Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken - Khin's Kitchen - Asian Fried Chicken Recipes (2024)

Famous Taiwanese popcorn chicken recipe with juicy chicken pieces, crispy coating, aromatic basil, and seasoning salt mix. One of the best Asian popcorn chicken recipes that all kids and adults enjoy! Perfect appetizer for all occasions.

Taiwanese fried chicken is one of the most popular street food in Taiwan. Also known as Taiwanese salt and pepper fried chicken and can be found in the menu of Taiwanese restaurants and takeout across the world. Crispy chicken tossed with basil and salt and chilli seasoning powder mix.

If you love Chinese Takeaway style recipes, you will definitely like our viewer's favourite popular Taiwanese Fried Chicken, Salt and Pepper Chicken and Crispy Salt and Chilli Chicken recipes.

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Starch(flour): Authentic Taiwanese popcorn chicken recipes use thick sweet potato flour which is a key ingredient for this particular recipe. It creates an extra crunchy texture and that stays crispy for few hours after you fried them.

If you cannot get sweet potato starch, use potato starch or corn starch as a substitute.

Basil: Another essential ingredient is basil leaves. Thai basil is ideal to add to this recipe but if you cannot get Thai basil, use Italian basil or regular sweet basil.

Homemade Chilli Salt Seasonings: This seasonings chilli salt is way better than store-bought ones and you need very few simple ingredients. You will need, salt, white pepper, paprika powder, ground Sichuan peppercorns. The key ingredient is the Sichuan peppercorns and it has a bit of numbing unique sensation.

There are few ingredients you can add extra in the salt mix. Those are garlic powder and dry red chilli flakes which I love to add in my seasoning sometimes.

Fermented Bean Curd: Every family and restaurant has its own version of recipes. Some add fermented bean curd in the chicken marinade. As this is an easy recipe, I tried to use ingredients as little as possible. No fermented bean curd is used in the marinade. If you wish you add it, add a tablespoon of fermented bean curd in the chicken marinade and mix it well.

How to make Taiwanese popcorn chicken

• Cut chicken thigh into bite-size pieces. Season the chicken pieces with soy sauce, Shao Xing wine, garlic paste, white pepper and Chinese five spices. Let it sit aside and marinade for at least 15 minutes. If you have more time, you can leave it longer.
• Toast the Sichuan peppercorns and grind it into a fine coarse. Mix all the seasoning salt mix in a bowl and set it aside.

• Add one egg white into the chicken marinade before you dust in the flour, to keep the flour stick to the chicken pieces.
• Coat the chicken pieces with a generous amount of sweet potato flour/starch.
• Fry with pre-heated vegetable oil about 330-340° F for 2-3 minutes. Once it start floating remove from oil and set it aside for 2-3 minutes.
• Then fry 2nd time for 2-3 minute, until crispy golden brown. Transfer to paper towel or cooling rack.

• Clear the oil with mesh strainer and fry the basil leaves in the hot oil for 1-2 minutes until crispy.
• In a large bowl or plate, toss the fried chicken pieces with basil leaves and sprinkle the seasoning salt mix.

Cooking tips

1. Use sweet potato starch(flour) to taste exactly like authentic Taiwanese street food popcorn chicken.
2. Double fry the chicken to achieve a crispy, non-greasy coating, fry with over medium-high heat oil.
3. Toast the Sichuan peppercorns, before you grind it into a fine coarse. Toasting and grinding peppercorns might look like an extra step. But trust me, the result is definitely worth your effort!
4. You can make an extra chilli salt mix and store it in an air-tight jar, it usually lasts for a couple of months. Add as a seasoning powder for fried chicken, chips, or anything of your favourite fries you wish.
5. Strain the oil with a fine-mesh strainer after frying each batch. That will keep the oil clean and prevent the crumbs get burnt.
6. Do not wash the basil leaves if not necessary, as the moisture from the leaves splat a lot. If you are washing them, pat dry with a kitchen towel and let them air dry for few hours before frying. Or you can use a splatter guard to prevent the splattering oil.

Frequently asked questions

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How To Serve This Dish

This dish is perfectly great on its own with Chinese tea, green tea, beer, cold drink, or any of your favourite drinks. You can pair this dish with Hot and Sour Soup, Beef and Noodles Stir Fry, Garlic Fried Rice, or Soy Sauce Chicken Noodles and make it a wholesome dinner.

More Asian fried chicken recipes:

• Orange Chicken ( Crispy chicken tossed with sweet, savoury, tangy orange sauce. )
• Honey Lemon Chicken ( Incredibly delicious Chinese Lemon Chicken Recipe. )
• General Tso’s Chicken ( Restaurant style General Tso's Chicken! )
• Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings ( Better than takeout Crispy Wings! )
• Chicken Tempura ( Japanese crispy battered fried chicken)

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