Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (Extra Crispy)

After finishing University, I decided to take a 3-month break and travel. One of the best parts of my travel adventures was experiencing all the fantastic street food around Asia. The street food culture around Asia is surreal; you have food stand around every corner 24/7. When I traveled around Tainan, Taiwan, I ate nine meals a day because I wanted to experience everything and recreate it when I came back home. That is why, for my second series, I will be doing 21 Days of Street Food. I want to share all the delicious appetizers, soups, main courses, and maybe even desserts that I tried and fell in love with you. 

For Day One, I had to go back to my roots and share with you my Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken recipe. This recipe is one of the most highly requested videos, but I was always hesitant to share because I couldn’t perfect the crunch. However, after many trial and error, I FINALLY perfected it! This recipe makes EXTRA CRISPY popcorn chicken that is also SUPER JUICY on the inside. 

I am confident that this will taste better than any bubble tea shops, and you will never want to order takeout for this dish ever again. It is so authentic even my dad, who just came back from Taiwan, said it taste better than most food stands he tried in Taiwan! 

The secret to crispy chicken? Double fry is a MUST. Also, the basil not only helps fragrant the oil, but it also tastes fantastic as well. If you never tried Taiwanese food, this should be the first dish you try because you will for sure want to try more after this. 

60 SECOND VIDEO TUTORIAL: https://bit.ly/37fp93Z

Ingredients 

6 Pieces of Boneless Chicken Thigh with the skin on (cut into 1-inch cubes) 

2 Tbsp of Soy Sauce 

2 Tbsp of Chinese Cooking Wine 

2 Piece of Garlic grated 

1 Tsp of White Pepper 

1 Tbsp of Five Spice Powder 

1 Egg White 

2 Tbsp of Flour 

1 Cup of Thai Basil 

1 Cup of Tapioca Starch 

Seasoning Mix – 2 tsp of white pepper, 1 tsp of five-spice powder, 1 tsp of salt

1. Marinate the chicken with soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, 2 grated garlic, 1 tsp of white pepper, and 1 Tbsp of Five Spice Powder for 15 minutes. 
2. After 15 minutes, add in 2 tbsp of flour and 1 egg white and mix. 
3. Coat the chicken with Tapioca Starch and let it sit for 5-7 minutes to prevent the coating from falling off. 
4. In a pan, add in oil and turn the heat to medium-high. Once the oil is hot, add in the Thai Basil and fry it for 30 seconds – 1 minute or crispy. This will help fragrant oil. 
5. Next, add in the chicken and fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. 
6. Optional, but highly recommend, turn the heat to high and double fry the chicken for 1 minute and the basil for 30 seconds. 
7. Sprinkle on the seasoning mix and ENJOY!! 

乾杯🍻 gānbēi