Fun, crunchy, tender and absolutely tasty, this Popcorn Chicken is a great snack, lunch or dinner treat that is easy to throw together and perfect for the whole family.
Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and set it aside.
Place the cut-up chicken, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper into a medium-sized bowl, and stir to coat the chicken in the spices.
For the dredge, put the flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and paprika into another medium-sized bowl, and stir to combine.
In a third bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and hot sauce.
Place the seasoning chicken into the flour mixture and toss to coat, shake off any excess, and place them into the egg mixture, stirring to coat the chicken pieces.
Take handfuls of the coated chicken and place it back into the flour mixture, press the flour around the piece, then shake off the excess. Place the pieces onto the prepared sheet tray, and repeat with the remaining chicken.
Add about 2 inches of peanut oil or frying oil of your choice into a dutch oven or heavy bottom skillet over medium heat.
Allow the oil to reach 325-350°F. Carefully drop pieces of the chicken into the oil but do not crowd the pan, you will need to fry in batches.
Stir the chicken around with a slotted spoon, so they don’t stick to each other or burn. Once the chicken has reached 165°F and is golden brown, about 5 minutes, they are done, remove the pieces with the slotted spoon. Place them onto a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil.
Place the chicken pieces onto a wire rack placed on a sheet tray to avoid them getting soggy.
Repeat with the remaining chicken and serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
This makes a large batch, but you can easily double it.
Other chicken cuts can be used, see above on how to do that.
To make it spicy add some cayenne or chipotle powder to the flour mixture.
Buttermilk is essential to the coating, I do not suggest another milk.
You can use other meat for this, cut up turkey breast or turkey tenderloin is great.
Use any of your favorite dippings sauces for this recipe