Description
This Sriracha Popcorn Chicken recipe offers a spicy, crispy bite-sized chicken perfect for appetizers or snacks. Tender chicken breast pieces are coated in a seasoned dry mix, fried to golden perfection, and served with a flavorful homemade sriracha dipping sauce with a hint of sesame.
Ingredients
Popcorn Chicken
- 1 lb Chicken Breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup All-purpose Flour
- ¼ cup Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp White Pepper
- 1½ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Chicken Stock Powder
- 2 tbsp Water
- Cooking Oil, for frying
Sriracha Sauce
- ¼ cup Sriracha Paste
- ½ cup Ketchup
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- Sesame Seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Cut the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces and set aside to use in the coating process.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients—flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, white pepper, salt, and chicken stock powder.
- Coat the chicken: Add 2 tablespoons of water to about ¼ cup of the dry mix and combine to form a wet batter. Add the chicken pieces into this batter, coating them evenly.
- Apply dry coating: Dredge the wet-coated chicken pieces one by one into the remaining dry mixture, ensuring an even and thorough coating on each piece. Work in batches to maintain coating quality.
- Heat oil: Heat cooking oil in a frying pan over medium heat until hot enough for frying but not smoking.
- Fry chicken: Fry the coated chicken pieces in batches, avoiding overcrowding, until they turn golden brown and crispy on all sides. Use a slotted spoon to turn and remove chicken once done.
- Drain and cool: Place fried chicken pieces on a cooling rack to drain excess oil and maintain crispness.
- Prepare sriracha sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together sriracha paste, ketchup, and sesame oil until smooth and well combined.
- Serve: Garnish the crispy popcorn chicken with sesame seeds and serve alongside the sriracha sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Ensure the oil temperature remains medium to prevent burning while cooking the chicken thoroughly.
- Do not overcrowd the pan during frying to keep the chicken pieces crispy.
- Adjust the amount of sriracha in the sauce if you prefer a milder or spicier dip.
- For an extra crunch, double coat the chicken by repeating the wet and dry coating step.
- Use a cooling rack instead of paper towels to keep the chicken crisp after frying.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
