Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken Recipe

Today my daughter and I are craving Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken. Luckily I had all the ingredients at home so I decided to make it. This simple recipe uses sweet potato flour and tapioca flour for coating, pepper salt powder seasoning, red chili pepper, and fried Thai basil. Every bite is crispy and delicious. It’s a great dish for sharing!

Ingredients

For Chicken

• 5 pieces chicken thigh, about 2 ½  pounds
• 2 ½ tbsp soy sauce
• ½ tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp rice cooking wine
• 2 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp five spice powder 
• 2 tsp of white pepper
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp tapioca flour
• 2 cups sweet potato flour
• 1 cup Thai basil

For Pepper Salt Powder Seasoning

• 2 tsp of white pepper
• 1 tsp of five spice powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp sugar

Instructions

1. Debone the chicken thighs and cut into bite-size pieces.
2. Marinate the chicken with soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice cooking wine, garlic, white pepper, and five spice powder for 30 minutes. 
3. To make Pepper Salt Powder Seasoning, add all 4 ingredients together and mix well. Set aside.
4. Add 1 egg and 2 tbsp of tapioca flour to the marinated chicken. Rub and mix the chicken well. 
5. Use a medium size bowl and fill with sweet potato flour. Coat each piece of chicken well and set it on a tray.
6. In a pot, add enough oil so the meat will be submerged. Heat the oil on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot enough, gently drop the meat piece by piece into the pot. Make sure the pot is not over crowded.
   Note: To test if the oil is hot enough, drop a small piece of the sweet potato flower to the frying pot and it should float to the top.
7. Fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove chicken and set aside. Once all the chicken is cooked, turn the heat to high.
8. Return chicken to the frying pot and fry for 30 seconds, then add in Thai basil and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove chicken and Thai basil and put them in a large bowl. 
9. Sprinkle Pepper Salt Powder seasoning and red chili pepper all over the chicken and toss. Enjoy!
   Note: Skip red chili pepper if you don’t like spicy food. The amount of red chili pepper added is based on personal preference.