Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken with Fried Basil Recipe
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 teaspoon White Pepper Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder double or triple depending on how spicy you want it
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Five Spice Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper finely ground
- 1/4 teaspoon Lemongrass Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/3 teaspoon 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 143kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 10gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.05gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 379mgPotassium: 152mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 64IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 1mg
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