Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Marinate Time: 60 mins
Total: 110 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Popcorn chicken is the name for small, bite-sized pieces of chicken that are breaded and fried. Their shape is reminiscent of popcorn, and they are designed to be eaten with your fingers and conveniently popped into your mouth just like popcorn. The chicken is marinated in buttermilk to keep it moist and delicious even after frying. The breading is seasoned for extra flavor, and the popcorn chicken is perfect for dipping in your favorite sauces.
Ingredients
Popcorn Chicken:
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2 cups buttermilk
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2 tablespoons hot sauce
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1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubed pieces
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2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
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1 tablespoon paprika
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2 teaspoons salt
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1 teaspoon baking powder
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1 teaspoon ground sage
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1 teaspoon dried thyme
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1 teaspoon garlic powder
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1 teaspoon onion powder
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1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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Vegetable oil, for frying
Optional Dipping Sauces:
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Barbecue sauce, optional
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Honey mustard, optional
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Buffalo sauce, optional
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce.
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Add the cubed chicken, then cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
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In another large bowl, combine the flour, paprika, salt, baking powder, sage, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
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Working a few pieces at a time, use a slotted spoon to lift the chicken from the buttermilk, allowing the excess buttermilk to drip back into the bowl. Place the chicken in the breading mix and toss to coat.
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Using another slotted spoon, lift the coated chicken from the breading mix and place back in the buttermilk bowl. Repeat the process once more to create a second coating.
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After the chicken has been double coated in the breading mixture, place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
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Pour enough vegetable oil into a deep pan until it reaches 1 to 1 1/2 inches up the sides. Heat the oil to 350 F. Working in batches, fry the chicken for about 4 to 5 minutes total or until golden brown, turning if necessary. Allow the oil to come back to temperature between batches.
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Transfer the fried chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
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Serve popcorn chicken hot with your favorite dipping sauces. Barbeque sauce, honey mustard, or Buffalo sauce are all delicious options. Enjoy.
Baked Popcorn Chicken
If you love popcorn chicken but don’t like frying the chicken, it’s easy to turn this into a baked variation with a few changes to the recipe.
Marinate the chicken pieces in the buttermilk mixture as described. For the coating, combine 2 cups of crushed cornflake cereal and 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour along with the paprika, salt, sage, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Omit the baking powder.
Lift the chicken pieces from the buttermilk mixture and press to coat in the crushed cornflake mixture. You do not need to double coat as you would for frying.
Place on a rimmed baking sheet covered with nonstick foil. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 400 F for 8 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces and return to the oven until cooked through, about 8 minutes more. Serve with your favorite dipping sauces.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 6 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 634 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 30g | 38% |
| Saturated Fat 4g | 18% |
| Cholesterol 100mg | 33% |
| Sodium 1029mg | 45% |
| Total Carbohydrate 46g | 17% |
| Dietary Fiber 2g | 8% |
| Total Sugars 4g | |
| Protein 44g | |
| Vitamin C 3mg | 13% |
| Calcium 176mg | 14% |
| Iron 4mg | 24% |
| Potassium 540mg | 11% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
