TAIWANESE POPCORN CHICKEN WITH FRIED BASIL
This spiced fried chicken is a staple in the night markets of Taiwan. You can order the chicken in cutlet form or small bites like these, which are served in paper bags with wooden skewers. This recipe uses a few spices that cannot be skipped: five-spice powder and white pepper. The Sichuan peppercorns are a bonus, adding a little numbing tingle. If you can't find Sichuan peppercorns, use black peppercorns instead. You won't get the same tingly feeling, but the chicken will be just as good. This fried chicken recipe happens to be gluten-free thanks to the tapioca flour, which imparts the dish's signature crunch.
Provided by Sue Li
Categories dinner, snack, finger foods, poultry, appetizer, main course
Time 2h
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- In a large bowl, season chicken thighs with soy sauce, sugar, five-spice powder, white pepper and 2 teaspoons salt. Set aside to marinate about 1 hour at room temperature, or refrigerate it overnight.
- When ready to cook, fit a medium pot with a cooking thermometer and heat vegetable oil over medium to 350 degrees. Coarsely grind the peppercorns in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and mix with the remaining 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Set aside.
- Wet your hands and toss marinated chicken with tapioca flour and about 1 tablespoon water until the tapioca flour looks like small beads and clings to the chicken. (Adding a little moisture to your chicken helps the tapioca flour form small beads that will also stick to the chicken and give it a very crunchy crust.)
- Working in batches, add the battered chicken to the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon or spider, transfer fried chicken to a paper towel-lined plate and season each batch with peppercorn mixture.
- Fry basil leaves until translucent and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes, then scatter over the fried chicken. Serve with leftover peppercorn mixture for sprinkling to taste.
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EMily Munene Munene
[email protected]This recipe is a bit too complicated for me. I'm going to try a simpler recipe next time.
Fortune Nweke
[email protected]I'm a vegetarian, so I used tofu instead of chicken. It was still very good.
Pat Rofhiwa
[email protected]This recipe is a bit pricey, but it's worth it. The chicken is amazing!
Sailor Roberts
[email protected]I'm on a diet, so I used low-fat chicken breast and baked it instead of frying it. It was still very good.
Amjad Raja
[email protected]This recipe is a great way to use up leftover chicken. I had some cooked chicken in the fridge and it worked out perfectly.
Denise Rivas
[email protected]I made this recipe for my kids and they loved it! They said it was the best chicken they've ever had.
Kristy Thompson
[email protected]I'm not a good cook, but this recipe was easy to follow. The chicken turned out great!
Penelope Ross
[email protected]This recipe is a bit spicy for my taste. I used less chili powder next time.
brian burnz
[email protected]I'm allergic to peanuts, so I used almond flour instead of peanut oil. It worked out great!
Kevin Hosein
[email protected]This is a great recipe for a party. The chicken is easy to make ahead of time and can be served warm or cold.
Nikoj Valobasha
[email protected]I doubled the recipe and it made a lot of chicken. I had leftovers for lunch the next day.
Hghf Vugy
[email protected]I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. It worked out great!
litcher
[email protected]I'm not a fan of basil, so I omitted it from the recipe. The chicken was still very good.
Cute Parri
[email protected]This recipe is a bit time-consuming, but it's worth it. The chicken is delicious!
Heather Chandler
[email protected]I had trouble getting the chicken crispy. I think I may have used too much oil.
Zain King
[email protected]The chicken was a bit too salty for my taste, but overall it was a good recipe.
Trisa Yadav
[email protected]This is one of my favorite chicken recipes. It's always a crowd-pleaser.
Kshitij Sharma
[email protected]I love this recipe! The chicken is always crispy and the basil adds a nice flavor.
GriffMatic1
[email protected]The popcorn chicken was easy to make and turned out great! The basil really made the dish.
Raju Rayhan
[email protected]This Taiwanese popcorn chicken was a hit with my family! The chicken was crispy and flavorful, and the basil added a delicious touch. I will definitely be making this again.