispy, so I HIGHLY recommend grabbing potato starch :)
- Szechuan Peppercorns: This gives a tingly numbing affect that has no substitute! If you haven't tried it, add a little then you can always add more.
Key Tips:
Rest Chicken Twice - after dredging & first fry Create craggily bits in the dredge for EXTRA crunch Double-fry for maximum crispiness Cool, drain, & save frying oil for another use
- Rest Chicken Twice - after dredging & first fry
- Create craggily bits in the dredge for EXTRA crunch
- Double-fry for maximum crispiness
- Cool, drain, & save frying oil for another use
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
0.25recipe
Calories
299kcal
(15%)
Carbohydrates
36g
(12%)
Protein
26g
(52%)
Fat
5g
(8%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
Monounsaturated Fat
2g
Trans Fat
0.02g
Cholesterol
108mg
(36%)
Sodium
921mg
(38%)
Potassium
735mg
(21%)
Fiber
3g
(12%)
Sugar
2g
(4%)
Vitamin A
36IU
(1%)
Vitamin C
3mg
(3%)
Calcium
58mg
(6%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 299 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 0.25recipe | |
| Calories | 299kcal | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 36g | 12% |
| Protein | 26g | 52% |
| Fat | 5g | 8% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Trans Fat | 0.02g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 108mg | 36% |
| Sodium | 921mg | 38% |
| Potassium | 735mg | 16% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 36IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 58mg | 6% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
3 reviews
Excellent
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