Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken

15 mins Prep Time

15 mins Cook Time

Written By

Tara Omidvar

Taiwanese popcorn chicken is a street food which can be found in Taiwan night markets. It is crunchy small pieces of chicken packed with flavours and spices.

The chicken gets to marinate in spices and soy sauce. The more it sits in the marinade, the tastier it will be. One thing that cannot be skipped in this recipe is Chinese five spice. The spice blend is made of fennel, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and Sichuan pepper. You can make this spice blend at home or it can be found easily at grocery stores.

I used tapioca flour for coating the chicken, which works perfectly but alternatively you can use potato starch as well.

This popcorn chicken recipe is best enjoyed immediately and regular basil is a perfect alternative if you can't find Thai basil.

Ingredients

Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken

1 pound chicken thighs (cut into 1-inch pieces)
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground Peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup Thai basil leaves
Flaky salt
Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken

7 Steps

Step 1

In a bowl, add the chicken, soy sauce, five spice powder, sugar, pepper, salt and garlic. Mix everything, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Step 2

Fill at least 1/3 of a pot with vegetable oil. Heat up the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350°F.
Step 3

In a bowl, add the tapioca flour and marinated chicken. Add about 1 tablespoon of water to the bowl, wet your hand and toss the chicken with flour. Toss until beads of starch form on the chicken.
Step 4

Work in batches and fry the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
Step 5

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken from oil to a paper towel. Season immediately with flaky salt.
Step 6

On the last batch, once the chickens are almost cooked through, add the basil leaves and fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until crispy.
Step 7

Serve the chicken with fried basil and enjoy!