Description
Taiwanese popcorn chicken is a popular Taiwanese street food. This crispy snack can also be found at boba shops since it’s the perfect snack to enjoy with bubble tea. Now you can make it at home in 30 minutes or less!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 lbs chicken thighs (680g)
Marinade
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 egg white
- ½ tsp salt
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¾ tsp white pepper
- ¾ tsp Schezuan pepper powder
- ¾ tsp five-spice powder
- ¼ tsp sugar
Breading
- 1 cup glutinous rice flour (155g)
- water
Other
- frying oil
- Thai basil leaves
- chili pepper flakes for garnish
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Make sure the pieces are uniform so it cooks evenly.
- Add the chicken pieces to a large bowl and add all of the seasonings from the soy sauce to the sugar listed above. Mix well – use your hands to massage it in if you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty! Set it aside while you preheat the oil.
- Add enough oil to a pot to completely submerge the chicken and heat on medium high. Use a wooden chopstick to test if it’s ready – the oil around the chopstick will immediately begin to bubble. Or, use a thermometer and heat to 330°F/165°C.
- While the oil is preheating, prepare the breading. Pour the glutinous rice flour into a large bowl. Now you’re going to create small clumps of flour for an extra crispy breading by using water. Add a tablespoon of water to the bowl, then mix and break it apart. Repeat until you get small clumps as shown in the video tutorial. I used a total of 8 tablespoons of water.
- Add the chicken to the glutinous rice flour and mix until evenly coated. Add extra spoonfuls of glutinous rice flour if needed to completely bread the chicken.
- Add the chicken to the oil in small batches so the temperature doesn’t drop significantly. Remove and set it on a wire rack or paper towels to rest. Then, increase the heat to between 350°F/177°C and 375°F/190°C. Double fry the chicken in batches for an extra crispy coating. This step is crucial for crispy chicken! Remove from the oil and let it cool on a wire rack or paper towels.
- The next step is to fry the Thai basil leaves. Make sure it’s completely dry before frying! Drop the basil leaves in the oil and immediately cover with a lid or splatter screen until the oil settles down. Remove when crunchy.
- Plate the popcorn chicken and basil leaves, then garnish with chili pepper flakes. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
Keywords: taiwanese popcorn chicken, taiwanese street food, fried chicken