Food

Taiwanese popcorn chicken: An explosion of taste and texture

These delicious crunchy bites have a gorgeous flavour thanks to the five spice and ginger

Taiwanese popcorn chicken: best eaten hot, these are quick to make but also a real treat and something my kids love

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Lilly Higgins
Sun Mar 28 2021 - 06:00

This is no ordinary fried chicken. Named popcorn chicken because it is similar in size and texture to popcorn, it’s served in big buckets or paper bags and popped into the mouth using your hands or a wooden skewer.

My version of these delicious crunchy bites have a gorgeous flavour thanks to the five spice and ginger. Each little crispy morsel is an explosion of taste and texture. Best eaten hot, these are quick to make but also a real treat and something my kids love.

Traditionally this recipe is made using sweet potato starch or tapioca starch for the batter, but cornflour makes a perfect substitute. I’ve used chicken breasts here, but chicken thigh meat is ideal too and more succulent. The chicken can be marinated overnight for even more flavour. This can be made with pork or tofu also.

The chicken can be deep fried or shallow fried, and can also be cooked in an air fryer, according to manufacturers’ instructions. Air fryers have taken off in popularity recently and are worth considering if you have a smaller household, are inclined to deep-fry often, or have the space for another kitchen gadget.

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Even though this is usually served as a snack and a traditional street food in Taiwan, I serve it as a main course with steamed white rice and green beans. Adding a little fragrant basil to the cooking oil is a really nice tip that gives this even more flavour.

As always, be very careful frying the basil as the leaves can spit if they’re wet going into the hot oil. I always add a little fresh basil to the finished dish too. If you can source Thai basil then use that, but I’ve used the more readily available regular basil here.

I strongly suggest getting some white pepper. It’s so much more delicate and brighter than black pepper and handy to have in the cupboard for adding to sauces and soups. White pepper does lose its potency faster though so try to get a good brand, or grind your own white peppercorns, ensuring its freshness.

Recipe: Taiwanese popcorn chicken

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