What is a Night Market series without the one and only Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken?
This Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken recipe is my secret specialty recipe that I make every time I have guests.
An EASY recipe contains many hidden tips and tricks to make AUTHENTIC Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken like the ones you get at night markets!
Crispy on the outside, JUICY on the inside; I am confident this is the best Taiwanese popcorn Chicken recipe you will ever try!
Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken is the most famous Taiwanese Night Market food that you can now find at many Bubble Tea shops and restaurants.
It may seem intimidating to make, but trust me, it is super easy with accessible ingredients.
In many restaurants, Taiwanese popcorn chicken is not crispy enough, or the chicken becomes tough.
After many trials and errors, I am confident that I’ve mastered the recipe that guarantees crispy and juicy chicken every single time.
Here are a few of my secret tips to make better than any restaurant AUTHENTIC Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken
BATTER:
Many recipes don’t use a batter; and instead, they opt for flour, egg, and corn starch.
Having a batter not only helps the tapioca starch stick onto the chicken better, but it also helps provide a layer of protection to the chicken to ensure the chicken is juicy.
BONELESS CHICKEN THIGH WITH THE SKIN ON:
To make Authentic Taiwanese Popcorn chicken, you need to use dark meat. Chicken thigh is more flavourful and is more tender.
Chicken thighs WITH the skin on them are the most crucial secret tip for CRISPY and JUICY chicken. The skin protects the meat and also gets extra crispy when fried.
I know it takes an extra 10 minutes to de-bone the chicken, but TRUST ME, it is so worth it.
RICE FLOUR:
Rice flour is lighter compare to traditional flour. Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken is golden and crispy. Rather than using traditional flour or corn starch, use rice flour instead; it is also gluten-free!
TAPIOCA STARCH / SWEET POTATO FLOUR:
I’ve seen so many recipes asking to add water to provide the “crispy” edges texture, but what you need is just traditional tapioca starch / sweet potato flour. Here is the brand that I swear by.
Also, Tapioca starch falls off quickly, so the trick is to let the chicken sit for 5 minutes before frying to prevent any fallouts.
DOUBLE FRY:
Optional, but HIGHLY recommended, DOUBLE FRY for the EXTRA CRISPY Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken!
If you are serving the chicken for guests, you can make it in advance and heat the chicken by double frying for 2-3 minutes in high heat before serving.
SEASONING SALT:
You got to add the CLASSIC Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken seasoning salt to complete the dish.
I am using a mixture of chili powder, paprika, five-spice powder, white pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Depending on how spicy, salty, and garlic you want, you can adjust these seasonings to your liking.
Do you want more Taiwanese street food recipes? Here are some of my go-to family secret recipes that you will LOVE!
- Chow Mein (Authentic Traditional Recipe!)
- Authentic Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice (Instant Pot & EASY)
- Instant Pot Authentic Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup
- Taiwanese Chicken and Rice (MUST TRY!)
Ingredients
- 6 Pieces of Boneless Chicken Thigh with the skin on (cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 2.5 Tbsp of Soy Sauce
- 3 Tbsp of Chinese Cooking Wine (optional)
- 2 Minced Garlic ~ 1 tbsp
- 1 Tbsp of Five Spice Powder
- One Large Egg
- 3.5 Tbsp of Rice Flour
- 1.5 Cup of Thai Basil
- 2 Cup of Tapioca Starch
Seasoning Mix – chili powder, paprika, five-spice powder, white pepper, garlic powder, and salt
- Marinate the chicken with soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine (optional), minced garlic, and Five Spice Powder for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, add in 3.5 tbsp of rice flour and one egg and mix. You want a wet batter consistency.
- Coat the chicken with Tapioca Starch and let it sit for 5-7 minutes to prevent the coating from falling off.
- 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 with fragrant oil.
- Next, add the chicken and fry the chicken for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Optional, but highly recommend, turn the heat to high and double fry the chicken for 1 minute and the basil for 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle on the seasoning mix and ENJOY!!
Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken
Materials
- 6 Pieces of Boneless Chicken Thigh with the skin on cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2.5 Tbsp of Soy Sauce
- 3 Tbsp of Chinese Cooking Wine optional
- 1 tbsp of Minced Garlic
- 1 Tbsp of Five Spice Powder
- 1 Large Egg
- 3.5 Tbsp of Rice Flour
- 1.5 Cup of Thai Basil
- 2 Cup of Tapioca Starch
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken with soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine (optional), minced garlic, and Five Spice Powder for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, add in 3.5 tbsp of rice flour and one egg and mix. You want a wet batter consistency.
- Coat the chicken with Tapioca Starch and let it sit for 5-7 minutes to prevent the coating from falling off.
- 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 with fragrant oil.
- Next, add the chicken and fry the chicken for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Optional, but highly recommend, turn the heat to high and double fry the chicken for 1 minute and the basil for 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle on the seasoning mix and ENJOY!!
What type of chili powder do you use to make your seasoning mix ?
I use just regular chili powder found in the condiment section 🙂