APPETIZERS/ MAINS

Easy Popcorn Chicken

Hello, welcome to Djalali Cooks! I have a fun recipe today that is great for a game day snack or a Halloween party spread. With flavorful breading that crisps up to a satisfying crunch; tender, juicy chicken breast, these fried chicken bites will not disappoint. Serve up a basket of Popcorn Chicken with a variety of dipping sauces and I promise, these will be the hit of the party!

Popcorn Chicken

I have slightly adapted this recipe from Cook’s Country. And I have to say that the breading is so well-seasoned it’s a great recipe to keep on hand for fried chicken, too. Start off by placing the chicken breasts on a plate, in the freezer for about 40 minutes. This will firm up the breasts so they will be easier to cut into roughly 1/2-inch cubes. I have about 1.5 pounds of skinless, boneless chicken breasts.

The Breading

breading ingredients

For the breading we have flour, corn starch, baking powder, Kosher salt, pepper, onion powder, granulated garlic, cayenne pepper and sugar. Mix these dry ingredients really well in a large mixing bowl. Then pour in 1/2 cup of water. Stir the water into the flour mixture with your hands, creating little clumps of the breading.

mixing the breading

Set the bowl of breading aside and cut up the chicken breasts. In another medium bowl, lightly beat two eggs.

chicken breading station

Toss the chicken pieces with the beaten eggs and sprinkle with about 2 teaspoons of Kosher salt. Mix the chicken, eggs and salt to evenly distribute the salt.

Take about half of the chicken pieces out of the egg mixture and add to the breading mixture. Toss the chicken pieces in the breading with both hands, squeezing the clumps of breading onto the chicken pieces. Transfer the chicken pieces, one by one, to a large sheet tray. Then repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Be sure you’ve fished out all the chicken pieces, then discard whatever breading is left in the bowl.

breaded Popcorn Chicken

Let the breaded chicken pieces hang out on the sheet tray while we set up our fry station and heat the oil.

Time to Fry!

Popcorn Chicken frying station

Pour 1.5 quarts of vegetable oil into a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot. You want the oil to be about 1-inch deep. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Set up a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the oil. Line a second sheet tray with three layers of paper towels and set it on the right side of the pot of oil. When the oil temp reaches 400 degrees, we’re ready to fry.

Working in batches, use a spider skimmer to transfer half of the chicken pieces (several pieces at a time) to the hot oil. Immediately stir the chicken pieces so they don’t stick together. When you have about half of the chicken pieces in the oil, stir to avoid sticking and let fry for about 2-3 minutes, until the chicken pieces are golden brown. Transfer fried Popcorn Chicken to the paper towel-lined sheet tray. Let the oil come back up to 400 degrees and repeat with the rest of the chicken.

Popcorn Chicken

And that’s it! Super-easy Popcorn Chicken. Serve with a few different dipping sauces; I have a Sriracha Barbecue sauce, Jalapeño Honey Mustard and a Buffalo Ranch sauce.

Popcorn Chicken with dipping sauces

I grabbed a shallow bread bowl and lined it with a piece of butcher paper, and tossed int he Popcorn Chicken.

Popcorn Chicken

This Popcorn Chicken is spot on – the breading is well-seasoned and the chicken is so juicy, you don’t even need a dipping sauce! Thank you so much for spending some of your day with me, I do hope you try this recipe, it’s a winner for sure. If you’re looking for another great game day recipe, check out our 2020 Chicken Wing Showdown. Have a great day, everyone – take care and be well. xo Kelly

Popcorn Chicken

Popcorn Chicken

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Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack American
By Adapted from Cook's Country Serves: 6-8
Prep Time: 50 Minutes Cooking Time: 4-6 Minutes Total Time: ~1 Hour

Flavorful breading that crisps up to a satisfying crunch; tender, juicy chicken breast, these fried chicken bites will not disappoint.

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, trimmed
  • 2 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 cup Cornstarch
  • 1.5 tbsp. Granulated Garlic
  • 1.5 tbsp. Sugar
  • 1 tbsp. Baking Powder
  • 6 tsp. Kosher Salt, divided
  • 1 tsp. Black Pepper
  • 2 tsp. Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
  • 1/2 cup Water
  • 2 Large Eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1.5 quarts Peanut or Vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions

1

Start off by placing the chicken breasts on a plate, in the freezer for about 40 minutes.

2

Whisk the flour, corn starch, baking powder, 4 teaspoons Kosher salt, pepper, onion powder, granulated garlic, cayenne pepper and sugar in a large mixing bowl.

3

Then pour in 1/2 cup of water. Stir the water into the flour mixture with your hands, creating little clumps of the breading. Set the bowl of breading aside.

4

Cut the chicken breasts into 1/2-inch pieces.

5

In a separate medium-sized bowl, lightly beat two eggs.

6

Toss the chicken pieces with the beaten eggs and sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons of Kosher salt. Mix the chicken, eggs and salt to evenly distribute the salt.

7

Take about half of the chicken pieces out of the egg mixture and add to the breading mixture. Toss the chicken pieces in the breading with both hands, squeezing the clumps of breading onto the chicken pieces. Transfer the chicken pieces, one by one, to a large sheet tray. Then repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Be sure you've fished out all the chicken pieces, then discard whatever breading is left in the bowl.

8

Pour 1.5 quarts of vegetable oil into a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot. You want the oil to be about 1-inch deep. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Set up a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the oil. Line a second sheet tray with three layers of paper towels and set it on the right side of the pot of oil. When the oil temp reaches 400 degrees, we're ready to fry.

9

Working in batches, use a spider skimmer to transfer half of the chicken pieces (several pieces at a time) to the hot oil. Immediately stir the chicken pieces so they don't stick together. When you have about half of the chicken pieces in the oil, stir occasionally to avoid sticking and let fry for about 2-3 minutes, until the chicken pieces are golden brown. Transfer fried Popcorn Chicken to the paper towel-lined sheet tray. Let the oil come back up to 400 degrees and repeat with the rest of the chicken.

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  • Terry
    October 18, 2021 at 10:20 am

    This is a great recipe now with football season ramping up.. I love these kind of recipes you can change them up to b just Little different. Have a great Monday ??Mom

    • Kelly Djalali
      October 18, 2021 at 2:44 pm

      Hi Mom, yes this one is perfect for a group. Popcorn Chicken is also great to add to a salad. Let me know how you like it, I think the breading is a good technique and recipe to use for shrimp too! xo Kelly

  • Mari
    October 18, 2021 at 10:56 am

    You had me at easy, followed quickly by popcorn chicken. I have never been able to eat it because no one makes it gluten free. I had no idea it would be this easy to make. It’s pretty straight forward and I should be able to substitute the flour for one I can use. This is definitely on the menu for later thus week. Thank you so much for a recipe that will give me great pleasure to make and eat! I also appreciated the post on hot sauces. I had no idea there were so many, and I simply love the idea of a shop dedicated to sauces and cigars. That is one business model I have never encountered before, and I am loving the very idea of it. It sounds quirky, and clearly it fills a need. When I was in high school, two friends and I decided to smoke cigars. I have no idea why, but I was 15, and we just loved the idea. Needless to say we became quite ill very quickly. Nobody told us not to inhale! That was one mistake I didn’t repeat, but I did marry a man who smoked pipes and cigars. I especially liked the smell of the tobacco he used in his pipe, but I never wanted to try it myself. I had learned my lesson. Happy Monday Kelly, Terry, and blog sisters. We are still dealing with the flu, so Nick, my conure, and I are curled up in bed with the blankets. He is alternating preening and eating millet. Since he is finally done with molting for the time being, I don’t have too many feathers to pick up! Hi to Sadie, Penny and Dante. How is it Monday already?

    • Kelly Djalali
      October 18, 2021 at 2:48 pm

      Hello Mari, I thought it was a funny combination to have for a shop: hot sauce and cigars. It’s such a cool store, well-stocked and a lot of fun to peruse; plus the aromas of the cigars and the chili peppers is pretty amazing! I like the smell of pipe tobacco, too. It has a fruity sweetness to it. Let me know if you make this popcorn chicken with gluten free flour, I’d like to know how it turns out. Happy Monday to you, too! I hope you’re week is beautiful. xo Kelly