Description
This Popcorn Chicken recipe features super crispy, restaurant-style breading that is easy to make at home. Perfect as a fun appetizer or a delicious dinner, these bite-sized chicken pieces are marinated in a creamy sour cream and milk mixture, then coated in a flavorful seasoned breading before being fried to golden perfection. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce for a crowd-pleasing treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ lb. boneless skinless chicken breast (about 3 small breasts)
- 1.5 quarts vegetable oil (for frying)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 ½ teaspoons seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Set cooling racks over a baking sheet to drain excess oil after frying. Use the textured side of a meat mallet to gently tap the chicken breasts, creating texture without flattening. Pat the chicken dry and cut into even bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, combine sour cream, milk, and salt, then toss chicken in the marinade and let it sit for 30 minutes at room temperature (or up to 12 hours in the fridge; remove and let sit for 30 minutes before frying).
- In a wide container, mix together the flour, panko breadcrumbs, seasoned salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne. This mixture will form the crispy coating for the chicken.
- Remove chicken pieces from marinade, allowing excess to drip off to avoid soggy breading. Place the pieces in the breading mixture and toss thoroughly to coat each piece completely, ensuring no bare spots remain. Shake in batches if using a container with a lid. If any pieces become moist, re-coat with breading.
- Warm vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven to 350-375°F. Test oil temperature by dropping a small piece of breading in; it should sizzle and rise quickly.
- Fry chicken pieces in batches for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Maintain the oil temperature throughout frying. Use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to transfer cooked chicken onto cooling racks, allowing excess oil to drip off and chicken to stay crisp.
- Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauces such as honey mustard, BBQ, ranch, Buffalo sauce, or sweet and sour for a tasty appetizer or main dish.
Notes
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 237 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg