Popcorn chicken, with its crispy, golden-brown, bite-sized bits, has become a popular comfort dish across the world.
First popularized by fast-food businesses like KFC in the early 2000s, this snack has developed into a multipurpose meal that can be eaten at home, at parties, or even at fine dining establishments.
Popcorn chicken‘s simplicity—tender pieces of chicken dipped in seasoned batter and well fried—is its greatest asset. It’s very unique, though, because you can alter the flavors and cooking techniques to your liking.
The Origins of Popcorn Chicken
Popcorn chicken as we know it today was made popular by the fast-food juggernaut KFC in 1992,
Although fried chicken has its origins in Southern American cuisine.
It was created as a sharing, portable snack, and because of its small size, it was perfect for fast nibbles and dipping sauces.
The idea has been adopted over time by chefs and home cooks all over the world, who have added regional variations like Japanese karage-inspired marinades or spicy Korean gochujang coatings.
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 700g (1.5 lbs) of skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- One cup of buttermilk (or use one cup of milk plus one tablespoon of lemon juice instead)
- One tablespoon of spicy sauce (optional, for added zing).
- One teaspoon of salt
- One teaspoon of black pepper
- One teaspoon of garlic powder
- One teaspoon of paprika
Regarding the Coating
- 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour
- Half a cup of cornflour (essential for crunch!)
One tablespoon of baking powder, which provides airiness
Two teaspoons of salt One teaspoon of black pepper One tsp of paprika smoked
One teaspoon of onion powder Half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, or more if desired One cup of club soda or cold water (for a lighter batter)
Step-by-Step Recipe
Marinating the Chicken:
Cut the Chicken: Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes after trimming off any extra fat. Breasts are slimmer than thighs, which produce juicier outcomes.
Buttermilk Bath: Put the buttermilk, spicy sauce, paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a bowl. Make sure all of the chicken pieces are immersed before adding them. For a minimum of one hour, cover and place in the refrigerator (overnight for optimum flavor).
Preparing the Coating
Dry Mix: Combine flour, cornflour, baking powder, cayenne, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a big basin.
Wet Mix: Stir the dry ingredients with cold water or club soda gradually until a lumpy batter develops (think pancake consistency).
Frying to Golden Perfection
Heat the Oil: Fill a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with two to three inches of oil. Preheat to 175°C (350°F). To keep the temperature constant, use a thermometer.
Dredge the Chicken: Shake off extra marinade before removing the chicken. Dredge each piece in the dry flour mixture after dipping it into the batter. Extra crunch is ensured by double coating!
Fry in Batches: Avoid packing the oil too full by carefully dropping the chicken into it. Fry till golden brown, 3–4 minutes. Use paper towels or a wire rack to drain.
Season Right Away: While still hot, sprinkle with a bit of salt.
Pro Tips for Crispy Results
- The temperature of the oil is crucial. Too high raw on the inside, scorched on the exterior; too low = greasy.
- Double fried: To achieve a perfectly crispy chicken, fried it once for five minutes at 325°F (160°C), let it cool, and then cook it again for two minutes at 375°F (190°C).
- Use cornflour instead of flour because it produces a crispier, lighter crust.
Serving Suggestions
- Dips: barbecue sauce, sriracha mayo, ranch, or honey mustard.
- Meals: Put on salads, in tacos, or over rice.
- Snack Board: Assemble a party plate with fries, pickles, and coleslaw.
Troubleshooting Common Mistakes
Soggy Coating: To set the batter, let the coated chicken sit for five minutes before frying.
- Add flavor to the batter, marinade, and after-frying stages.
- Add flavour to the batter, marinade, and after-frying stages.
In Conclusion
Making your own popcorn chicken allows you to express your creativity and is more than simply a snack. You may customise it by experimenting with flavours, textures, and cooking techniques with the help of this guide.
This dish promises crispy, juicy pieces that will have everyone requesting seconds, whether you’re throwing a game-day party or just want to spend a relaxing evening at home.
Commonly asked question
What components go into making KFC popcorn chicken?
Popcorn Chicken® Natural flavour, water, salt, modified potato starch, and chicken breast flesh Potassium chloride,
sodium phosphate, monosodium glutamate, dehydrated onion, yeast extract, and garlic.
What kind of spice does popcorn chicken contain?
The reason KFC fried chicken tastes nice is because it is designed to do so
In addition to using MSG to improve the flavor of their food, KFC adds a blend of eleven herbs and spices to give its chicken its unique flavor.
What's in popcorn chicken?
Foster Farms Products: Popcorn Chicken, 24 oz. Ingredients. Water, cracker meal (wheat flour and soybean oil), boneless, skinless chicken breast with rib meat
contains no more than 2% of salt, food starch, natural flavours, spices, dried whey, torula yeast, leavening (sodium bicarbonate, cream of tartar), paprika extracts, and spice extractives.
For what length of time is popcorn soaked?
Try soaking the kernels in a dish of water for ten minutes and then draining them to improve the popping of your popcorn.
Then, like before, burst the kernels. Popcorn gets bigger and fluffier because of the additional moisture that is supplied to the kernels. If you’re popping your popcorn on the stove, you may also leave the lid open
