The Popcorn Chicken My Dad's Made 100,000 Times
Why this recipe
Most popcorn chicken recipes online are tested only a handful of times. My dad used to make this dish multiple times a day, every day, for 60+ years and can make this in his sleep.
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Popcorn Chicken: this was one of the more surprising recipes from our recent chicken cookbook shoot.
(We covered something like 20 different chicken recipes and a lot of them might not make it into the final book… but we’ll definitely get around to sharing the recipes!)
I always thought this was exclusively a Taiwanese snack / Western appetizer, but for our cookbook shoot, my dad wanted to showcase a Cantonese version. This one utilizes the “salt & pepper” Cantonese flavor profile, which is less spicy, and with chicken breast instead of thighs.
Ingredients
Instructions
Prep chicken
Cut the chicken breast (12 ounce) in half lengthwise, then into slices, then strips about 1/2 inches thick.
Cut longer pieces in half, resulting in strips about 2 inches that are about the size of a pinky finger.
Marinate chicken
Add white pepper powder (0.50 teaspoon), five spice powder (0.25 teaspoon), garlic salt (0.50 teaspoon), salt (0.50 teaspoon), sugar (0.50 teaspoon), chicken bouillon (0.50 teaspoon), cornstarch (1 tablespoon), and water (1 tablespoon) to a bowl, throw in the chicken slices, and mix by hand.
In a separate bowl, separate, beat, and add an egg yolk. Wait until just before frying to mix in the egg.
Why just egg yolk? It gives an adhesive quality and lends to a better golden color after frying. Egg whites are harder to beat, and egg whites make the batter slightly too moist and thick.
Create dredge / dry batter
Distribute cornstarch (3 tablespoon) evenly on a plate.
Mix the egg yolk with chicken (ideally after the marinade has had some time to absorb, and the meat has time to dry.)
Add the entire bowl of chicken onto the plate of cornstarch, mixing with your hands until each piece is coated. Separate the pieces while massaging around to get more of the cornstarch off the plate and stuck to each piece of chicken.
(You can also do this with a wet batter, but the texture would be more batter-forward.)
Create seasoning mix
Blend salt (0.50 teaspoon), garlic salt (0.50 teaspoon), five spice powder (0.25 teaspoon), and white pepper powder (0.25 teaspoon) in a small bowl.
First fry
Add oil to a wok, heat on high to about 350F, then turn the temperature down to medium while frying.
Before tossing the chicken into the oil, separate each piece by hand.
Fry in two batches for about 2-3 minutes. The strips of chicken should just start to turn from pink to slightly golden brown. Transfer everything out with a spider strainer.
Second fry
Set to high heat, and heat the oil to 380-400F. Fry in 2 batches, about 30 seconds each. The chicken should turn much more golden brown.
Transfer everything out with spider strainer.
Mix with seasoning
Blend the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl, and place the chicken in a mixing bowl. Gradually sprinkle the blend and toss the chicken simultaneously.
Note: We don’t necessarily need to add all of the seasoning. Do periodic taste tests to make sure it's not too salty.
Pairs well with
View all →Made with love ❤️
We started Made With Lau to celebrate Cantonese culture and honor the legacy of our wonderful parents, Jenny and Chung Sun Lau.
Our hope is that these recipes and stories help you spread the joy, love, and nostalgia that I felt growing up.
