Description
Crispy, golden homemade popcorn chicken promises a flavor explosion that delights taste buds with its irresistible crunch. Southern-style comfort meets quick, easy satisfaction in this crowd-pleasing dish you’ll want to devour bite by delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1.5 pounds (680 grams) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
Seasoning Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Cooking Ingredient:
- Vegetable or canola oil for frying
Instructions
- Prepare a clean workspace and gather all necessary ingredients for crispy popcorn chicken preparation.
- Transform chicken into uniform, bite-sized morsels measuring approximately one inch, ensuring each piece is thoroughly dried with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Create three distinct coating stations: the first with seasoned flour mixture containing salt and garlic powder, the second with buttermilk, and the third with panko breadcrumbs.
- Methodically coat each chicken piece by first rolling in seasoned flour, then fully submerging in buttermilk, allowing excess liquid to drip off, and finally rolling generously in panko crumbs, gently pressing to ensure complete coverage.
- Select a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven and pour oil to a depth of 2-3 inches, heating carefully to precisely 350°F using a kitchen thermometer.
- Carefully lower breaded chicken pieces into hot oil in small batches, avoiding overcrowding, and fry for 2-3 minutes until achieving a beautiful golden-brown exterior and ensuring internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Transfer fried chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil, and sprinkle with additional salt if desired for enhanced flavor.
- Arrange hot popcorn chicken on a serving platter accompanied by an array of complementary dipping sauces such as honey mustard, ranch, BBQ, or sweet chili sauce for a delightful dining experience.
Notes
- Ensure chicken pieces are completely dry before breading to achieve maximum crispiness and prevent soggy coating.
- Use a meat thermometer to check internal temperature reaches 165°F for safe consumption, avoiding undercooked chicken.
- Maintain consistent oil temperature around 350°F by using a deep-fry thermometer and adjusting heat to prevent burning or undercooking.
- For gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour blend and use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs to accommodate dietary restrictions.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Appetizer
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg