Description
Deliciously seasoned and crispy Taiwanese popcorn chicken, a must-try street food that brings the vibrant flavors of Taiwan to your kitchen.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon white pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
- 1 cup sweet potato starch (or cornstarch as substitute)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons fried shallots (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 tablespoon white pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
- Vegetable oil for deep frying (about 4 cups)
- Fresh Thai basil leaves (optional, for garnish)
- Pickled daikon radish (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Prepare and marinate the chicken by combining soy sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, garlic powder, ginger powder, sugar, and five-spice powder. Add chicken and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the coating mixture by combining sweet potato starch, all-purpose flour, salt, white pepper, and garlic powder in a medium bowl.
- Make the seasoning powder by crushing fried shallots and mixing with white pepper, salt, sugar, and five-spice powder.
- Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot to 340°F (170°C).
- Coat the marinated chicken pieces in the coating mixture, shaking off excess coating.
- Fry the coated chicken in small batches for 3-4 minutes until lightly golden, then drain on paper towels.
- Increase oil temperature to 375°F (190°C) and fry the chicken again for 1-2 minutes until deep golden-brown and crispy.
- Toss the hot chicken in the seasoning powder and garnish with fresh Thai basil leaves if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
For maximum crispiness, never skip the double-frying technique. Adjust seasoning to taste and consider adding chili powder for a spicier version.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 70mg