Popcorn Chicken Bite Snack (Printable version)

Bite-sized crispy chicken with bold seasoning and a juicy inside, ideal for snacking or sharing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.1 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh, cut into ¾ inch pieces

→ Marinade

02 - ½ cup buttermilk
03 - 1 tsp garlic powder
04 - 1 tsp onion powder
05 - ½ tsp paprika
06 - ½ tsp salt
07 - ¼ tsp ground black pepper

→ Breading

08 - 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
09 - ½ cup cornstarch
10 - 1 tsp baking powder
11 - 1 tsp paprika
12 - 1 tsp salt
13 - ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
14 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Frying

15 - Vegetable oil, for deep frying

# How to Make:

01 - Combine chicken pieces with buttermilk, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and ground black pepper. Mix thoroughly, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes up to 4 hours.
02 - Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, paprika, salt, cayenne pepper (if using), and black pepper in a large bowl.
03 - Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F.
04 - Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off. Dredge chicken pieces in the flour mixture until evenly coated. For additional crispness, dip coated chicken back into buttermilk and re-coat in the flour mixture.
05 - Fry chicken in batches without overcrowding, cooking each batch for 3 to 4 minutes until golden and cooked through.
06 - Remove chicken using a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack or paper towels.
07 - Serve immediately with preferred dipping sauces.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The double-coating trick makes them impossibly crunchy—even hours later, they hold their snap.
  • You actually know what's going into every bite, so no weird mystery ingredients or excess salt.
  • Ready faster than delivery, and way more satisfying than anything from a drive-through.
02 -
  • Oil temperature is everything—too cool and you get oily, pale chicken; too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks, so use a thermometer and trust it.
  • The double coating isn't extra work, it's the difference between crispy-for-a-few-minutes and crispy-for-hours; this one trick changed everything for me.
03 -
  • A slotted spoon or spider skimmer is worth having just for this—it lifts chicken cleanly without splashing hot oil everywhere.
  • Let the oil cool slightly between batches if it starts smoking; 180°C is the sweet spot where chicken cooks through without burning on the outside.
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