Popcorn Chicken
Bite-sized chicken thigh pieces soaked in buttermilk and fried in a cornstarch-cut flour coating that stays crisp. Thighs are used because breast meat dries out in the time the crust needs.
- Prep20 min
- Cook20 min
- Total1 h 40 min
- Serves6
AI-generated illustration
Contains:dairyglutenmeat
Ingredients
Method
- Toss the chicken pieces with the buttermilk and hot sauce and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or overnight.
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a wide bowl.
- Lift the chicken out a handful at a time, letting the excess buttermilk drip away, and toss the pieces in the flour mixture, squeezing them so craggy bits form on the surface.
- Heat the oil to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and fry in uncrowded batches until deep golden and the pieces read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), 4 to 5 minutes.
- Drain on a wire rack and let the oil climb back to temperature before starting the next batch.
Notes
- Keep finished batches warm in a 200 degree F (95 degrees C) oven on the rack; covering them with foil undoes the crust.
