Air fryer Taiwanese popcorn chicken
Night-market popcorn chicken with a craggy five-spice crust and crispy fried basil, done in the air fryer with just a spoonful of oil.
- 45 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 2
- About $3.07 a serving
- 480 calories
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Read the steps once before you start. Everything goes smoother after that.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 1 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- ¾ tsp Chinese five-spice powder, divided
- ½ cup fresh basil, leaves
- 1 package microwave rice pouches (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp black pepper, divided
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
Each serving has about 480 calories, 46 g protein, 34 g carbs and 16 g fat, and costs about $3.07 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No boneless chicken thighs? Chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the chicken with the soy sauce, garlic, ½ teaspoon of five-spice, the sugar and ¼ teaspoon of pepper, then cover and leave it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Timer: 15 min
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Timer: 5 min
the chicken in the cornstarch, pressing so it sticks, and let it sit 5 minutes, until the white patches look damp.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Timer: 5 min
Dolly’s tip: Those damp patches are what turn into the craggy, crunchy crust.Brush the chicken all over with most of the oil, lay it in the basket in one layer, and cook 8 minutes.
Timer: 8 min
Shake the basket and cook 4 to 6 minutes more, until and the biggest piece reads 165°F.
Crispy. Crispy means the outside is dry, firm and crunchy. It comes from high heat, a little oil and room in the pan, because crowded food steams and goes soft.
How you’ll know: It sounds crunchy when you tap or bite it, and it doesn’t flop when you lift it.
Timer: 5 min
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
Brush the basil leaves with the last of the oil, scatter them over the chicken, and cook 1 minute, until .
Crispy. Crispy means the outside is dry, firm and crunchy. It comes from high heat, a little oil and room in the pan, because crowded food steams and goes soft.
How you’ll know: It sounds crunchy when you tap or bite it, and it doesn’t flop when you lift it.
Timer: 1 min
Dolly’s tip: The leaves turn glassy and crisp. That’s them frying.everything with the salt, the rest of the five-spice and pepper and the cayenne if you like, and serve hot, with rice if you like.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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