To make your Popcorn Chicken extra crispy, use panko instead of normal breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs alone will not give you the proper crunch, so combine the two types of flour in a mixture. Bake the chicken on a wire rack to allow hot air to circulate while it cooks. While preparing the chicken for temporary use, place a sheet of foil on the oven rack and heat it. Use caution when removing the foil.
Coat the chicken in bread crumbs to make wonderful, crispy chicken. You can replace the breadcrumbs with crushed cornflakes and make the batter thinner. You’ll have a pasty batter if you overmix the chicken and flour. Three to four pieces of chicken should be covered with flour at a time. For your chicken, you can also make your bread crumbs. The chicken will stay tender when deep-fried because the breading will attach to it. You may preserve leftover popcorn chicken for up to a month in the freezer.
Combine buttermilk with a spicy sauce for the greatest results. The hot sauce will keep the chicken juicy, while the breading will be crisp and light. Before cooking the chicken, you can alternatively freeze it into little pieces. You can serve it with freshly popped popcorn after it’s done. This simple and enjoyable meal is sure to please everyone. Remember that it’s a terrific supper for any occasion. As a result, be ready to enjoy your new favorite snack!
How to Make Popcorn Chicken?
Chicken breasts should be sliced into even, bite-sized pieces. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt to make the flour mixture. Combine the flour, salt, and garlic powder in a medium mixing bowl. Buttermilk and panko bread crumbs Place buttermilk in a separate bowl and panko bread crumbs on a plate. Dredge the chicken. Dredge the chicken bites in flour, buttermilk, and panko.
You can bake the chicken in the oven or fry it in batches once it’s done. Keep an eye on it once it’s cooked through to ensure the middle doesn’t become pink. Alternatively, you can roast it with garlic and black pepper. While preparing the rest of the ingredients, marinate the chicken in half a teaspoon of salt and a pinch of black pepper. You can bake the chicken in a broiler or oven,, depending on your desire.
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 5 tbsp flour (all-purpose)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
- One teaspoon of powdered garlic
- 1-gallon buttermilk
- Two c. panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup canola or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Combine the flour, salt, and garlic powder in a medium mixing basin.
- Place the panko crumbs on a dish and the buttermilk in a separate bowl.
- Dredge a piece of chicken in flour until it is equally covered, then dip it in buttermilk and allow the excess to drip off. Finally, roll in panko bread crumbs to coat evenly. Place on a serving plate.
- Heat 1 inch of oil over medium heat in a deep frying pan. Maintain a 350°F temperature in the oil by adjusting the heat. Fry until golden brown and a thermometer reads 165°F in the deepest portion of the chicken. Small quantities of popcorn chicken should be fried, with space between each piece and turning as needed.
- Remove the popcorn chicken from the oil and place it on a platter lined with paper towels to drain. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce right away!
Additional Tips for Making Popcorn Chicken:
- Cook the chicken in a skillet – Preheat a deep frying pan to 350°F with about 1 inch of oil and the breaded chicken pieces within. Fry till golden brown in small batches.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the popcorn chicken from the oil and place it on a platter coated with paper towels to absorb excess grease or a wire rack with paper towels below. Allow the chicken to rest. Serve with a dipping sauce of your choice!
- Smaller chunks of chicken breast tenderloins can be used to make popcorn chicken. They’re simple to cut into one-bite pieces and bake up with a moist texture.
- Popcorn chicken can be replaced with boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Just make sure the chicken pieces are of the same size. If you’re concerned about the fat level of the chicken, try marinating it in buttermilk or dry ketchup for a delicious, crispy result.
- You likely fell in love with KFC’s popcorn chicken for the first time. If you haven’t had it before, it consists of soft chicken breast portions that have been breaded and deep-fried to golden-brown perfection.
- It comes in bite-sized bits, unlike typical fried chicken or Chicken Tenders (thus the “popcorn” connection in the name). It can be eaten as an appetizer or snack with your favorite dipping sauce, over salad, or as a complete dinner with your favorite side.
- Fried chicken is a crowd-pleasing favorite. It comes in various flavors, including popcorn chicken, which involves a three-step breading procedure. The outside of the chicken must be at room temperature before frying to ensure that it is well-fried.
- This will keep the juicy chicken inside while preventing it from overcooking. Ensure the oil is heated enough, as overheating the chicken will result in dry, over-fried chicken.
Is Chicken Nuggets the Same as Popcorn Chicken?
Popcorn chicken is actual chicken breast meat nuggets. Popcorn chicken is smaller than regular nuggets, resembling small spherical pieces of popcorn that you may “pop” in your mouth. It is prepared with whole pieces of chicken breast meat and is smaller, whereas chicken nuggets are made with ground chicken and can be made with breasts and thighs.
Popcorn chicken, which can be found at KFC and in the grocery store’s poultry area, is often prepared from “boneless chunks of white-meat chicken,” according to Sherman. Popcorn chicken is named because the bite-sized portions resemble popped corn kernels.
The chicken bits are small enough to take a few mouthfuls at a time. Chopped and processed meat is commonly used to make chicken nuggets, subsequently reformed into a chicken-nugget shape. It doesn’t have to be chicken breast meat; meat from any chicken area can be used. Folks, these are your McNuggets; eat at your own risk.
What’s the Best Way to Make Popcorn Chicken for Kids?
We’ve got beaten egg, flour, a flour-milk mixture, and crispy cornflake crumbs. Place a chicken mixture ball on a plate or platter after rolling it around in each dipping dish. Then, to create that crunchy, crispy coating, shallow fried in a little olive oil. Place the chicken pieces in the hot oil in batches, working in batches. Fry for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown on both sides.
Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Combine them thoroughly. Corn starch or all-purpose flour can be added. Using the flour, coat the chicken thoroughly. When the pieces are done, take them from the oil with tongs and lay them on a paper towel-lined plate.
Pick up each egg-coated chicken piece and roll it in the bread crumbs. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes after thoroughly mixing. You can also offer chicken breast split into strips the size of two adult fingers squeezed together in addition to drumsticks. Serve smaller slices about the size of an adult pinky finger once a baby can bite and shred food (about 8 to 9 months of age).
Is Chicken Popcorn Healthy?
Considerations. Popcorn chicken is a calorie-dense food, and the amount of deep-fried breading in each bite is maximized. Look for chicken strips with more flesh and less breading for a healthier option. If you’re wondering whether or not popcorn can help you lose weight, the answer is yes! According to health experts, including popcorn in your daily diet benefits digestion and aids in weight loss.
Each 84 g serving of popcorn chicken contains 160 calories. This portion has 12 grams of fat, 11 grams of protein, and 13 grams of carbohydrates. The latter has 0 grams of sugar and 1 gram of dietary fiber, with the rest consisting of complex carbohydrates.
Popcorn is regarded as a food that can help with weight loss due to its high fiber content, low-calorie count, and low energy density. Popcorn, for example, has been demonstrated to help people feel fuller than an equal amount of calorie-dense potato chips. It has 2.5 grams of saturated fat and 50 milligrams of cholesterol per serving.
Is it Possible to Reheat Popcorn Chicken?
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and reheat the popcorn chicken for 15 minutes. In a pan or skillet, reheat the popcorn chicken over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the pan or skillet using a slotted spoon. Before serving, drain the chicken on paper towels. To reheat popcorn chicken in the oven, remove the leftover chicken from the refrigerator or freezer and set it aside to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Coat raw chicken pieces the day before and keep them covered in the fridge until ready to cook. Place the chicken on a baking pan and bake for 15 minutes or until fully cooked. It’s okay to reheat leftover fried chicken if it was fully cooked the first time, wrapped well, and refrigerated quickly (within a couple of hours) after it was done.
Cooked popcorn chicken can be frozen for up to 4 months. Chicken is similar to other meats in that it can be safely reheated two or more times. When reheating chicken, it’s critical to heat it thoroughly through. The chicken should be scalding hot in the center. Allow the chicken to cool completely before storing it in an airtight freezer.
Can you Cook Popcorn Chicken in the Microwave?
On a microwave-safe dish, place the frozen Popcorn Chicken. 2. Cook for 2 minutes on high, uncovered. Bake or microwave seasoned chicken bits and serve with ranch or blue cheese for frozen appetizers ready to eat in minutes. Popcorn Chicken comes in a 24-ounce resealable packaging.
You can consume frozen or ready-to-eat popcorn chicken straight from the package or use it in recipes. Popcorn chicken is a good alternative if you don’t have a deep fryer or don’t want to spend the time preparing the chicken. Dredge chicken in crushed potato chips in batches, pressing to coat.
Spray nonstick cooking spray or drizzle olive oil over the breaded chicken on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with butter and place on the prepared baking sheet. Place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping pieces halfway through, until crisp and cooked through.
Certainly not. Even if certain frozen meals appear to have grill marks, browned breading, or other indicators that they have been cooked, they may still be raw and require different cooking before eating. Place the chicken in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, rotating halfway through, until crisp, golden brown, and cooked.
Conclusion
Prepare the popcorn chicken ingredients before you begin. Flour, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper are required. Combine all of the ingredients thoroughly. Mix all ingredients, including Provence and paprika’s herbs, in a mixing bowl. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and shake them into the chicken pieces.
Cook until the chicken pieces are crispy, about 5 minutes more. It will take less than thirty minutes to prepare the chicken ahead of time. After that, cook it. If you’re using a skillet, start by heating it to a medium-high setting. The oil should be heated but not too hot or cold to keep the chicken moist and juicy.
The chicken will be overdone and greasy if the oil is too hot. A wooden stick can be used to check the temperature. When frying the chicken, make sure it’s not crowded in the pan. The oil should be heated enough for the breading to stick to the chicken well.
