Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (盐酥鸡)
Beautifully crispy on the outside and juicy within, popcorn chicken is a Taiwanese street food favorite. Recreate it at home with simple ingredients and foolproof tips.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For marinating
- 1 lb chicken breast or other boneless cuts (see note 1)
- 4 tablespoon water
- 4 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon five spice powder or ground Sichuan pepper, white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
For coating
- 6 tablespoon cornstarch
- 6 tablespoon all-purpose flour
For deep-frying
- Neutral cooking oil such as sunflower, canola, peanut, or avocado
- Fresh Thai basil Optional
For seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon five spice powder or ground Sichuan pepper, white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ground chili pepper optional
Instructions
Marinate
- Cut the chicken into chunks, around 1 inch (2½ cm) in size. Put them into a bowl and add water, cornstarch, flour, light soy sauce, garlic, five-spice, and baking soda. Mix well, then leave to marinate for 15 minutes (see note).
Coat
- In a large, deep plate or tray, mix the cornstarch and flour for coating. Transfer one piece of marinated chicken to the plate and coat it with the mixture generously and evenly.
- Gently shake off any excess, then place the coated chicken on a dry plate. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
Deep fry
- Pour oil for deep frying into a wok or a deep saucepan. Add Thai basil leaves (make sure they are completely dry), then turn on the heat to high. Once they turn crispy, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.
- Carefully lower the chicken pieces, one by one, into the hot oil without overcrowding the wok (you'd likely need to fry in 2-3 batches). Fry until lightly golden and crispy.
- Remove with a slotted spoon, then wait 30-40 seconds for the oil to return to high temperature. Slide the chicken back in for a second fry. Once the crust turns vibrantly golden, transfer the pieces to the plate with basil.
- Mix five-spice powder with salt (and ground chili pepper if you wish), then sprinkle over the chicken. Serve immediately for the best flavor and crunch.
Video
Notes
- For deeper flavor, marinate the chicken longer. Bring it back to room temperature before frying.
- Avoid cutting the chicken too small, or it may dry out.
- Coat the chicken generously with the starch and flour mixture to ensure a crisp crust.
- If not using basil, check the oil temperature with a wooden chopstick; steady bubbles around its tip mean the oil is hot enough.
- Fry the chicken in batches to keep the oil temperature steady and the coating crunchy.
- Never cover the wok while frying, as trapped steam can cause dangerous splattering.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 851mg | Potassium: 472mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 36IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 2mg
