Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken
KFC-style chicken bites, but made in your air fryer! Juicy little chunks of chicken breast coated in a crispy golden seasoned coating that packs a real flavour punch!
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Double Stack Air Fryer - you can of course use a regular single-basket air fryer, but you'll likely need to cook in two batches
- Spray Oil - I use avocado oil
Ingredients
Chicken and Marinade:
- 500 g (1lb) skinless chicken breasts chopped into small bite-size pieces
- 80 ml (1/3 cup) buttermilk
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic salt (or use garlic powder + an extra 1/4 tsp regular salt)
Crispy Coating
- 100 g (2/3 cup) cornflour (cornstarch in USA))
- 1 large egg
- 120 g (1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp celery salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- spray oil (I use approx 15ml or 1 tbsp across the whole recipe)
Serving Suggestions:
- Ketchup, BBQ sauce, Burger Sauce or Sweet Chilli Sauce
Instructions
- Add the chicken to a bowl.500 g (1lb) skinless chicken breasts
- Add the buttermilk, salt, white pepper and garlic salt. Give it a good mix together and let it marinade for 30-60 minutes (you can get away with 10 minutes if you're in a real rush).80 ml (1/3 cup) buttermilk, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp white pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic salt
- Preheat your air fryer basket(s) to 200C/400F.
- Take three bowls, to the first add the cornflour. Break an egg into the second bowl and lightly whisk with a fork. To the third bowl add the flour, salt, pepper, garlic salt, celery salt, paprika and thyme and mix together.100 g (2/3 cup) cornflour, 1 large egg, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic salt, 1/2 tsp celery salt, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 120 g (1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
- Spray the preheated air fryer basket(s) with spray oil.spray oil
- Toss a piece of chicken in the cornflour, then dip in the egg (you want to fully coat it so the final layer sticks), then dredge in the seasoned flour mixture.
- Add the chicken in to the air fryer basket. Repeat with the rest of the chicken, adding to the basket in a single layer (you may need to work in two batches). Try to leave a little space around each piece for air flow.
- Spray liberally with spray oil and cook for 15-20 minutes at 200C/400F until golden and crispy. Turn the chicken (or shake the basket) twice during cooking and spray on a little more oil each time.spray oil
- Serve with your favourite dipping sauce.Ketchup, BBQ sauce, Burger Sauce or Sweet Chilli Sauce
Notes
Can I make it ahead?
I prefer popcorn chicken fresh out of the air fryer, but you can make it ahead to reheat.
Cook, then cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a day. Reheat them in the air fryer for about 5-6 minutes at 200C/400F until they’re nice and crisp again. Nutritional information is approximate, per serving (this recipe serves 4)
Cook, then cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a day. Reheat them in the air fryer for about 5-6 minutes at 200C/400F until they’re nice and crisp again. Nutritional information is approximate, per serving (this recipe serves 4)
Nutrition
Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 1352mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g
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