Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (VIDEO)
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Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken are bite sized pieces of juicy and crispy fried chicken, tossed in the delicious Taiwanese seasoning mix that will take you right back to the night markets of Taiwan!
Watch the Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken Recipe Video Below!
A Note from CJ
You’re going to love this Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken!
I had Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken for the first time in Taiwan and couldn’t get enough – so much that I had to develop my own recipe! The crispy and juicy fried chicken is coated in a seasoning mix that is so flavorful!
If you love fried chicken like I do, make Taiwanese XXL Fried Chicken, Japanese Fried Chicken Karaage, Easy Fried Chicken, Fried Chicken Tenders, Mochiko Chicken, or Korean Fried Chicken!
This is the best recipe I have found for Popcorn Chicken. I tasted Popcorn Chicken on my trip to Taiwan and fell in love with it. Whenever I make and eat this, it brings back memories of my trip to Taiwan.
Ingredient Tips
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements!
- chicken thigh – I recommend using boneless, skinless chicken thighs – cut them into similar 2″ pieces so the chicken pieces fry evenly.
- grated ginger and garlic – I like to grate ginger and garlic for marinades because it becomes paste-like and really infuses the marinade with intense flavor.
- shaoxing wine – Shaoxing wine is a Chinese rice cooking wine. If you don’t have it on hand, you can substitute with sherry, mirin, or even chicken stock.
- coarse sweet potato flour – this is a key ingredient for the Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken breading – the texture of coarse sweet potato flour (sometimes labeled as “thick”) helps create a crispy and light breading. If you can’t find it, you can substitute with tapioca flour.
- fresh basil (Thai or regular basil) – I recommend using Thai basil if you can find it; however, if you can’t find it, regular basil will work.
How to Make Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken
Marinate Chicken – Cut 1 lb chicken thigh into similar sized 2″ pieces. Marinate chicken pieces with soy sauce, grated ginger, grated garlic, white pepper, Shaoxing wine, and an egg white. Mix to combine and marinate for at least 30 minutes (up to 24 hours) in the refrigerator.
Mix Seasoning and Dredge Chicken – Mix together five spice powder, white pepper, salt, and sugar. This will be your seasoning. Set aside. Dredge marinated chicken in sweet potato flour and pack well, leaving no bald spots.
Fry Chicken and Season – Fry chicken at 350°F for 3-4 minutes; add in fresh basil at the end of cooking and fry for another 30 seconds. Sprinkle seasoning on chicken immediately after frying and enjoy!
My Pro Tip
CJ’s Recipe & Storage Tips
Marinate for at least 30 minutes – After seasoning the chicken, you will ideally want to marinate the chicken pieces for at least 30 minutes covered in the fridge. You can marinate the chicken for up to overnight, and I would not marinate for more than 24 hours. Doing so will result in juicy, flavorful chicken that is perfect for frying!
Maintain the oil temperature – Heat the oil to the right temperature (around 350°F or 175°C) and fry the chicken in batches, ensuring that the oil is hot enough for a quick, golden-brown finish. If you see that the temperature of the oil drops below 325°F or 165°C, remove some of the chicken and fry in smaller batches. I highly recommend using a thermometer to monitor the oil temperature.
Storage and Reheating – Store any leftover Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The chicken will soften as it sits in the refrigerator – this is normal! I like to reheat in the airfryer at 350F or in the oven at 400F for 10 minutes. If you don’t care about the chicken being softer, you can also reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
If you tried this Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (VIDEO)
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 lb chicken thigh, cut into 2" pieces
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp garlic, grated
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 1 egg white
Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp five spice powder
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
Misc Ingredients
- 2 cups coarse sweet potato flour
- 1 cup fresh basil
Instructions
- Cut 1 lb chicken thigh into similar sized 2" pieces.
- Marinate chicken pieces with soy sauce, grated ginger, grated garlic, white pepper, Shaoxing wine, and an egg white. Mix to combine and marinate for at least 30 minutes (up to 24 hours) in the refrigerator.
- Mix together five spice powder, white pepper, salt, and sugar. This will be your seasoning. Set aside.
- Dredge marinated chicken in sweet potato flour and pack well, leaving no bald spots.
- Fry chicken at 350°F for 3-4 minutes; add in fresh basil at the end of cooking and fry for another 30 seconds. Cover the pot immediately after adding the basil to prevent splattering.
- Sprinkle seasoning on chicken immediately after frying and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I think I tested almost all the Fried Chicken recipes I stumbled upon. This is definitely one of my favorites! Yum!
@nicolemarimc
10/10 recipe. I couldnt find course tapioca flour but someone on IG mentioned using potato starch. So I mixed 50/50 potato starch and fine tapioca starch. You get really crispy chicken!!
If you happen to have any leftover, they can be easily reheated in the oven at 400F for 10mins and they came out even crispier!!.
Yummy! Don’t forget it’s THAI Basil not the other kind.
@moonlitesail
@tessa501
This is the best recipe I have found for Popcorn chicken. I tasted Popcorn Chicken on my trip to Taiwan and fell in love with it. Thank you so much for this recipe. Whenever I make and eat this it brings back memories of my trip to Taiwan.
I’ve made this recipe plenty of times now and it’s always a hit! Everyone loves it when they try it for the first time and even on the 2nd time they try it. Because of this dish, I’ve been more confident to try out other things to cook now, and it’s been fun to make new things to cook.
kirby_kyle
Such a great snack! So quick and easy! Love this recipe! @Dkillain
@danngvi
This is by far one of the easiest and easiest recipes I’ve found for Taiwanese popcorn chicken. This recipe is a staple in our household now and we make it almost every other week, it is just THAT good.
This is by far one of the easiest and easiest recipes I’ve found for Taiwanese popcorn chicken. This recipe is a staple in our household now and we make it almost every other week, it is just THAT good.
This is now a fave in my home! My kids have asked me to make this five days in a row after I initially made it for them! Thanks so much for this recipe CJ!!!
IG: lilmizzsarah20@yahoo.com
As a Taiwanese, this recipe 👌🏼👍🏼👌🏼👍🏼
@renechanofficial
I’ve made many of your recipes but this is one of my favorites! Easy to make and tastes authentic!
@m_comishen