There’s just something about deep-fried chicken that makes it an irresistible, classic food for your snacks, dinner parties, and potlucks. You’ll find tons of variations to it, but this spicy chicken popcorn recipe stands out in more ways than one.
It has that crunchy, crispy, and slightly spicy outer- and when you bite right into the small, pieces, you’ll experience a punch of flavor in the soft, tender meat of the chicken. What’s best is the fact that making it is easier than you’d think. Just scroll down and read on to discover everything you need to know about it, and more.
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Ingredients For the Recipe
You’ll need just a few ingredients to make this spicy popcorn chicken.
- Chicken breast (bite-sized): 1 cup
- Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp
- Black pepper (crushed): 1 tsp
- Red paprika: ¾ tsp
- Allspice powder: 1 tsp
- Salt: 1 tsp
- Corn starch: 2 tbsps
- Egg (beaten): 1
- Bread crumbs: 1 cup
- Oil: For frying
Kitchen Tools Needed
How to Make the Spicy Chicken Popcorn
Once you have everything ready, here’s the step-by-step process you need to follow to make the popcorn chicken.
In a mixing bowl, add the chicken breast pieces, ginger garlic paste, black pepper, red paprika, all spice powder, and salt. Mix well.
Next, add the cornstarch and coat the chicken pieces well.
Pick up one piece of chicken and dip it in the beaten egg and then into the breadcrumbs. Do that for all the pieces separately.
Now let the pieces rest in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
In the meantime, heat the oil for frying.
Put each piece slowly into the oil once the oil is hot enough and fry them until done. Make sure you do not disturb the pieces much in the beginning as the breadcrumbs might fall away from the pieces. It should take about 2 minutes for the pieces to be cooked.
Once all the pieces are done, take them out on a paper towel so as to soak excess oil.
Serve hot with ketchup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bread crumbs are the best, no-fail ingredient to use as a coating for your spicy chicken popcorn. They are easily available and inexpensive too, and if you don’t have some in your kitchen, you can always whip them up yourself from scratch- it takes just a few minutes.
Panko crumbs are great too- they’ll lend your chicken popcorn that gorgeous aesthetic appeal as well. If you don’t have either of these, you could also use crushed corn flakes instead.
There are a few simple tips you’ll need to keep in mind to ensure that your popcorn chicken ends up perfectly crunchy and crispy, every single time. First, get the coating right- choose from breadcrumbs, panko crumbs, or even some crushed corn flakes if you can. All of these work wonderfully in getting your popcorn chicken to have that crunchy coating that you so love.
Another important aspect to keep in mind is to make sure the oil is hot enough before you drop the chicken in. It should ideally be 350 degrees F- remember that if the oil isn’t hot, your chicken will end up all oily and soggy.
Once you’ve added the chicken in, keep an eye on the temperature. Keep the heat medium to low while the chicken is being cooked, and turn the heat up to high for just a minute before you get the chicken out. 
Yes, you definitely can. While there is just something different about chicken, you can actually use cottage cheese, tofu, shrimp, or even fish for this recipe. Another great idea is to use up any extra veggies that you might have in the same way- carrots, zucchini, broccoli, and bell peppers are all great choices. Just coat the diced veggies in the mixtures the same way you would the chicken, and fry them on medium heat until crisp.
Potatoes are another excellent alternative to chicken- just skip the egg that the recipe calls for if you want to keep it vegan, and add some water to the flour mixture instead. Dip the potatoes in the mixture, coat in breadcrumbs, and then fry.
Yes, you definitely can. All you need to do is get the popcorn chicken ready, transfer them to an airtight container and freeze them. They can last for up to 2 months in the freezer. All you need to do is thaw them completely before you fry them.
Tips to Make the Spicy Chicken Popcorn
Think you’re ready to make the chicken popcorn from scratch? Wait up! You might want to keep these additional tips and tricks in mind to nail the recipe.
- Don’t have ginger garlic paste? Use their powdered versions instead.
- If you don’t have allspice or just want to try out a different version of this recipe, you could use peri peri seasoning, cajun spice mix, curry powder, or literally any other spice mix you prefer.
- To make your chicken popcorn extra crunchy, dip them in the egg and then in the breadcrumbs mixture once again, so that they get twice the coating, and therefore, twice the crispiness.
- To lend your spicy chicken popcorn some extra oomph, create a simple glaze by mixing together honey, your favorite hot sauce, and some soy sauce and drizzle it all over the chicken, right before you serve.
- Want to try this recipe out, but in a healthier way? You could air fry or bake the chicken instead of deep-frying them, and they’ll turn out just as good.
- If you are baking the chicken popcorn, make sure you transfer them on the wire rack instead of the baking tray- this will help hot air circulate all around the chicken, and will get it nice and crispy on all the sides.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Your spicy chicken popcorn can be enjoyed with some ketchup or mustard on the side, or literally any dip or chutney of your choice. If you are making these for a crowd, you can plate them in a serving dish, drizzle your favorite sauces on it and then serve immediately.
Loved how this recipe turned out? Looking for some more spicy chicken recipes to try out? You’ve got to give these a quick look.
Spicy Chicken Popcorn: Quick Appetizer Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Chicken breast (bite-sized)
- 1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp Black pepper (crushed)
- ¾ tsp Red paprika
- 1 tsp All spice powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Corn starch
- 1 pc Egg (beaten)
- 1 cup Bread crumbs
- 1 cup Oil (For frying)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the chicken breast pieces, ginger garlic paste, black pepper, red paprika, all spice powder, and salt. Mix well.1 cup Chicken breast, 1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp Black pepper, ¾ tsp Red paprika, 1 tsp All spice powder, 1 tsp Salt
- Next, add the cornstarch and coat the chicken pieces well.2 tbsp Corn starch
- Pick up one piece of chicken and dip it in the beaten egg and then into the bread crumbs. Do that for all the pieces separately.1 pc Egg, 1 cup Bread crumbs
- Now let the pieces rest in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
- In the meantime, heat the oil for frying.1 cup Oil
- Put each piece slowly into the oil once the oil is hot enough and fry them until done. Make sure you do not disturb the pieces much in the beginning as the breadcrumbs might fall away from the pieces. It should take about 2 minutes for the pieces to be cooked.
- Once all the pieces are done, take them out on a paper towel so as to soak excess oil.
- Serve hot with ketchup.
Notes
- For extra crunch, you can double coat the chicken pieces with breadcrumbs.
- Make sure you do not overcrowd the pan while frying. Else the coating will come off.
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