taiwanese popcorn chicken

Taiwanese popcorn chicken, also referred to as Crispy Chicken or Salt and Pepper Chicken, is a popular snack often found at tapioca/boba tea cafes. Don't be intimidated by the list of ingredients because it's pretty easy to make. Just be sure to allow at least 30 minutes for the chicken to marinate.

Taiwanese Crispy Salt and Pepper Popcorn Chicken

chicken thighs

garlic

soy sauce

tbsp five spice powder ((see note))

tsp sesame oil

tbsp shaoxing cooking wine

tsp white pepper powder

tsp black pepper powder

tsp salt

sugar

Thai basil leaves

corn starch

egg (whisked)

tbsp five spice powder

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken and marinade ingredients, making sure to completely coat the chicken.  Let sit for 30 minutes to an hour.

Pour oil at least one inch deep into pot or wok being used for frying and turn to medium-high heat. In a small bowl, pour in whisked egg. In a separate small bowl, pour in cornstarch. When oil is heated, coat chicken in egg, then in cornstarch and then place into hot oil. Let chicken fry on both sides until batter becomes a medium brown (about 3-4 minutes). You can fry a few pieces of chicken at a time. When chicken is done, remove and place on a plate lined with paper towel to drain excess oil.

After you have finished with all of the chicken, drop in fresh basil leaves. The leaves cook quite fast, so you only need to fry them for a few seconds. Be careful as they might make a popping sound. Sprinkle basil on top of chicken. Sprinkle an additional 1 tbsp of five spice powder on top of chicken and toss chicken to make sure all chicken pieces are coated with powder and mixed with basil. If you feel more seasoning is necessary, sprinkle a little more five spice powder. Serve immediately while the chicken is still crispy.

Snack on Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken coated in a crisp crust. They&#39;re tossed in a roasted seasoning mix while the marinade makes each bite ultra juicy!

Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (鹽酥雞)

salt ((or

tsp sugar ((or

tsp five spice powder

chicken bouillon powder

onion powder

tsp pepper

tbsp corn starch

garlic ((finely chopped))

tsp ginger ((grated))

Shaoxing rice wine

tsp light soy sauce

bean curd ((optional))

potato corn

tsp baking powder

cooking oil ((for frying))

tsp white peppercorn

Sichuan peppercorn

tsp paprika

US cup Thai basil

Cut the thighs into bite-sized pieces, roughly 3cm x 3cm (1&quot; x 1&quot;).

Marinate them in the five spice powder, chicken bouillon powder, salt, sugar, grated ginger, finely chopped garlic, onion powder, corn starch, egg white, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, pepper and mashed fermented tofu for at least 20 minutes.

Toast the white and Sichuan peppercorns on low-medium heat until slightly brown, then use a sieve to sift out any unwanted particles.

Use a food processor to grind the peppercorns into a powder. Alternatively, use a pestle and mortar to crush them to achieve the same result.

Combine the ground peppercorns with the five spice powder, paprika and salt.

Mix the corn starch and baking powder together, then coat the cut pieces in the corn starch mix. Use a colander to shake away any excess starch.Tip: Put a few pieces in at a time so they are well-coated. Dumping many in will run the risk of a wet batter.

Heat up a wok of oil on medium heat and fry the coated pieces for 5 minutes or until golden.

Remove the pieces and let it drip dry in a sieve. Turn the heat up to high and double fry them for another 2 minutes.

Just before the chicken is ready, toss in the Thai basil leaves and let them fry for 2 minutes or until crispy. Scoop the chicken and leaves out into a large sieve or colander.

Put a serving of Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken into a large bowl along with some Thai basil. Add some of the spice mix in and toss all together until the batter is evenly coated.

Serve immediately as is!

Crunchy Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken made with juicy chicken pieces with crispy coating, and aromatic basil flavour. The most delicious Taiwanese street food fried chicken recipe that you can simply make at home with minimum budget!

Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken Recipe

lb Boneless Chicken Thigh ((about 450 grams) Or Chicken breast)

Sweet potato flour ((about 200 grams)

Basil leaves (A handful

(For frying oil

sauce

Shao

tbsp garlic garlic

White pepper powder

½ tsp Chinese five spices (See details in note)

Sichuan peppercorns ((toasted, finely ground) See details

tsp White pepper powder

Salt

Paprika

Cut the chicken thigh into medium bite-size pieces. Marinade the chicken pieces with soy sauce, Shao Xing wine, garlic paste, white pepper and Chinese five spices. Mix well and set it aside for 15 minutes. Or you can leave it overnight in fridge with air-tight container.

Finely grind the roasted Sichuan peppercorns and mix it with white pepper powder, salt and paprika powder. Set it aside.

Break one egg white into the marinated chicken pieces and mix it well.

Place the sweet potato flour/ potato starch in a large bowl. Add 3-4 chicken pieces in the flour, dredge and press gently to coat evenly. Toss the excess flour out before frying.

Heat the vegetable oil or neutral flavour oil to medium-high heat about 330-340°F. ( Fill the oil over 2 inch. )

Add the coated chicken pieces and fry for 2-3 minutes. Once the chicken pieces start to float remove from oil and set aside for 2-3 minutes. ( Fry with batches if needed, do not overcrowd the oil. Skim the fried crumbs out with mesh strainer after frying each batch.  )

Place the fried chicken back in the oil and fry for another 2-3 minutes, or until the coating is crispy. Remove from oil and transfer to kitchen towel or cooling rack.

Fry the basil leaves in the remaining oil for 1-2 minutes until crispy. Place the fried basil leaves over the kitchen towel.

Mix fried chicken pieces and basil leaves, sprinkle the salt seasoning mix on top. ( Or you can toss everything in a large mixing bowl. )

Transfer to serving plate and serve immediately.

Oil (For frying oil

Egg white

Crispy and flavorful fried chicken wings with classic Taiwanese popcorn chicken flavor cooked in an air fryer.

Extra Crispy Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken Air Fryer Chicken Wings

chicken

sea salt

¼ tsp white pepper powder

Chinese five spice powder (optional)

garlic (minced)

coarse sweet potato / tapioca starch (see note)

½ tsp baking powder

basil

garlic (sliced

vegetable oil

white pepper powder

chili powder

Put chicken wings in a bowl or Ziploc bag with soy sauce, salt, white pepper powder, five spice powder, sugar and minced garlic.  Marinate for at least 30 minutes, preferably over night, in the fridge.

Mix sweet potato / tapioca starch with baking powder before placing on a big plate.

Coat each wing with the starch mix and squeeze it gently to help the starch adhere to the wings better.

Let the wings sit for 3-5 minutes to allow the starch coating to absorb some moisture from the wings, which will prevent the coating from falling off during cooking process.

Prepare the wings

Toss basil and garlic with a little bit of the oil and set it aside.

Place the wings in the air fryer, cook it for 10 minutes on 350°F, toss the wings and then turn the heat to 400°F and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes until it&#039;s golden brown and crispy.

Mix in basil and garlic in the air fryer, and cook for 1 more minute.

Transfer the wings out from the air fryer with a pair of tongs, season with more sea salt, white pepper powder or chili powder based on your taste and enjoy!

Cooking

Taiwanese popcorn chicken is made with crunchy bite size chicken pieces tossed with fried basil, then dusted with savory seasoning powder. It is a popular street food.

Crunchy Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken Recipe

lb chicken thigh,

tsp white pepper (or ground Sichuan pepper)

tsp sugar

tbsp light soy sauce

tbsp shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)

egg white (beaten)

sweet potato starch (or cornstarch)

20-25 Thai basil leaves

salt

paprika

tsp chili powder

tsp white pepper (or Sichuan pepper)

garlic powder

In a mixing bowl, combine chicken pieces, garlic, white pepper, five spice powder, sugar, soy sauce, shaoxing wine, salt, egg white, and 4 tablespoons of sweet potato starch. Mix well and marinate for at least 30 minutes to overnight for a better flavor.

Put 1 cup of extra sweet potato starch in a large bowl. Add a batch of marinated chicken pieces and coat with the extra starch. Put the chicken pieces in a plate and let sit for 5 minutes. You will see the starch form small beads on the surface as it clings to the chicken.

Heat up a wok of oil on medium heat and fry Thai basil leaves. Watch out for the oil splash. Deep fry for about 10-15 seconds until the leaves are crisp, but still retain their green color. Transfer basil to a wired rack.

First deep-fry: Drop pieces of chicken (one small batch at a time) into hot oil and fry them until lightly golden, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the pieces and transfer to a wired rack. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.

Second deep-fry: Raise the heat to medium high. Add a batch of fried chicken pieces to the hot oil again and fry them until they turn deep golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes. Remove the pieces and return them to the wired rack. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.

To make spice seasoning mix, mix together salt, paprika, chili powder, white pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl.

Put popcorn chicken in a large bowl along with Thai basil. Sprinkle some of the spice seasoning mix (as much as you desire) and toss it all together. Serve immediately.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/xJdpNDZa.mp4

Taiwanese popcorn chicken, also known as Taiwanese salt and pepper fried chicken, is a popular street food. The crunchy bite size chicken pieces are tossed with fried basil and dusted with savory seasoning powder. Super satisfying!

This homemade Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken or salt pepper chicken (鹽酥雞 Yan Su Ji) are so scrumptious and crackly bits all over. Bring the night market to your home when you miss it!

Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken

chicken breasts thigh

tbsp ginger

tbsp Mirin (*see notes)

tbsp ShaoXing wine (or dry sherry (*see notes))

tsp sweet potato starch (or Tapioca starch)

tsp 5-spice powder (* see notes)

tsp white pepper

cayenne pepper

brown sugar

eggs + add 3 tbsp water

sweet potato starch

tbsp 5 spice powder

tbsp white pepper

chilli powder

Cut the chicken into 1-inch chunks and place in large bowl. Mix the marinade ingredients and add the mixture into the chicken, toss well. Set aside and refrigerate for 20 minutes or overnight.

When ready to cook, place the eggs in a bowl, add 3 tbsp of water and whisk with fork. Place the sweet potato starch in a separate bowl.

Using chopstick (or a tong), dip the chicken first into the egg mixture, then toss in the sweet potato starch and coat evenly. Shake off excess starch.

Heat the oil in the wok, when oil reached 150 degree C, scatter the basil leaves and stir for about 20 seconds until the basil leaves turn translucent and crisp. Remove from the wok and drain. Set aside.

Increase the heat of oil to 170 C and fry the coated chicken in batches for about 2-3 minutes (do not overcrowd the wok) or until golden brown. Regularly skimming any floating flour bits from the oil.

Place the cooked chicken in a wire rack lined with paper towel to drain the oil.

While the cooked chicken are still hot, sprinkle or season with a good pinch of Spiced Mixed Salt. Serve immediately and garnish with fried basil leaves.

Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken. Super crispy, crunchy, flavourful chicken seasoned with Chinese five spice as the main star. This will be the best Taiwanese popcorn chicken recipe you’ll ever make at home!

1.25 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs

potato starch (or tapioca starch)

tsp shaoxing wine ((Or sub with Dry Sherry Wine))

tsp white granulated sugar

tsp Chinese five spice

white pepper

Dice chicken into bite-size pieces, about 8 pieces per thigh. Transfer chicken to a bowl.

Marinate chicken with marinade ingredients as listed for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

In a separate bowl, mix Seasoning ingredients as listed.

Spread tapioca starch on plate. With wet hands, generously dredge your chicken into the starch. Massage the starch into the chicken until beads of starch form on the chicken (see video). Note: The beads give the chicken that extra crispy exterior. The moisture from your hands and from the marinade will also create "beading".

Deep fry chicken in 3-4 batches at 350 F for 3-5 minutes. Do not overcrowd your pan or it will result in non-crispy chicken.

Remove chicken and transfer to cooling rack. Quickly season with seasoning while chicken is hot.

Next with fresh basil in one hand and a lid/oil guard in the other, drop the basil into the hot oil and quickly cover to prevent splash back. Deep fry for 20-30 seconds. Remove and sprinkle fried basil over chicken. Enjoy!

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1648170061/ttryrh4ydvxcgf5v1oar.mp4

Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken. Super crispy, flavourful chicken bites seasoned with Chinese five spice as the main star. This will be the best Taiwanese popcorn chicken recipe you’ll ever make at home!

Taiwanese popcorn chicken (AKA Yan Su Ji or Salt and pepper chicken) with a super crunchy coating, infused with basil flavor. This is an authentic Taiwanese fried chicken recipe and can be made in an air fryer, oven, or stovetop!

Taiwanese popcorn chicken recipe

0.3 oz ginger (grated)

tbsp coconut aminos

five-spice powder

tsp coarse sea salt

½ tsp ground white pepper

½ tsp ground black pepper

tsp untoasted sesame oil (or olive oil)

mirin (optional)

Thai basil leaves (or Italian basil)

tbsp coarse (thick sweet potato starch)

Avocado oil

¼ tsp five spice powder

¼ tsp ground white pepper

¼ tsp Sichuan peppercorn powder (optional)

Dice and season

Dice the chicken to bite sizes, about 1.5-inch chunks.  In a large bowl, combine the chicken with the seasonings from the garlic to mirin. Combine well and marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge.

Clean

Clean the basil leaves and make sure they are patted dry before frying.

Coat

When you are ready to cook, gather the starch in a large bowl, dip the chicken one by one in the starch, and make sure it’s covered on all sides, place it over a large plate. Repeat the process until you finish the batch.

To prepare:

Preheat

Preheat the air fryer to 400F. Spray the basket with avocado oil. Add the chicken and leave some space between each piece. Spray with more oil on top. Air fryer for 6 minutes.

Airfry

Open the basket, flip the chicken, add in the basil, spray with more oil on top, and air fryer for 4 more minutes.

Set the basil aside on a small plate.  Rest the chicken on a cooling rack and repeat the process until you finish the batch.

For Air fry:

In a Dutch oven, preheat 1/2 cup avocado oil over medium to medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes. Test the temperature with a wooden chopstick, if it shows bubbles around the chopstick when inserting it into the oil, the temperature is hot enough.

Panfry

Over medium heat, pan-fry the first side for 3 minutes and the second side for 2-3 minutes further. Once cooked through, scoop out the chicken and set them aside to drain over a paper towel.

Lower the heat to medium-low, using a splatter guard, and carefully add the basil. Fry the basil for about 5 seconds, scoop them out using a slotted spoon, and drain on a paper towel.

To stovetop:

Preheat the oven to 450F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment. Spray a thin layer of oil on the paper then place the chicken pieces on top with some space between them.

To bake:

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