Posted on 12th Jul 2025

Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken

This Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken has it all, with crunchy double fried pieces of chicken, fragrant basil and crispy chicken skin

Cuisine

Taiwanese

Time

30 mins

Servings

4 people people

Ingredients

300 g chicken thighs skin on and deboned
200g cornflour
Vegetable oil (for frying)

The Marinade

2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 tsp ginger (finely chopped)
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp Chinese five spice
1 tsp white pepper

The Seasoning (spice mix)

1/2 tbsp Sichuan peppercorn
1/2 tbsp black peppercorns
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
A handful of Thai basil leaves (optional)

Method

PREPARATION

• Cut the meat into 2cm cubes and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the marinade ingredients and, using your hands, massage the pieces until they are evenly coated, refrigerate for an hour or overnight if you prefer.

• Pour spices straight into a pestle and mortar, and pound until finely ground.

COOKING

• Half-fill a large pot, wok or deep-fryer with vegetable oil and heat to 180°C (350°F), or until the tip of a wooden chopstick or skewer starts to fizz after a second or so in the oil. In small batches, coat the chicken pieces with the cornflour and deep-fry until golden brown, about 3–4 minutes. Remove the pieces carefully with a slotted spoon and drain well on a plate covered with kitchen paper.

• Once you finish frying all the chicken, it's time for the second fry. Fry the pieces for an extra couple of minutes to achieve that super crisp finish.

• Fry the basil leaves for a minute, dry and set aside. Tossed the fried chicken in the seasoning and the fried basil leaves.

• Serve