The Best Asian Popcorn Chicken
Martin Yan’s China is his most recent cookbook and this crispy popcorn chicken is an adaptation of his recipe.
When Chef Yan was traveling in Guangzhou, he chanced upon a street vendor selling crispy chicken nuggets flavored with Chinese five spice powder—an aromatic yet deeply-flavorful Chinese ingredient. For this specific street-style crispy fried chicken recipe, it calls for five spice powder, a common ingredient in Chinese cooking.
The Chinese five spice powder lends a nice aroma to the fried chicken. I just love it. Chinese five spice powder can be found at Asian stores or online.
This ingredient also makes a great marinate for many other Chinese dishes. Try it and I am sure you will be delighted with this recipe.
Ingredients for Popcorn Chicken
- Chicken breast/thigh
- Eggss
- Oil
- Chinese five spice powder
- Sugar
- Sesame oil
- Ground white pepper
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is It Called Popcorn Chicken?
The chicken owes its name to being tiny and bite-sized.
How Many Calories?
This recipe has 197 calories per serving.
What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?
This meal is best served as a snack. For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Asian Crispy Fried Chicken (Popcorn Chicken)
Asian Crispy Fried Chicken - this delicious Chinese crispy fried popcorn chicken is made super easy by this recipe from Martin Yan.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless and skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs cut into bite-size cubes
- 1 cup corn starch
- 1 egg beaten
- oil for deep-frying
Marinade:
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 dashes ground white pepper
Directions
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1Add the five spice powder, sugar, salt, and white pepper. Stir well.
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2Add the chicken pieces and marinate in the fridge for 1 - 4 hours.
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3Heat up the oil into a wok for deep-frying. Dip the chicken nuggets in the beaten egg and then coat with the corn starch evenly. Deep-fry the chicken until they turn golden brown, remove from the oil and place on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
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4Serve immediately and dip with your favorite chili sauce.
Recipe Notes
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Angela Blattner
So tasty, marinade was delicious with five spice, crispy, we actually fried in airfryer at 375⁰, turned out good!
Rasa Malaysia
😊👍
Hoe Peng lau
I like your recipes it is simple and easy. thanks Bee
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Hoe Peng, thanks for trying my recipe. Please try more: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Yeh Ximin
Daz
Hi Folks, Have you left out an ingredient? The second ingredient only show ‘2 cup’ – but of what?
Can you help me please?
Thank you
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Daz, sorry it’s corn starch. I updated the recipe.
Fred
Hi Bee,
Do you still have the old recipe with the red fermented bean curd?
Thanks,
Fred
Rasa Malaysia
Just add some red fermented bean curd to the marinade.