guilty pleasure essentials: spicy popcorn chicken

Name: Guilty Pleasure Essentials: Spicy Popcorn Chicken
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 15 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ## PLAN/PURCHASE; 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 1.5 pounds (680g); ## THE DRY INGREDIENTS; 1 cup(s) all-purpose flour; 1 cup(s) bread flour; 1/2 cup(s) arrowroot powder; 1 tablespoon(s) coconut sugar; 2 teaspoon(s) garlic powder; 2 teaspoon(s) dehydrated onions, crushed into a powder; 2 teaspoon(s) baking powder; 1 teaspoon(s) baking soda; 1 teaspoon(s) salt, kosher variety, or to taste; 1 teaspoon(s) white pepper, freshly ground, or to taste; 1 - 2 pinch(es) cayenne pepper, or to taste; ## THE WET INGREDIENTS; 2 large eggs; 4 tablespoon(s) fresh clover honey; 3 tablespoon(s) hot sauce, i prefer frank’s; - soda water, or filtered water, as needed; ## ADDITIONAL ITEMS; - grapeseed, peanut, or vegetable oil, for deep frying; - ponzu sauce, more on this item later (optional)

33 Pinches 17 Photos

Andy Anderson !

Wichita, KS

Updated on Jan 2, 2019

I love popcorn chicken; however, since it is a deep-fried recipe, it is a guilty pleasure that I do not indulge in very often. This is one of the foods I served as we watched the ball drop on New Year’s Eve, and no matter how much I made, it was gone as soon as the plate hit the sideboard. Another guilty pleasure that comes from this recipe are the bits of batter that fry up with the chicken (I call them crunches). I think that they are almost as good as the chicken. So, you ready… Let’s get into the kitchen.

Rate

prep time 1 Hr

cook time 15 Min

method Deep Fry

yield Several

Ingredients

PLAN/PURCHASE
2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 1.5 pounds (680g)
THE DRY INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
1/2 cup arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons dehydrated onions, crushed into a powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt, kosher variety, or to taste
1 teaspoon white pepper, freshly ground, or to taste
1 - 2 pinches cayenne pepper, or to taste
THE WET INGREDIENTS
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons fresh clover honey
3 tablespoons hot sauce, i prefer frank’s
- soda water, or filtered water, as needed
ADDITIONAL ITEMS
- grapeseed, peanut, or vegetable oil, for deep frying
- ponzu sauce, more on this item later (optional)

How To Make guilty pleasure essentials: spicy popcorn chicken

Step 1

PREP/PREPARE

Step 2

What is Ponzu sauce? This sauce is not as well-known as tamari, or soy sauce, nevertheless it is a classic Japanese condiment. It is citrus based, with tart-tangy flavor similar to a vinaigrette. It contains a mix of ponzu (citrus juice of sudachi, yuzu, and kabosu and vinegar), soy sauce, sugar or mirin, and dashi. Because of its versatility and refreshing flavor, you can use the sauce in many ways… For example, a dipping sauce for seafood, or as a marinade for grilled meats and vegetables, possibily a dressing for salads and/or cold noodles. The use of Ponzu sauce in this recipe is strictly optional; however, I do think that it gives the chicken another level of flavor, that compliments the other elements. Totally up to you.
Step 3

We all have our favorite dipping sauces, this is the one I used: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/spread/sauce-essentials-spicy-burger-sauce.html?r=4
Step 4

Gather your Ingredients (mise en place).
Step 5

Cut the chicken up into bite-size pieces.
Step 6

Optional Step: Add the chicken to a small bowl, and then add 3 – 4 tablespoons of Ponzu sauce. Toss the chicken with the sauce, cover, and place into the fridge for about an hour… 2 hours, if you can spare the time. Remember, this is an optional step.
Step 7

Whisk all the dry ingredients together into a large bowl.
Step 8

Whisk all the wet ingredients together in another bowl, plus 4 tablespoons of soda or filtered water.
Step 9

Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and whisk to combine. Then add more water or soda, a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture resembles the consistency of pancake batter.
Step 10

Chef’s Note: We are not trying to replicate a tempura batter, which typically is a bit lumpy. We want a smooth consistency.
Step 11

Dump all the chicken into the batter, and coat.
Step 12

Add about 1.5 inches (4cm) of oil to a heavy-bottomed pot, and bring the temperature up to 400f (205c).
Step 13

Add the chicken in batches (do not crowd).
Step 14

Chef’s Note: Do not shake off the batter before adding to the hot oil. We want a nice thick coating. Plus, this helps to make those yummy crunchy bits of batter.
Step 15

Cook until the chicken is a golden brown, about 4 – 5 minutes, per batch.
Step 16

Drain on paper towels as you finish up the other chicken.
Step 17

PLATE/PRESENT
Step 18

Serve while hot with your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy.
Step 19

Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
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