Taiwan / Appetizers

Taiwanese popcorn chicken

Name: Taiwanese popcorn chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 4 portions
Cuisine: Taiwan
Ingredients: 500 g boneless chicken thigh, 3 cm pieces; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 2 garlic cloves, grated; 0.5 tsp five-spice powder; 100 g sweet potato starch; As needed: neutral oil for frying, enough for your pan (not fully consumed); 0.5 tsp white pepper; 0.25 tsp salt

Bite-size chicken with a sweet-potato-starch crust and five-spice seasoning.

Prep20 min

Cook20 min

Yield4 portions

Jump to recipe

Editorial home-cooking adaptation · Not yet kitchen-tested. Timings are estimates; additional soaking, rising or chilling may apply. Read the complete method before starting.

Ingredients

4 portions

1×

Units are listed with each ingredient. 1 tbsp = 15 ml; 1 tsp = 5 ml. US cup measures are approximately 240 ml. Chef adaptations may retain source units. Scaling changes quantities, not cooking times. Ingredient ticks reset when the page reloads.

Let’s make it.

Mix chicken with soy sauce, garlic and five-spice. Cover and refrigerate 20 minutes.
Coat chicken in starch, then leave on a rack for 5 minutes.
Heat oil in a deep, heavy pan to 170°C; keep the pan no more than half full. Fry in small batches without crowding.
Cook until golden and the thickest chicken pieces reach 74°C. Drain on a rack and toss with salt and pepper.

A little kitchen note

Marinating adds 20 minutes. Frying oil quantity is not fully consumed; nutrition cannot measure actual oil uptake. Keep water away from hot oil. Home-cooking adaptation; not kitchen-tested. Check ingredient labels. Nutrition excludes unmeasured frying-oil uptake, so actual energy and fat will be higher.

Allergen notes

Soy; wheat in many soy sauces. This list is a starting point, not a certification of suitability. Check every ingredient label and preparation surface.

Use a food thermometer where relevant. For handling and storage, see our cooking basics and official food-safety links.

A little nourishment.

Illustrative nutrition estimate · Per listed portion (1/4 of the recipe)

Energy: 281 kcal
Protein: 24.3 g
Carbs: 23.7 g
Fat: 8.8 g
Fibre: 0.4 g
Total sugar: 0.1 g
Sodium: 477 mg

Approximate generic ingredient estimates, not verified nutrition labels. Includes quantified optional ingredients; unquantified “as needed” salt, oils or garnishes may be excluded. Brands, substitutions, portions and cooking change values. Nutrition stays per portion when batch quantities are scaled. How we estimate nutrition

Excludes unmeasured: neutral oil for frying, enough for your pan (not fully consumed). Actual calories, fat and sodium may be higher.

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