Popcorn Chicken
Whether it’s for an appetizer or a meal, these fried bites of chicken are perfection!
Back in the day when my husband and I were dating, we would hit up KFC for popcorn chicken because it was the best fast food chicken. Many many years ago now, they stopped selling it in our area and we haven’t been able to find a good substitute since. This is a great recipe for popcorn chicken because the breading has a diverse amount of seasonings and they aren’t just barely there. I could not tell you if it is reminiscent of KFC’s recipe, but it is such a solid popcorn chicken recipe. We’re actually using it towards the end of the month to make our own Hot Ones trial.
What You Need:
For the Marinade:
1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 cups buttermilk
2 Tbsp. hot sauce
For the Breading:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. salt
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
For the Frying:
Vegetable oil
Directions:
For the Marinade: Whisk together buttermilk and hot sauce in a large bowl. Add chicken, toss to coat, cover, and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to 12 hours.
For the Breading: In a large bowl, whisk together breading ingredients.
Remove chicken from marinade with a slotted spoon and add to breading mixture. Toss to evenly coat.
With a dry slotted spoon, remove chicken and add back to marinade to coat again.
Then remove with slotted spoon back to breading mixture. Toss to coat. Be sure to separate any pieces that have stuck together. Transfer pieces to a baking sheet and let rest.
Heat oil in a deep frying pan, stock pot, or deep fryer to 350 degrees.
In batches, fry chicken until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to rest while frying remaining chicken.
Recipe from Carlsbad Cravings