Crispy Popcorn Chicken
Golden brown and fried to perfection, this crispy popcorn chicken is an easy weeknight dinner recipe everyone will love.
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
Frying popcorn chicken: Make sure to preheat the oil so it's nice and hot when the chicken hits the pan. You can test this with a small piece of bread - it should sizzle when it hits the oil. Also, make sure you don't overcrowd the pan! Try to leave a little bit of space between each piece of chicken.
Serving suggestions: We love serving popcorn chicken with sriracha aioli and sesame soy dipping sauce, but it's also great with classic dips like ketchup, BBQ sauce, or honey mustard. We also love using Chick-Fil-A sauce!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 514kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 208mg | Sodium: 1842mg | Potassium: 815mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 245IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 3mg
