Air Fryer Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken
Let’s make an easy and mouthwatering air fryer recipe! This air fryer Taiwanese popcorn chicken features crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside bite-sized chicken thighs tossed in a warm spice seasoning blend.
Servings 4 servings
Calories 524kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon five spice powder
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 egg
- 1 cup sweet potato flour
- ½ cup Thai basil leaves
Seasoning Blend
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon five spice powder
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken. In a large mixing bowl, add the 1-inch chicken pieces with minced garlic, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, salt, white pepper, garlic powder, five spice powder, chicken bouillon powder, sugar, oil, and egg for a minimum of 30 minutes or overnight.
- Dredge the chicken. Dredge each piece of chicken in the sweet potato flour until evenly coated throughout.
- Prepare the air fryer. Grease the air fryer basket with neutral oil and place the chicken in a single layer working in batches to prevent crowding. Then brush the chicken with more neutral oil.
- Air fry the chicken. Air fry the chicken at 360°F (182°C) for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken and increase the temperature to 400°F (200°C) then brush more oil and cook for an additional 5-7 more minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Remove and set aside.
- Air fry the basil leaves. Lightly grease the basil leaves with neutral oil and air fry at 350°F (176°C) for 2 minutes.
- Mix the seasoning mixture. In a small bowl mix together the seasoning mixture. Once the chicken is cooked, add to a large mixing bowl and toss chicken with the seasoning to taste. Serve with basil leaves and enjoy!
Notes
- Use enough oil. Whether you are using a cooking oil spray or brushing the chicken with regular oil, make sure that you coat the air fryer basket and both sides of the chicken in order for the chicken to brown and become crispy.
- See the Expert Tips section above for more tips!
Nutrition
Calories: 524kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 1644mg | Potassium: 296mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 281IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 2mg