Description
If you like chicken, you will like this deep-fried Popcorn Chicken (KFC-Style) – it’s so delicious!
Ingredients
For the marinated chicken:
14 oz. (400g) chicken breast
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. mirin
1 tsp. honey
1/4 tsp. ginger powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cornstarch
For the spice mix:
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. chili flakes
1/2 tsp. sea salt
For the coating:
1 cup (130g) spelt flour
3/4 cup (180ml) buttermilk
1- 1 1/2 cups (90-140g) panko bread crumbs
salt, pepper
vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
1. Wash and dry the chicken breast. Cut into small bite-size dices. Add the soy sauce, mirin, honey, ginger, garlic, and cornstarch to a bowl and mix until well combined. Add the chicken and mix until everything is covered. Cover and let marinate for at least 30 minutes up to 2 hours.
2. For the spice mix add onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, chili flakes, and salt to a small bowl and mix until well combined. Set aside until needed.
3. Add the ingredients for the coating into separate shallow bowls. Season the flour and panko bread crumbs with some salt and pepper. Set up the bowls next to each other – flour first, then buttermilk, and panko at the end. Roll the chicken pieces in the flour first to cover completely, then dip into the buttermilk and lastly in the panko to coat them with the bread crumbs. Place on a plate or wire rack and continue preparing the chicken pieces.
4. Add oil to a pot and heat up to about 350°F-375°F (175°C-190°C). You don’t need a full pot of oil to fry the popcorn chicken – the pieces should be able to swim and not touch the bottom of the pot, so 1.5-2 inches (4-5cm) should be enough. I normally use a smaller pot to use less oil, but that also means you have to do the frying in several more batches. As soon as the oil is hot add some chicken pieces to the pot – don’t add too many or the temperature of the oil will drop too much. Fry from all sides until golden brown. Take out of the oil and let drain on a piece of kitchen paper, then add to a bowl and sprinkle the still hot popcorn chicken with the spice mix. Serve with dipping sauce – for example, sriracha mayo or curry ketchup.
Notes
Enjoy frying!