Crispy Popcorn Chicken
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Golden brown and fried to perfection, this crispy popcorn chicken is an easy weeknight dinner recipe everyone will love.
It’s hard to get much more comforting than fried food. That’s why whenever we see popcorn chicken on a menu, we’re all over it! Especially when it’s served with unique dipping sauces.
This crispy popcorn chicken recipe was inspired by the popcorn chicken we ate poolside almost every day on our honeymoon in Hawaii. Served with sriracha aioli and a sesame soy dipping sauce, the flavor combo is just so addicting!
It’s crispy, it’s juicy, and it’s cooked to perfection – in less than 30 minutes. The only thing missing from our re-creation of this meal is a pina colada 🙂
What This Recipe Entails
Making popcorn chicken at home is really easy! Simply dredge the chicken and fry in hot oil on the stove, then serve with your favorite dips.
- Prep time: 5 to 10 minutes
- Cook time: 10 to 15 minutes
Ingredients
You can make popcorn chicken with just a few pantry staples:
- Chicken – Simply cut up chicken breast into bite-size pieces to make popcorn chicken! Aim for about 1 inch or so.
- Egg – You’ll need to coat the chicken in egg first to help the flour stick to it.
- Seasoned flour – Whisk together flour, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt for a flavorful dredge.
You’ll also need vegetable oil for frying and a deep-walled, heavy-bottomed pan. We like to use the deeper side of our 2-in-1 cast iron cookware for frying.
How To Make Popcorn Chicken
- Dredge the chicken. Coat the chicken in egg first, then the seasoned flour. You’ll want to make sure each piece is completely coated so it fries evenly. Make sure to separate any pieces of chicken that get stuck together during this process before frying.
- Fry the chicken. Heat about a half-inch of vegetable oil in a deep, heavy bottomed pan over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and fry until golden brown and crispy on all sides. Use a metal spoon to gently turn the chicken over a few times during cooking to ensure even browning. You may need to do this in 2 batches so as not to overcrowd the pan.
- Drain. Transfer the chicken to a cooling rack positioned over paper towels to drain any excess grease.
- Serve. Serve popcorn chicken with your favorite dipping sauces and a side of fries!
We love to serve this chicken with sriracha aioli and a sesame soy dipping sauce (recipe below).
Dipping Sauce Recipe
This sesame soy dipping sauce recipe goes so well with crispy popcorn chicken! It’s a simple mixture of the following ingredients, no cooking required:
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Rice vinegar
- Minced ginger
- Minced garlic
- Toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Whisk everything together in a bowl, and it’s ready to go!
We hope you love this crispy popcorn chicken as much as we do. If you give it a try, let us know what you think by rating and commenting below.
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Crispy Popcorn Chicken
Equipment
- Cast iron frying pan deep walled
Ingredients
Popcorn Chicken
- ¾ pound chicken breast sliced into bite-size pieces, approx. 1 inch
- 1 large egg beaten well
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 to 2 pinches salt
- Sriracha aioli for serving, optional
Sesame Soy Dipping Sauce
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon minced ginger
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds optional
Instructions
Popcorn Chicken
- Dredge the chicken: Beat the egg in a shallow dish. In a separate shallow dish, whisk together the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Coat the chicken in egg first, then the seasoned flour. Make sure each piece is completely coated so it fries evenly. Also, make sure to separate any pieces of chicken that may get stuck together during this process.
- Fry the chicken: Heat about a half-inch of vegetable oil in a deep, heavy bottomed pan over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and fry until golden brown and crispy on all sides, about 5 to 8 minutes. Use a metal spoon to gently turn the chicken over a few times during cooking to ensure even browning. You may need to do this in 2 batches so as not to overcrowd the pan.
- Transfer the chicken to a cooling rack positioned over paper towels to drain any excess grease.
- Serve hot with sriracha aioli and sesame soy dipping sauce, or your favorite dips.
Sesame Soy Dipping Sauce
- Whisk together the ingredients in a small bowl and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.
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