Description
A delicious staple of night markets, this Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken is marinated, coated in sweet potato starch, fried, and sprinkled with a spice blend.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Dark Meat Chicken (cut into bite-sized chunks)
Marinade
- 1 small Yellow Onion ( diced into big chunks or thick wedge slices, *See Note 1)
- 3 slices Ginger (cut into sticks)
- 4-5 cloves Garlic (smashed)
- 1-2 pieces Dried Anise (*See Note 2)
- 1½ tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Mirin (aka Sweet Rice Wine)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing Wine (*See Note 3)
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
Topping
- 8-10 Thai Holy Basil Leaves
Breading
- 1 bag Sweet Potato Starch/Powder/Flour (it’s all the same, *See note 4)
The Pepper Powder Spice Mix
- 1 1/2 tsp White Pepper Powder
- 1/4 tsp Chili Powder (double or triple depending on how spicy you want it)
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Five Spice Powder
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper (finely ground )
- 1/4 tsp Lemongrass Powder
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/3 tsp White Plum Powder (Substitute: Castor or Fine Sugar)
Instructions
Cue Up The Episode!
- Make sure you listen to Episode 125 Why Taiwan Is Not "Chinese Taipei" with Yone as you make her Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken!
Make The Recipe
- Marinate the chicken with all other ingredients (except for the basil and Sweet Potato Flour) for 30 minutes to 1 hour. (Note: Do not marinate overnight or in excess of 3 hours.)
- To fry, heat the oil to 375 degrees F in a deep fat fryer or on a stovetop. Make sure you are using a deep pot and oil is at least 2-3 inches deep.
- Coat chicken pieces in Sweet Potato Flour thoroughly and fry in 2-3 batches (depending on your frying vessel) for about 5-7 minutes or until chicken is golden.
- Fry Basil leaves in the oil until slightly crisp.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove chicken and basil, draining on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Use a big bowl or colander to toss fried chicken with the basil leaves.
- Mix the Pepper Powder Spice blend (adjusting to your own spice level) and sprinkle generously over fried foods.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure you listen to Episode 125 Why Taiwan Is Not "Chinese Taipei" with Yone as you make your dish!
- (1) Can substitute with a shallot.
- (2) Can substitute with fennel seeds.
- (3) Can substitute with white rice wine.
- (4) Can substitute with tapioca starch, but make sure it is coarse.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizers, Main Course
- Cuisine: East Asian, Taiwanese
Nutrition
- Calories: 143
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 379
- Fat: 9
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 4
- Fiber: 0.3
- Protein: 10
- Cholesterol: 56