![\"How](\"https:\/\/tasteasianfood.com\/mystaging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Popcorn-chicken-steps-800-683x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n🛒Ingredients needed for the Popcorn Chicken<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
This popcorn chicken tastes quite different from other versions, such as KFC and other chain outlets. The main difference is that it is marinated with a Chinese marinade and then coated with a mixture of spices, including Sichuan peppercorns and chili. Below are the key ingredients used to make the popcorn chicken:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The list of ingredients in the recipe seems lengthy, but the cooking process is quite straightforward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. First, cut the skinless, boneless chicken meat into small one-inch pieces to absorb the marinade and be bite-size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Mix light soy sauce, salt, garlic, ginger, five-spice powder, and Shaoxing wine to marinate the chicken. Once the chicken is well-mixed with these ingredients, add the egg white and regular flour to coat the chicken. Keep it in the refrigerator for half an hour before proceeding to coat it with the cornstarch. It is harmless if you set it aside longer or even overnight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Coat the marinated chicken with starch in a large bowl in small batches to allow the starch to be absorbed by the chicken thoroughly. Set aside for 15 minutes before deep frying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Heat the oil to 150\u00b0C\/300\u00b0F. Drop the chicken into the oil in small batches. If you crowd the oil with too many chicken pieces, they will stick together and not be deep-fried evenly. Deep-fry the first round at a lower temperature of 150\u00b0C\/300\u00b0F until the chicken turns pale yellow, which will take approximately 3 minutes. The popcorn chicken will become dry if you fry it for too long. Remove the chicken from the oil and let it cool in a wire mesh strainer. Meanwhile, continue frying the remaining batches of the chicken. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. Let the chicken cool for a few minutes after the first round of deep frying to allow the moisture to evaporate from the chicken. Then, continue with the second round of frying. Now crank up the heat to 190\u00b0C\/375\u00b0F. Deep-fry the chicken until it turns golden brown, which will take one to two minutes. Remove the chicken immediately and drain on a colander or wire mesh strainer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 6. Pluck, clean, and dry the basil leaves. Deep-fry the leaves. The leaves will immediately crackle and cause the oil to splatter, so it is advisable to immediately cover the pan or the deep fryer to keep your kitchen away from the oil. It only needs about 20 seconds to turn the basil leaves crispy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 7. Place the fried chicken in the large mixing bowl and combine it with the fried basil leaves and the spice mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The spice mix is prepared with peppercorns, salt, and chili powder. First, grind the two types of peppercorns (white and Sichuan) with a spice grinder until fine. Then, put the mixture on a fine sieve to remove the large pieces. After that, add the fine salt and chili powder to mix well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can adjust the quantity of each ingredient according to your preference. For example, if you like it spicier, add more chili powder. I use cayenne pepper, but you can use paprika if you only want the beautiful red color. Besides, you can omit the Sichuan peppercorns if you don’t like the numbing effect on your tongue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You may also consider toasting the peppercorns in a frying pan before grinding them, as it can create more flavor, although it’s not a mandatory step. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The amount of the peppercorn spice mix for the chicken is flexible and should match your preference. This recipe uses one teaspoon of spice mix for 350g of chicken meat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I use the double-fry method to create an incredibly crispy popcorn chicken. Here is how it works:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first round of frying is to cook the chicken and remove most of the moisture on the chicken\u2019s surface. As such, it requires a lower temperature and a slightly longer duration. After the first frying, rest the chicken until it cools down, and allow sufficient time for the moisture to migrate from the inner part to the surface. Now, the surface becomes wet again. Finally, deep-fry the second round over high heat for a short duration to remove all the moisture on the surface, turning it into a crispy crust without overcooking the chicken. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The electric deep fryer is undoubtedly the best equipment because the chicken pieces are suspended in the frying basket. Therefore, they are free from debris that will sink to the bottom. The cooking is evener, and the temperature can be controlled with its built-in thermometer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, it may not be practical to do it at home, as you need a large amount of oil. Therefore, I use a pan to deep-fry the chicken in this recipe. The downside is that you must manually control the temperature and continuously stir the chicken to avoid sticking together, particularly during the first minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The term “popcorn chicken” comes from the small, bite-sized chicken pieces that are breaded and fried, resembling popped corn kernels. This makes them easy to eat and enjoy, much like traditional popcorn snacks. The concept of popcorn chicken originated in the early 1990s and was first test-marketed by KFC in the U.S. in March 1992 before being rolled out nationwide in September of that year. Food technologist Gene Gagliardi created the dish, which has since become a popular menu item at KFC and other fast-food outlets worldwide. In essence, the name “popcorn chicken” effectively captures the bite-sized nature of the chicken pieces, visually linking them to the familiar snack of popcorn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Taiwanese version differs from the KFC version as its taste resembles the street food Taiwanese chicken steak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you like this Taiwanese popcorn chicken or other Asian chicken recipes, you will be interested in checking out the following recipe recipes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Ingredients](\"https:\/\/tasteasianfood.com\/mystaging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/popcorn-chicken-image-ingredients.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n
![\"Two](\"https:\/\/tasteasianfood.com\/mystaging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/popcorn-chicken-recipe-2.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n👉 How to cook the Popcorn Chicken?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"prepare](\"https:\/\/tasteasianfood.com\/mystaging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/popcorn-chicken-image-2.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Marinate](\"https:\/\/tasteasianfood.com\/mystaging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/popcorn-chicken-image-2-1.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Use](\"https:\/\/tasteasianfood.com\/mystaging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/popcorn-chicken-image-10.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Deep-fry](\"https:\/\/tasteasianfood.com\/mystaging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/popcorn-chicken-image-12.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Deep-fry](\"https:\/\/tasteasianfood.com\/mystaging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/popcorn-chicken-image-17.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Deep-fry](\"https:\/\/tasteasianfood.com\/mystaging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/popcorn-chicken-image-18.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Mix](\"https:\/\/tasteasianfood.com\/mystaging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/popcorn-chicken-image-20.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n🫙 How to prepare the salt and pepper spice mix<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
💡Tips and notes for the best popcorn chicken<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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🍳Why double-fried chicken is so crispy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
⚖️Deep fryer versus frying with a pan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Two](\"https:\/\/tasteasianfood.com\/mystaging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/popcorn-chicken-recipe-1-1.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n💡 The origin of the name Popcorn Chicken<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
📜 Here are some other related recipes if you like popcorn chicken <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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