Air Fryer Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (VIDEO)

Air Fryer Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken in a bowl with air fried basil leaves.

5 from 152 votes

Air Fryer Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (VIDEO)

You loved my Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken recipe, so I had to develop an Air Fryer Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken that came out JUST as crispy as the regular version! The chicken is juicy and delicious, with my tips for making the air fryer popcorn chicken below! You'll love the crispy texture - I guarantee it!

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Total Time50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings:

Author: Chris Joe

Equipment

Air Fryer I recommend this high capacity air fryer because it's easy to clean and completely nonstick
Neutral Oil Spray For cooking spray, I always use a neutral oil spray such as avocado or vegetable oil

Ingredients

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
1/2 tsp five spice powder
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
2 cups coarse sweet potato flour
1 cup fresh thai basil leaves you can substitute with regular basil leaves
Neutral oil spray such as avocado or vegetable oil

Instructions

In a bowl, add the chicken pieces and 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 4 hours) in the refrigerator.
Mix together five spice powder, white pepper, salt, and sugar. This will be your seasoning. Set aside.
On a plate or baking tray, add the coarse sweet potato flour. Dredge the marinated chicken in sweet potato flour and pack the coating in well, leaving no bald spots on the chicken pieces.
Spray the chicken pieces with a neutral oil spray. Spray the air fryer basket with neutral oil spray then place the chicken pieces on a single layer. Air fry the chicken at 350F for 10 minutes. Give the chicken a flip, then spray the other side with more neutral oil spray.
Air fry again, this time at 400F for another 6-8 minutes until golden and crisp.
Wash and pat the basil leaves dry. Spray both sides with a neutral oil spray and air fry at 400F for 2 minutes until crispy and wilted.
Sprinkle seasoning on chicken immediately after air frying, serve with crispy basil and enjoy!

Video

Notes

chicken - I used boneless, skinless chicken thigh cut into 2" pieces for even cooking.
shaoxing wine - if you can't use shaoxing wine, try sherry, mirin, or even chicken stock/broth.
coarse sweet potato flour - this is a key ingredient for the unique crunch that Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken has - if you can't find it, you can try cornstarch, potato starch, or rice flour.
seasoning - the signature seasoning for Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken is a combination of five spice powder, white pepper, salt, and sugar.
fresh basil - I recommend using fresh Thai basil; if you can't find it, regular basil will work but it won't be the same.
neutral oil spray - I used avocado oil spray but you can also use peanut oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil spray.

Marinate for at least 30 minutes (up to overnight) covered in the refrigerator for best results! Doing so will result in juicy, flavorful chicken! I don't recommend marinating longer than 24 hours - the chicken will start to break down.

Lay the chicken in the air fryer in a single layer, with enough room in between each piece so there is airflow. This will help each chicken cook evenly and turn crispy!

Be generous with the neutral oil spray - this is the only source of fat for the dredge to turn crispy! I recommend spraying the air fryer basket (to prevent sticking) as well as the chicken pieces. After the first air-fry for 10 minutes, don't forget to flip the chicken and spray again!

Double fry is the key! My technique is to air fry first at a lower temperature (350F) to cook the chicken before flipping, spraying, and air-frying again at a higher temperature for the chicken to crisp up!

Storage and Reheating - Store any leftover Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Chicken will soften as it sits - you can reheat in the air fryer at 375 for 8-10 minutes to try to restore some crispiness; you can also reheat in the microwave until warmed through.

Nutrition