Here's what you need to make kfc style popcorn chicken:

• Chicken: Skinless, boneless fresh or frozen chicken pieces. Preferably thigh pieces as they remain more tender and juicy until the end, but you can easily replace it with breast pieces as well.
• Oil: For frying. Any neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point such as peanut, canola, sunflower, rice bran, etc. will work.
• Spices: I have used oregano, chilli powder, salt, and pepper powder to marinate the chicken. This will ensure each bite of this popcorn chicken is full of flavor!
• Ginger garlic paste: Used as part of the marinade
• Flour: All purpose flour as the base to coat the chicken and make it nice and crispy.
• Buttermilk: Helps tenderise the chicken and keep it soft throughout the frying process.
• For The Spice Mix: Onion powder, garlic powder, red chilli powder, sugar and oregano

 

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and rub the mixture evenly over the chicken. Let it marinate for at least half an hour. Season the flour and buttermilk with a pinch of salt and pepper each.

2. To start making the popcorn chicken, set up an assembly line. Place the flour and buttermilk next to each other, along with the marinated chicken. Set up a wire rack to place the coated chicken once ready. Lightly coat each piece of marinated chicken with flour.

3. Dip it in buttermilk and ensure it is coated well.

4. Toss it again in the flour.

5. Repeat this process for each piece of chicken and place them on the wire rack.

6. Heat oil for deep frying and fry the coated chicken in 2-3 batches on medium heat until the chicken is cooked through and has a light brown outer coating. This will take approximately 5-7 minutes for each batch of chicken.

7. . In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients under spice mix. As soon as the chicken is fried, dust the pieces with the prepared spice mix. It's best to do this while the chicken is still hot to ensure the spices coat the chicken evenly. You can sprinkle the spicy mix over the chicken and toss it while it's hot.

8. Toss and serve the KFC-style popcorn chicken hot with your favourite dipping sauce, such as sriracha mayo or schezwan sauce. Enjoy!

 

Richa's top tips to make the best popcorn chicken:

 

• Make sure to cut all the chicken pieces of the same size. This will help them cook faster and more evenly.
• It is important to ensure that the buttermilk you're using is fresh and not too sour as that may alter the taste of the popcorn chicken.
• Avoid adding too many pieces of chicken to the pan when frying. Overcrowding the pan will create extra steam in the pan, and prevent the popcorn chicken from becoming crispy.

01. How to reheat popcorn chicken?

Popcorn chicken is best reheated in an oven or air fryer. For reheating in the oven, place the leftover popcorn chicken on a baking tray in a single file and broil in the oven for about 3 to 5 minutes. For the air fryer, simply reheat at 200° C for about 4 minutes or until crispy.

02. How to store leftover popcorn chicken?

Leftover popcorn chicken can easily be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. I wouldn't recommend freezing it, as popcorn chicken loses it's texture and crispiness when thawed.

03. Can I make this dairy free?

Yes! To make it dairy free, use coconut milk or soy milk instead of buttermilk. You can also use whisked eggs instead of buttermilk. The taste may vary a little bit, but it will still turn out to be amazing!