Crunchy Popcorn Chicken

Crunchy Popcorn Chicken is one of my all-time favorite recipe. No matter what time of the day I make this snack/appetizer, it is usually welcomed with wide-open hands from my two little munchkins. They love it because it is crunchy and they can easily grab to go due to its bite-sized form. This crunchy popcorn chicken is a kid-friendly snack or meal that is always a hit during mealtime. There is something magical about it because the chicken is marinated with soy sauce so that the chicken itself has an extra savory flavor inside the crunch. In a way, the chicken is juicy and tender in the inside with a golden-crisp texture on the outside.

This crunchy popcorn chicken is somewhat like chicken nugget, however it is a little bit smaller in size than nugget and crunchier. It will be best to eat it right out of the fryer, but when it is already cool down, of course. You can dip it in your favorite sauce, like ketchup, sriracha, ranch, honey mustard sauce and so on.

Well, are you ready to pig out on this awesome goodness of this crunchy chicken? Let’s start cooking, shall we?

Tip: You can use chicken breast for this recipe. I just find it is juicier using chicken thigh for popcorn chicken.

Ingredient:

• 2 lbs boneless chicken thigh, cut into bite-sized
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• Vegetable or Canola oil for deep frying

Batter:

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• ¼ cup rice flour
• ¼ cup corn starch
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons pepper

Direction:

• Marinate the chicken pieces with soy sauce. Set aside for about 5-10 minutes
• Mix all the “batter” ingredients for coating
• Preheat oil in deep fryer to 325 degree Fahrenheit
• Take the chicken pieces and coat them with the batter mixture.
• Once it is fully coated, fry them until it is cooked.
• The popcorn chicken should be ready when you see less bubble in the fryer