Taiwanese Fried Chicken
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Loading... - Bagus Setiawan
- 18 Oct 2022
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Let's throwback to simpler times when I was in high school and my favorite thing to do with my friends was go to boba shops, drink mango green tea boba with a side of addicting Taiwanese fried popcorn chicken. My three friends and I loved to sit, eat and laugh at silly “that’s what she said” jokes for hours. We’d go almost every week and order the same thing and it was the highlight of my adolescence. Whenever I have Taiwanese fried chicken it fills me with so much nostalgia and brings a smile to my face.
This bite-sized fried chicken has so many layers of flavors from the marinade and the seasoning mix it is tossed in. For this Taiwanese fried chicken recipe, I will show you three different methods (deep fry, air fry, and oven bake) that will all yield crispy, juicy, and addicting snacks. Pair this fried chicken with a refreshing glass of brown sugar milk tea, fried rice, and matcha brownies and you have got yourself a delicious meal.
WHAT IS TAIWANESE POPCORN CHICKEN?
Taiwanese popcorn chicken, also commonly known as Taiwanese fried chicken, crispy chicken, or salt and pepper chicken is a popular night market snack item in Taiwan. It has permeated across the world and is commonly found at boba tea shops.
Taiwanese crispy fried chicken is marinated in soy sauce and spices, coated with coarse sweet potato starch, double deep-fried, and tossed with a smoky spice mix. This snack is as addicting as it looks and is 100% worth the hype.
KITCHEN EQUIPMENT
You will need very basic kitchen equipment to make this Taiwanese popcorn chicken recipe. I’ve linked all the tools I used to make them below.
· Mixing Bowls: you will need mixing bowls to marinate the chicken, dredge the chicken and make the seasoning mixture. I love using my Duralex glass mixing bowls for this. It comes with 9 different sizes and is very versatile.
· Wire Rack: when you fry anything you will need a wire cooling rack to place the fried chicken on top so that the chicken can cool and the extra oil can drip off resulting in a crispier and less oily chicken.
· Baking Tray: you will need a baking tray that fits the wire rack to catch the excess oil that drips off the chicken. Moreover, if you opt for the oven method you will need a baking tray to cook the chicken.
· Thermometer with attachment clip: a thermometer measures the exact temperature of the oil. You should use a thermometer with an attachment clip to easily attach it to the pot so that you don’t have to fuss over measuring the hot oil.
· Spider strainer: use a wide spider strainer to scoop out all the chicken and let the excess oil drip through before placing it on the wire rack.
· Air Fryer (Option 2): if you opt for the air fryer option, you will need an air fryer to air fry the chicken. I love using my Cosori air fryer. It is easy to use, easy to clean and always yields the most delicious and crispy results.
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Marinate Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
Servings: 3 servings
INGREDIENTS
MARINADE
· 
â–¢1 lb chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
· 
â–¢1 tablespoon garlic about 3 cloves minced
· 
â–¢1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
· 
â–¢1 tablespoon light soy sauce
· 
â–¢½ teaspoon salt
· 
â–¢½ teaspoon white pepper
· 
â–¢1 teaspoon garlic powder
· 
â–¢1 teaspoon five spice powder
· 
â–¢½ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
· 
â–¢1 teaspoon sugar
BATTER
· 
â–¢¾ cup sweet potato flour
· 
â–¢¼ cup cornstarch
· 
â–¢3-4 cups vegetable oil for frying
SEASONING MIXTURE
· 
â–¢1 teaspoon salt
· 
â–¢½ teaspoon white pepper
· 
â–¢½ teaspoon paprika
· 
â–¢½ teaspoon five spice powder
· 
â–¢Handful Thai basil
INSTRUCTIONS
Marinate the chicken. In a bowl, marinate the 1 inch chicken pieces with minced garlic, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, salt, white pepper, garlic powder, five spice powder, chicken bouillon powder, and sugar for a minimum of 1 hour or overnight. If you are going to air-fry or bake the chicken add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the marinade.
Coat the chicken. In a small bowl mix together the sweet potato flour and cornstarch. Working one at a time, toss and coat the chicken pieces until they are well coated. The chicken should be completely covered. Read More…
