Taiwanese popcorn chicken (Airfryer recipe)

After buying an Airfryer (Philips Essential XL) last week, I was so excited to try making the Taiwanese popcorn chicken. This is one of my favorite snacks to buy when I am visiting Asia. This dish is famous in Taiwan’s street food markets and is known by its rich flavor and crunchy texture. If you like fried chickens in general, then I am sure that you will also love this dish.

Print Recipe

Taiwanese popcorn chicken recipe

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Passive Time

30 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 450 grams boneless chicken thighs
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp five spice powder You can buy this at your local Asian supermarket (in NL: e.g. Amazing Oriental or Wah Nam Hong)
• 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp white or black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt Salt can be reduced, so adjust to your own taste.
• 4 tbsp corn starch The traditional one is made with a combination of potato and corn starch. I didn’t have potato starch at home, but it was still nice with corn starch only.
• basil leaves

Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 10 minutes Passive Time 30 minutes Servings people Ingredients 450 grams boneless chicken thighs 3 minced garlic cloves 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce 1/2 tbsp five spice powder You can buy this at your local Asian supermarket (in NL: e.g. Amazing Oriental or Wah Nam Hong) 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil 1/2 tsp white or black pepper 1/2 tsp salt Salt can be reduced, so adjust to your own taste. 4 tbsp corn starch The traditional one is made with a combination of potato and corn starch. I didn’t have potato starch at home, but it was still nice with corn starch only. basil leaves

Instructions

1. Marinate the chicken with garlic, soy sauce, five spice powder, vegetable oil, white/black pepper and salt for at least 30 minutes. As I have mentioned before in my other posts, if you can marinate it overnight, the flavor will be enhanced, but take it out of the fridge 20 minutes or so before you put it in the airfryer.
2. If the chicken is dripping, then pat it dry with paper towels. Put the corn starch in a large bowl or plate and start coating the chickens with the corn starch. Make sure that all parts of the chicken is covered in corn starch.
3. Lightly oil the basket of the airfryer and preheat the airfryer at 200 celsius degrees.
4. Put the chickens in the airfryer basket and set a timer of 8-10 minutes (depends on the size of the chicken and your airfryer). Bake the chicken in the airfryer in batches and make sure that the chickens do not stack on top of one another.
5. Turn the chickens after 4-5 minutes and wait for the timer to go off.

I can’t wait to hear in the comment box what you think of this recipe!

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