If you love fried chicken as much as we do, you gotta try these fried chicken bites and coconut oil fried chicken! This homemade popcorn chicken is crunchy and tender, a little bit spicy, and just the right amount of smoky. Squeeze some ketchup, dunk in some gravy, or dip into any number of delicious sauces and you’re in for a good time!
How to make popcorn chicken
Deep frying food can be a little intimidating, however, if you keep your eye on the oil temperature and follow the safety tips below you’ll be basking in the magic that is popcorn chicken in no time! Here’s a rundown of the steps you’ll take:
Cooking oil: Use a neutral-flavored cooking oil to fry the piece of chicken. We suggest grape seed oil as it has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point. Eggs: Use 2 large eggs as part of the batter for the chicken. The eggs will help everything stick together. Chipotle pepper in adobo sauce: Puree the peppers in the adobo sauce to get 2 tablespoons. You can puree the entire can or simply mince one pepper with some sauce to get the smoky flavor you’re after. Soy sauce: Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce for a salty touch in the batter. You can use gluten-free tamari if needed. Flour: Coating the chicken in flour will help remove some moisture and make sure the chicken crisps up in the pan. Panko: These are nice and crisp breadcrumbs that will give the ultimate coating and crunch to your chicken. Chicken thighs: Cut 1 lb of chicken thighs into bite sized pieces. Thighs are a tender and flavorful cut of chicken and so won’t be as likely to dry out while frying.
Honey Garlic Sauce Chipotle Mayo Bang Bang Sauce Mayo Mustard Sauce Curry Dipping Sauce
Use a neutral-flavored oil: The flavor of the oil will transfer to whatever you are deep-frying. We suggest grape seed oil. Make sure to use clean looking oil: You can save the oil by letting it cool then straining it, but once it looks dark, it’s time to discard it. Keep the oil at a constant temperature: Keep a close eye on the thermometer and adjust the heat accordingly. For this popcorn chicken recipe, you want the oil to be at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s better to have the oil a few degrees hotter before you put in the chicken as it will cool a little once the chicken goes in. Never crowd the pan: Adding too many pieces of chicken at once will lower the oil temperature, and the food will absorb more of the oil and end up tasting greasy. Scoop out any bits in the oil: Between batches, use a mesh scoop to remove any bits in the oil. These little bits will burn, darken the oil quicker and alter the flavor of your oil.
Here are a couple safety tips when handling hot oil and fried food:
Never leave a pot of oil unattended: The oil will start to burn at 400 degrees Fahrenheit and will catch fire at 500 degrees Fahrenheit. You want your oil to be at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for this popcorn chicken recipe. Make sure whatever you put into the oil is dry: Any drop of water will cause the oil to splatter. Hot oil splattering is no fun. This goes for whether you’re using a deep fryer or frying pan. Make sure the pot you are using has high sides: When you add the chicken, the oil will bubble up, and you definitely don’t want it to boil over. Clear the area around your stove: Before you begin deep-frying clear the area of anything combustible and make sure there’s no little ones around.
Fries: Crispy fries and crispy popcorn chicken sounds pretty awesome, right? Try these Mexican nacho fries , shoestring fries or pachos with your chicken. Salad: Drop some delicious popcorn chicken on top or have them on the side of any of these salads to jazz it up instantly! Try this kale caesar salad, broccoli coleslaw, or this cucumber tomato salad. Appetizers: Serve your popcorn chicken with other appies to make a full spread. Popcorn chicken would be fantastic with stuffed cherry tomato BLT cups, potato croquettes, and grilled guacamole and pita chips.
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