Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken is a popular street food and also my favorite late night snack! It consists of bite-sized pieces of fried chicken that are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside!

WHAT IS POPCORN CHICKEN?

Taiwanese popcorn chicken consists of bite-sized pieces of chicken that are marinated with various seasonings such as soy sauce, cooking wine, garlic, and five spice powder. After deep-frying, the chicken is typically served with fried basil and sprinkled with white pepper and chili powder.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb Chicken Breast or chicken thigh, cut into cubes
1 large egg
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing cooking wine
1 tablespoon five spice powder
1 teaspoon white sugar
3 cloves garlic, grated
ginger, grated
1 - 1.5 cup of coarse potato starch
Fresh basil
oil for frying
White pepper
chili powder (optional)

HOW TO MAKE TAIWANESE POPCORN CHICKEN

MARINATE: In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken pieces with egg, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, five spice powder, sugar, garlic, and ginger together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let is marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.

COAT: Add coarse potato starch to a shallow dish or plate. Evenly coat the chicken pieces with potato starch. You can find coarse potato starch or flour in any Asian grocery store.

FRY: In a large pan or pot, add oil and turn the heat to medium-high. Add chicken and fry for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Add in fresh basil and fry for about 30 seconds. Remove basil from the oil and add to the chicken.

GARNISH: Sprinkle white pepper, salt (optional), and chili powder (optional). Enjoy!

TIPS & TRICKS

Allow time to marinate. I recommend marinating the chicken for at least 30 minutes to 24 hours to allow the chicken to tenderize and fully absorb the flavors.
Use COARSE flour. Authentic Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken uses coarse potato starch or flour to coat the chicken pieces, giving them that iconic extra crispy exterior. You can find coarse potato starch or flour in any Asian grocery store.
Use high smoking point oil for frying. For the best fried chicken, use neutral oil that has high smoke point. For example: corn oil, canola oil, peanut oil, avocado oil.
Add Seasoning. Adding seasoning salt is crucial! After frying, sprinkle the chicken with white pepper and chili powder. You can also add more salt or five-spice powder if you want, depending on your preference.

MORE TAIWANESE RECIPES TO TRY:

If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Make sure you also tag me @onehappybite on Instagram and hashtag it #onehappybite so I can see your creations!

Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken Recipe

Author: ou.christian
Prep Time: 45
Cook Time: 10
Total Time: 55 minutes

Print Recipe

Description

Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken is a popular street food and also my favorite late night snack! It consists of bite-sized pieces of fried chicken that are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside!

Ingredients

Scale

1 lb Chicken Breast or chicken thigh , cut into cubes
1 large egg
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
1 tbsp five spice powder
1 tsp white sugar
3 cloves garlic, grated
2 in knob ginger, grated
1 - 1.5 cup of coarse potato starch, for coating
Fresh basil
oil for frying
White Pepper and Chili Powder for seasoning

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken pieces with egg, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, five spice powder, sugar, garlic, and ginger together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let is marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.
Take chicken out of the refrigerator. Fill a shallow dish or plate with coarse potato starch.
Evenly coat each chicken pieces with potato starch.
In a large pan or pot, add oil and turn the heat to medium-high. Add chicken and fry for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Add in fresh basil and fry for about 30 seconds. Remove basil from the oil and add to the chicken.
Sprinkle white pepper and chili powder to the chicken. You can also add more salt and five-spice powder. Feel free to adjust seasoning to your liking. Serve hot and enjoy!