Crispy homemade popcorn chicken. A very easy recipe for this popular and delicious snack. Chicken pieces coated in breadcrumbs & served with yummy dip.
Guys, making this crispy popcorn chicken from scratch is easier than you think!
Off topic: Happy Saturday everyone! I am writing this post literally stuck to our gas heater. Now I complained the other day about the horrible weather here. But today is no better at all! It has been lashing rain since lunch time yesterday and it doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon (note it’s Thursday when I am writing this which means it is the day after the hailstones + snow + rain + several thunders experience we had here)!
The road in front of our house looks like a small river already. I hope there won’t be any roof leaks like we had the last time (we notified our rental agent about a month ago but it hasn’t still been fixed. Apparently such rain only happens once in years here. Well it’s been several times in 2 years so I don’t know. What should we do? What do you think?).
Anyways, so I am trying to keep myself warm and in a positive mood even though it’s been 3 days since I haven’t left the house thanks to this “fab” weather. Trapped in our house! You see, we don’t have a car (nope, we don’t …) and the bicycle is not quite rain-friendly, is it? I hope the rain stops soon and the weather gets back to normal! By the way, what is the weather like where you live? Is it acting weird like here? Hope not!
Ok, let’s talk popcorn chicken now!
When I lived in Ireland popcorn chicken as well as chicken wings like these Sweet & Spicy Sticky Chicken Wings were my favorite snacks there! Well, sometimes I ate these instead of a lunch or dinner. Do you do this sometimes?
I would put popcorn chicken in a baguette and throw in grated cheddar cheese, some extra sauce and maybe some tomato or lettuce. That would be my lunch! Yum!
How to make popcorn chicken from scratch
Again, we have here a fast and simple preparation:
- Dice chicken breasts
- Dip the pieces in flour, then beaten egg & finally in breadcrumbs
- Deep-Fry them and you are done!
Now I know some of you might not like the frying part. Well, you can bake them instead. If you make a smaller portion, then I prefer frying them as it literally takes a few minutes and you are ready to serve. I find it very convenient and don’t think it’s very unhealthy.
You make it yourself = a big plus as you know what you put inside. If you don’t eat tons of fried foods then I don’t see why you shouldn’t enjoy this delicious homemade snack! That’s what we do!
By the way, do you want to know how to make homemade popcorn chicken in the oven? It’s simple. Just follow the same preparation instructions and instead of frying them use the oven. It will take about 20-25 minutes though.
A few tips when deep-frying popcorn chicken:
These tips are for those who don’t have a deep-fryer!
- Use a wide sauce pan/pot. Popcorn chicken pieces are pretty small so they don’t need too much oil for frying. Go for wider rather than deeper. This way you will be able to fry more of them in one go (this will also help you avoid frying in too burnt an oil).
- You will still need at least 600ml/20fl oz oil. (Depending on the size of your pot, I am guessing 600-1000ml/20-34fl oz).
- Always use paper kitchen towels to dry off the excess oil!
- Use oil with high smoke point like sunflower oil. This means the oil won’t burn so fast!
What to eat with popcorn chicken?
You have several options here: fill French baguette with as many pieces as you wish, add some extras like cheese, veggies, sauce, anything you like.
The same goes for wraps. They may be messier than baguettes but a nice popcorn chicken wrap filled with lots of salad makes for a great light lunch. These chicken pieces are also great as a snack with a nice dip!
What to dip popcorn chicken in?
I like to use a simple sour cream + ketchup dip/sauce. It’s so versatile and delicious. Simply combine 6 tablespoons of sour cream with 2 tablespoons of ketchup and you are done. However, if you have some other fancier dips of your own, then go ahead and use those.
Guys, like I’ve mentioned before I like homemade popcorn chicken bites. Actually, is there anyone who doesn’t love this bite size food? If there is, then they have not made it at home! Because if they had, then they would totally fall in love with it! So guys, you must try it!
Crispy Homemade Popcorn Chicken
Ingredients
- 7 ounces Chicken Breast , diced (200 grams)
- 7 ounces Panko Breadcrumbs (200 grams)
- 6 tablespoons Plain Flour
- 1 tablespoon Dried Herbs de Provence
- 1 tablespoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Pink Himalayan Salt
- A Pinch of Black Pepper
- 2.5 cups Sunflower Oil for Frying (625 ml)
- 1 Large Egg
- 2 tbsp Milk
For the dip:
- 6 tablespoons Sour Cream
- 2 tablespoons Ketchup
Instructions
- In a bowl combine breadcrumbs, herbs de Provence, paprika and pepper. Stir until well combined. Season chicken cubes with salt.
- Coat each chicken piece in flour then dip it in egg and coat with breadcrumb mix. You can do a few at a time. Use your hands/fork or thongs. Make sure they are well coated with the breadcrumb mix.
- Heat up the oil. Check if the temperature is hot enough by frying one breaded chicken piece. If it’s bubbling right after the chicken piece hits the oil, then it’s ready.
- When the oil is hot enough deep-fry all of them. Make sure the pieces have enough space for frying (now depending on the size of you pan/pot you might need to do this in several batches). This will take only several minutes. Popcorn chicken will float on the surface and have nice dark brown color.
- Take them out with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper kitchen towel.
- Serve in a baguette or with the dip (mix sour cream with ketchup).
- Enjoy!
Notes
- You may need more oil for frying. This will depend on the size of your pot/pan.
[email protected] to Zest says
These little crispy morsels look so scrumptious. And I love the presentation, super cute.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks, Kylie! :) Glad you like them.
Yum In Your Tum | Amanda says
Wow! I can’t believe the cook time is 4 mins! I’m all for the quick recipes. Looks like I need to take a trip to Ireland, the food there sounds amazing! Great recipe :)
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
:) Quick recipes rock, don’t they? Ireland is a beautiful place. You should definitely visit one day! :)