Spicy Popcorn Chicken

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This famous Fried Chicken treat, popularized by KFC is a fan favorite all around the world. Most people would have a fond memory of powering down these bite-sized Chicken treats as a kid (or an adult) with gusto. Our version of this famous treat ramps up the flavor significantly, and we add a little bit of a kick along the way. One thing is for certain, our Spicy Popcorn Chicken recipe tastes amazing and much better than anything you can get from any fast food place. The flavors are rich, and the texture of the Chicken is so amazing and crispy!

We pack so much flavor into our Spicy Popcorn Chicken

You can load up Fried Chicken with a ridiculous amount of flavor. The trick to achieving big flavored Fried Chicken is by seasoning the brine, and the breading. A typical Fried Chicken will go through a Buttermilk Brine for a few hours before it is coated. By seasoning the Brine, you are not only tenderizing the Chicken, but marinating in in flavor

To first make the brine, simply add a few cups of Whole Milk into a large bowl then squeeze in some Lemon Juice. The Lemon Juice will essentially ‘curdle’ the Milk, which turns it into Buttermilk! Yep! No need to drop more coin at the supermarket to buy Buttermilk. You can simply make it at home by following this method

To season the Brine, we use a classic flavor combination of Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and a generous amount of Salt. Along with the spices, add a generous amount of Cayenne Pepper and some Paprika for some heat. Then, allow your Chicken pieces to swim in this beautiful brine for 2 hours (preferably overnight) to absorb those ridiculous flavors

Don’t forget to Season your Breading for even more flavor

The second opportunity for adding flavor to our Spicy Popcorn Chicken is in the breading. Along with AP Flour and Corn Starch, add more of the same spice combination from the brine (Garlic, Onion, Paprika, Cayenne Pepper, and Salt) and mix it well through

By seasoning both the brine and the breading you will add so much depth of flavor to the Chicken. Each bite will be loaded with flavor, and you will notice a significant difference in taste. The combination of Salt, Onion Powder, and Garlic Powder is such a revelation. Notice how great it tastes and then you’ll start adding it to every dish you make at home, guaranteed!

For the crispiest Fried Chicken, double dip it!

The double-dip method is a tried and tested technique to achieve the crispiest Fried Chicken possible. It’s a very simple process where instead of coating the Chicken once in the breading, you do it twice. Take the Chicken pieces from the Brine and dip them into the Breading. Then, dip them back into the Brine (to give it another layer of sticky stuff for the breading to cling to), and then back into the Breading for one more dip

This process gives the Breading a thicker, more even coating. It also helps to give some gnarled, funky bits that stick off the Chicken. You know those bits. The ones that don’t necessarily have any Chicken in them but are just deep fried greatness!

Double Dipping is going to use more flour, so just make sure you make an adequate amount of breading before you start. If you find you’re running out you can always add more. Just be sure to also add additional seasoning if you need to

To prevent chaos in the kitchen when deep frying, preparation is key

Even to seasoned home cooks and professional chefs alike, deep frying can become a chaotic process. A combination of multiple steps to properly bread and season the food along with dealing with a super-hot pot of Oil can make for stressful times in the kitchen

We’ve done a load of deep frying here at Dinnertime Somewhere as we’ve been developing our recipes over the years and have gotten a lot better at managing the process. The key to a seamless deep frying experience is all about preparation. There are a few critical steps that you need to ensure your Spicy Popcorn Chicken frying experience will go off seamlessly:

1. Bread your Chicken in advance of anything touching the fryer

You’re going to need more space than you think you will when it comes to breading chicken. For the best results when deep frying chicken, we recommend double-dipping the Chicken. This means the Chicken will be coated twice with the breading mixture. This results in a much better coating that is ridiculously crispy

Double-dipping the Chicken does require more space, and more ingredients naturally. So get all of your Chicken breaded in advance of anything hitting the fryer. Don’t try to manage batch cooking the Chicken while also breading at the same time. It’s way too chaotic! Get the breading all done in advance!

2. Before you start frying, prepare your straining area

Straining the perfectly cooked crispy pieces of Popcorn Chicken is as critical a step as breading them or cooking them. Once you take the Chicken out of the hot oil it’s going to be carrying some residual oil with it. We don’t want that to stay on the Chicken as it’ll end up becoming soggy and greasy. No-one wants that!

To prevent this, you need to strain the cooked Chicken. This is easily done by placing it on a wire rack that is elevated off the ground. This ensures the Oil will drip off the Chicken and below the rack. So, prepare a simple straining station with a wire rack over the top of a sheet pan. Have this ready to go, and within close proximity to the Oil. This will make it super-easy to move the Chicken from the Oil to the strainer

3. Ensure you have the right utensils

Removing the Chicken from the Oil can be stressful. You’re getting close to a big pot of liquid that is upwards of 375F in heat. It’s dangerous if you’re not prepared. We cannot recommend enough getting a good quality spider strainer for the job

Spider strainers are those big disc-like strainers made from metal / steel that catch the fried food but allow liquid to pass through it. These are perfect for scooping up your Spicy Popcorn Chicken from the hot oil once it’s cooked

Not having an appropriate strainer can make for a very difficult, and often dangerous experience of trying to remove the Oil. Don’t try to improvise with other kitchen tools, it is far too risky. If you don’t have a spider strainer the only other tool we can recommend you use is a metal sieve. These aren’t as good, but will allow you to remain safely away from the Oil as you scoop out the Chicken

4. Always respect the hot oil, even once you’ve removed it from the heat

The last step for appropriate preparation for deep frying is to remember you’re dealing with a very hot cooking element in the hot oil. Our best advice is to always remember it is there, and always respect it. Don’t foolishly move around the kitchen in haste trying to get the food done. You may accidentally knock the oil, which will not end well!

Simply being aware of it always is the best advice. Keep kids or pets out of the kitchen while you’re cooking with the hot oil. You never know who may just get in the way at the wrong time! Remember, the Oil is going to stay ridiculously hot even once it’s been removed from the heat. Up to a few hours afterwards in fact. Once you’re done, carefully move the Pot with the Oil to the back of your stovetop and out of the way. Allow it to cool before removing the Oil

Spicy Popcorn Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs. Chicken Tenderloins
• 1 gallon / 16 cups of Neutral Oil (Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil)
  
  

Chicken Brine Ingredients

• 2 cups of Whole Milk
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 2 tsp. Salt
  
  

Breading Mixture Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups of All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp. Corn Starch
• 2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
• 1 ½ tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 ½ tsp. Garlic Powder
• 2 tsp. Salt
  
  

Equipment needed: Spider Strainer, large pot / Dutch oven. Candy Thermometer

Instructions

1. Combine all the Chicken Brine ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well. Cut the Chicken into bite-sized pieces then add them to the brine, ensuring they’re all submerged. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight
2. When ready to cook, remove from the refrigerator and allow the bowl to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes
3. Combine all the Breading Mixture ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well. Place a wire rack over a sheet pan to create your straining station
4. Add the Oil to a large pot / Dutch oven with the Candy Thermometer attached. Heat the Oil until it reached 350F – 375F and maintain this temperature
5. Place the Chicken pieces into the Breading mixture. Coat well, then return them to the Brine, then back into the Breading mixture to double coat them (do this in batches to avoid overcrowding either bowl)
6. Carefully add the Chicken to the hot Oil and fry until crispy golden-brown (about 5 minutes). Cook the Chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot which will reduce the Oil temperature
7. Remove Chicken with spider strainer and set aside on the wire rack. Immediately season with Salt. Repeat for remaining Chicken then serve while hot
   
   

Recipe Notes

• Prepare all your Chicken and straining station before beginning to cook the Chicken
• For a Spicy Mayo sauce, mix 3 tbsp. of Mayonnaise with ½ tsp. of your favorite Hot Sauce along with a squeeze of Lemon Juice
  
  

We just know you’re going to love our ‘Better than KFC’ Spicy Popcorn Chicken recipe. The amount of flavor this recipe gets into the Chicken is truly outstanding, and you’ll just love it!

For more delicious Fried Food dishes, check out some of our favorites:

• Crispy Sweet and Sour Pork
• Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich
• Fried Pumpkin Fritters
• Crispy Cauliflower Bites
• Beer Battered Fish and Chips
• Panko Red Curry Chicken
  
  

Happy Cooking!