Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (Air Fryer)

Crispy, juicy chicken coated in potato starch with five spice and ginger, air fried and finished with crispy basil.

Ingredients

Chicken & marinade

• 450g (1 lb) boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 2cm piece of ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 large egg white

Coating

• 150g (1 cup) coarse potato starch
• cooking spray

Finishing

• 25g (1 cup) fresh basil leaves

Seasoning mix

• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp white pepper
• ½ tsp five spice powder
• ½ tsp chili powder (optional)

Method

1. Combine the chicken with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, five spice, white pepper, salt, sugar, and egg white. Mix well and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge.
2. Combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Preheat the air fryer to 195°C (380°F).
4. Spread the potato starch on a plate. Coat each piece of chicken thoroughly, shaking off excess.
5. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spray generously with cooking oil. Cook for 7 minutes, flip, spray again, and cook a further 7 minutes until golden and cooked through.
6. Add the basil leaves to the basket, spray lightly, and air fry for a further 2 minutes until crispy.
7. Transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the top and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving, approximate)

Notes

• Coarse potato starch gives a crunchier coating than fine — look for it at Asian grocery stores.
• Marinating overnight gives noticeably better flavour.
• Source: https://onehappybite.com/easy-air-fryer-taiwanese-popcorn-chicken-recipe/

Tags: #recipe #chicken #taiwanese #snack #airfryer