If you’ve ever walked into any boba shop, you’ll immediately recognize the earthy, warm, and spicy aroma of fresh Taiwanese popcorn chicken. Learn how to make this original Taiwanese street food snack at home with tips on properly getting those extra crunchy bites of flavor with the right marinade and seasoning powder.
What is Taiwanese popcorn chicken?
Taiwanese popcorn chicken, originally known as Taiwanese fried chicken, is a common street snack from Taiwan and has made its way to boba tea shops all over the US. The popcorn nickname comes from the bite-sized pieces of chicken you pop into your mouth using a bamboo skewer for easy eating. Or maybe it’s because they’re small and come in a paper bag like popcorn. In either case…
I remember as a kid buying a bag of heavily seasoned popcorn chicken to go with my boba at our local Tapioca Express, and then in college, eventually eating samples being handed out during my breaks working at Cha for Tea. You’ll find a similar five-spice seasoning across different vendors (shout out to Quickly or the now infamous Guppy’s) with some varieties, like spice levels or sweet and sour dipping sauces.
Marinade ingredients
This Taiwanese popcorn chicken recipe involves marinating chicken pieces before frying and then afterwards mixing with a spice seasoning. Like my chicken karaage recipe where I marinate before frying, marinating is necessary if you want juicy chicken:
- Egg white works as a binder to attach to the sweet potato flour for coating.
- Soy sauce adds a savory and salty flavor.
- Shaoxing wine gives acidity to the marinade and also tenderizes the meat.
- Honey adds just a gentle pinch of sweetness.
- Five-spice is one of the main seasonings for this entire recipe. I’ve tested different brands because they differ in what spices they include, making different flavor profiles. I prefer the Wu Hsuing Five Spice powder blend you can buy from 99 Ranch Market.
- Other dry spices like garlic and ginger powder add more savory flavors to the popcorn chicken. I’ve also used fresh garlic and ginger, but powder is easier and takes fewer steps.
- Kosher salt, white pepper, & MSG round out the last of the seasonings for the marinade. Unless you have dietary restrictions, I recommend using MSG because it adds so much flavor to the popcorn chicken.
Seasoning after frying
Once the chicken is done marinating, add a coating of sweet potato starch (or tapioca flour) to get a light and crunchy texture when frying. As soon as the popcorn chicken is out of the second fry, quickly toss the fried chicken and Thai basil with this aromatic seasoning:
- Five spice
- Granulated sugar
- kosher salt, white pepper, & MSG
Tips for frying
Like chicken karaage or Korean fried chicken, double-frying Taiwanese popcorn chicken is the way to get extra crispy chicken pieces. The first round of deep frying is at a lower temperature of 325°F, which primarily cooks the chicken thoroughly to 165°F. We also fry the Thai basil at this lower temperature so it doesn’t overcook.
And the second round fries the chicken at a higher temperature of 375°F until the pieces are crispy and golden brown. Since the pieces are so small, this process only takes about 1-2 minutes per batch of chicken.
Key tips for frying Taiwanese popcorn chicken:
- Make deep frying easier by prepping your work station ahead of time. Set up the paper towels on the cooling racks with sheet pans (or plates) and have your tools nearby (tongs, strainers, thermometers).
- Before heating the oil, remove the chicken from the fridge and let it sit on the counter for at least 30 minutes to cook evenly.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to keep track of the oil’s heat. In between batches of frying, take the time to bring up the oil’s temperature before frying to get a nice crispy texture properly.
- Fry the chicken in batches so that you don’t overcrowd the pot, which can cause the chicken to stick together.
- Fry in a well-ventilated area. If possible, I like to deep fry everything outdoors so the house doesn’t smell and the counters don’t get oil splatter.
More tips for the best tasting chicken
- For juicy Taiwanese popcorn chicken, use chicken thighs. This cut of meat is tender, flavorful, and harder to overcook, even when frying.
- Marinade before frying and season after frying to get super flavorful chicken pieces. My biggest gripe is biting into popcorn chicken that isn’t seasoned deep inside the meat. You get lots of flavor in all bites by doing wet marinating and dry seasoning after frying.
- Use sweet potato flour or tapioca starch as a simple coating before frying. When frying, you’ll get a light but super crunchy texture that doesn’t clump up like regular all-purpose flour.
- If you like extra spicy Taiwanese popcorn chicken, add your preferred powdered chili spice on top. We like a few dashes of cayenne, but you can also use other varieties like powdered Sichuan pepper.
Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 lb chicken thighs boneless
- 1 egg white
- 2 tbsp regular soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp honey
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp ginger powder
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ¼ tsp five spice
- ¼ tsp MSG
Seasoning
- ¾ tsp five spice
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp MSG
- ¼ tsp granulated sugar
Frying
- 2 ½ c sweet potato starch or tapioca starch (about the whole bag)
- neutral oil
- 1 c Thai basil
Equipment Used
- measuring cup and spoons
- knife and cutting board
- food storage container with lid
- sheet pans and racks
- paper towels
- shallow bowl
- Pot
- tongs or strainer
Instructions
Marinade
- Prep the 2 lb chicken thighs by removing any bones and cutting it into ½-inch cubes. Place the piece in a food storage container. Repeat with all the pieces.
- In a bowl, combine the marinade ingredients: 1 egg white, 2 tbsp regular soy sauce, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp honey, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp ginger powder, ¾ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp white pepper, ¼ tsp five spice, and ¼ tsp MSG. Stir until completely blended.
- Pour the marinade into the food storage container and mix thoroughly with your hands or a spatula until all pieces are covered.
- Cover with a lid and marinate in the fridge for at least four hours and not more than 12 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge one hour before frying.
Frying
- In a small bowl, combine all the seasoning: ¾ tsp five spice, ¾ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp white pepper, ½ tsp MSG, and ¼ tsp granulated sugar. Stir until blended. Set aside.
- Prep your frying station:A. Tools: thermometer, strainer or tongsB. Racks for coated chickenC. Paper towel-lined cooling rack and sheet pans
- Pour the 2 ½ c sweet potato starch into a shallow pan. Coat the chicken pieces in starch thoroughly on all sides. Dust off the extra starch and set it onto a cooling rack.
- Add two inches of neutral oil into a heavy-bottomed pot. Heat the oil to 325°F.
- Thai basil: gently lower the 1 c Thai basil into the heated oil. Be careful because there may be a lot of splatter from damp herbs. Fry for one minute or until the herbs are crispy. Transfer immediately to a paper towel-lined cooling rack. Set aside.
- First fry: Lower chicken pieces into the oil and swirl to make sure the chicken doesn’t stick. Fry for 1-2 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165°F internally. Transfer to paper towel-lined rack. Repeat until all chicken is fried. See photo for how chicken looks after 1st fry.
- Second fry: raise the oil temperature to 375°F. Fry the chicken pieces again for another 1-2 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a new paper towel-lined rack. Repeat until all chicken finishes 2nd fry. See photo for final 2nd frying color and texture.
- Transfer all the chicken into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle on the seasoning and mix. Adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve with fried Thai basil.
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