Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs (Raw; diced into small 1-inch pieces)
• 0.5 tsp white pepper (For the marinade)
• 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder (For the marinade)
• 1.5 tbsp minced garlic (For the marinade)
• 1 tbsp minced ginger (For the marinade)
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (For the marinade)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (For the marinade)
• 0.75 cup coarse potato starch (For coating the chicken)
• 1 egg white (From 1 egg; no yolk)
• 1 second spray cooking oil spray (Spray the air-fryer tray and lightly spray the coated chicken)
• 0.5 tsp salt (For the topping seasoning)
• 0.5 tsp five spice powder (For the topping seasoning)
• 0.5 tsp brown sugar (For the topping seasoning)
• 0.5 tsp white pepper (For the topping seasoning)
• 1 cup Thai basil (Added on top of the cooked chicken before the final air-frying)

Steps

1. 1

   Dice the raw chicken thighs into small 1-inch pieces.

2. 2

   In a bowl, mix the marinade ingredients: 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder, minced garlic, minced ginger, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and the egg white, making sure no egg yolk is included.

3. 3

   Add the diced chicken to the marinade and set it aside for 30 minutes, or refrigerate it overnight.

4. 4

   Pour the coarse potato starch onto a plate. Fully coat each marinated chicken piece in the starch.

5. 5

   Coat the air-fryer tray with cooking-oil spray. Arrange the potato-starch-coated chicken on the tray, then lightly spray the chicken with more oil.

6. 6

   Air-fry the chicken at 390°F for 13–15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until it is crispy and golden brown.

7. 7

   Add the Thai basil on top of the cooked chicken and air-fry for another 2–3 minutes.

8. 8

   In a bowl, mix the salt, five spice powder, brown sugar, and white pepper for the topping seasoning.

9. 9

   Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the cooked chicken and serve.

Notes

The source lists the cooking-oil amount as “1 second spray.” The stated 30-minute marinade may instead be refrigerated overnight. The source-provided macros are 531 calories, 49 g protein, 53 g carbohydrates, and 10 g fat per serving.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• Taiwanese
• East Asian
• air-fried
• high-protein
• crispy
• chicken
• meal-prep