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The popcorn chicken served in a mini bucket container.
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KFC Style Spicy Popcorn Chicken

These KFC style spicy popcorn chicken bites taste just like the real thing and disappear in minutes! Easy, crunchy and perfectly spiced.
Course Snacks & Appetizers
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6 Portions
Calories 498kcal
Author Richa

Ingredients

  • 350 grams Chicken boneless, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • Oil for frying

For the Marinade:

  • 1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon Oregano dried
  • 1 teaspoon Chili Powder or Paprika Powder
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon Salt

For the Coating:

  • 1 cup Flour
  • ½ cup thin Buttermilk
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Pepper

For the Spice Mix:

  • 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1 tablespoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder or Paprika Powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Powdered Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Oregano dried

Instructions

  • Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and rub the mixture evenly over the chicken. Let it marinate for at least half an hour. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients under spice mix.
  • Season the flour and buttermilk with a pinch of salt and pepper each.
  • To start making the popcorn chicken, set up an assembly line. Place the flour and buttermilk next to each other, along with the marinated chicken. Set up a wire rack to place the coated chicken once ready.
  • Lightly coat each piece of marinated chicken with flour. Dip it in buttermilk, then toss it again in the flour. Repeat this process for each piece of chicken and place them on the wire rack.
  • Heat oil for deep frying and fry the coated chicken in 2-3 batches on medium heat until the chicken is cooked through and has a light brown outer coating. This will take approximately 5-7 minutes for each batch of chicken.
  • As soon as the chicken is fried, dust the pieces with the prepared spice mix. It's best to do this while the chicken is still hot to ensure the spices coat the chicken evenly. You can sprinkle the spicy mix over the chicken and toss it while it's hot.
  • Serve the KFC-style popcorn chicken hot with your favourite dipping sauce, such as sriracha mayo or schezwan sauce. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  1. Cutting chicken: Chicken popcorn is usually prepared with small bite sizen pieces of chicken. 1 inch sized chicken cubes are ideal. 
  2. Marinade: marinade for at least 30 minutes. For the best results, marinate the chicken in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 10 minutes prior to frying.  
  3. Oil temperature: Ensure the oil is at 350F/ 176C for frying the chicken. This temperature is ideal for perfectly cooked crispy chicken. 
  4. Make these in advance: You can also make these ahead by frying them once and storing them for a couple of hours. When ready to serve, heat the oil to about 400F/204C and flash fry the chicken cubes for the second time for just a minute. This will give it a super crispy coating and all have to do is toss it in the seasoning before serving and you'll have hot chicken popcorn ready to go.

Nutrition

Calories: 498kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 305mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 320IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg