Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken

I first had Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken at a boba tea shop near USF. What I remember most was the rough, crunchy coating around those small pieces of chicken.

My regular popcorn chicken recipe uses an egg dredge and flour, but this one is different. I use coarse sweet potato starch here because it gives the chicken that uneven crust. Cut the thighs small enough to eat in one bite and finish them with salt, black pepper, and fried Thai basil.

One small step also helps with the coating. After adding the starch, I sprinkle in about a tablespoon of water and mix again. Small clumps form on the chicken, and those are what crisp up in the oil.

What is Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken?

Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken, also called yan su ji, is a popular Taiwanese fried chicken snack made with small pieces of marinated chicken coated in starch. The chicken is fried until crisp, then seasoned while it is still hot and served with fried basil.

The coating is different from the flour breading used for regular popcorn chicken. Sweet potato starch gives it a lighter, more irregular crust, while the five-spice, white pepper, and soy sauce season the chicken underneath. Fried Thai basil and black pepper finish it after frying. You get plenty of flavor from the seasoning itself, so I do not use a dipping sauce for this one.

Why This Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken Recipe Works

• Coarse sweet potato starch – This is what gives the chicken its rough, craggy coating. Cornstarch comes out smoother.
• Marinate for at least 3 hours. The pieces are small, so this gives the seasoning enough time to work through the chicken.
• Keep the oil at 300°F. Go much hotter and the coating can get dark before the larger pieces are cooked through.
• I fry it once. There is no need to fry it a second time for this recipe.

Ingredients

• Boneless chicken thighs – Cut them into bite-sized pieces, all about the same size so they finish together. I use thighs because they stay juicy during the 6 to 7 minute fry. Breast works too, but start checking it sooner.
• Coarse sweet potato starch – Look for the bag marked coarse or thick at the Asian grocery, sometimes labeled sweet potato flour. The grains feel gritty rather than powdery like cornstarch.
• Thai basil – Wash it ahead of time and dry it thoroughly. The leaves have to be completely dry before they go anywhere near hot oil.
• Maggi Magic Sarap – One sachet goes into the marinade. I do not add salt to the marinade because the Magic Sarap and soy sauce are already salty enough.
• Soy sauce – This and the Magic Sarap do most of the seasoning before the chicken is even coated.
• Five-spice powder – The Chinese blend of star anise, cloves, cassia, Sichuan peppercorn, and fennel. This gives the chicken the familiar star-anise and spice flavor you get in Taiwanese popcorn chicken.
• Granulated white sugar – A tablespoon in the marinade. You will not taste it as sweetness.
• Ground white pepper – Use white pepper in the marinade and black pepper after frying. Keep both.
• Salt and ground black pepper – These go on last, after the chicken is out of the oil.
• Cooking oil – Any neutral oil with a high smoke point. Four cups gives you enough depth in a deep pot for the pieces to move around.

1. Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces.
2. Place the chicken in a mixing bowl. Add the Maggi Magic Sarap, soy sauce, sugar, five-spice powder, and white pepper. Mix until the chicken is evenly coated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

1. Add the sweet potato starch to the marinated chicken. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of water over the chicken.
2. Mix until each piece is completely coated. Let the coated chicken rest for at least 3 minutes.

1. Heat the cooking oil in a deep pot to 300°F.
2. Make sure the Thai basil leaves are completely dry. Carefully add them to the hot oil and fry for 1 minute, or until crisp. Remove the basil from the oil and set it aside.
3. Fry the chicken in batches for 6 to 7 minutes. Avoid overcrowding the pot so that the oil temperature does not drop too much.
4. Remove the chicken from the oil and arrange it on a wire rack to drain.

Check one of the larger pieces before you finish the batch. The center should reach 165°F.

1. Place the fried chicken and crispy Thai basil in a clean mixing bowl. Sprinkle the salt and ground black pepper over the chicken. Toss until everything is evenly seasoned.
2. Serve immediately while the chicken is still crisp. Share and enjoy!

What to Serve with Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken

Milk tea is a good pairing if you want to serve this boba-shop style. For a full meal, serve the chicken with steamed rice or chicken and egg fried rice. Sweet potato fries also work if you want to keep everything snack-style.

Storage

• Refrigerator: Keep leftover chicken in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The coating will soften.
• Freezer: You can freeze the fried chicken for about 1 month. Leave out the basil and fry a fresh handful when you reheat. You can also freeze the marinated raw chicken before adding the starch, then thaw, coat, and fry it.
• Reheating: Reheat it in a 375°F oven or 350°F air fryer for 6 to 8 minutes. Avoid the microwave if you want the coating crisp again.

More Fried Chicken Recipes

• Salted Egg Chicken – Go with this if you want something richer, with a buttery salted egg coating.
• Sticky Crispy Chicken – This one has a sweet and tangy glaze instead of a dry seasoning.
• Crispy Fried Chicken, Spicy Version – A better choice if you want larger pieces and more heat.
• Fried Chicken with Mayo Garlic Glaze – Crispy chicken finished with a creamy garlic coating.
• Pinoy Style Fried Chicken – A dry rub and flour, no batter at all.

• Coarse sweet potato starch – Tapioca starch works because that is what the older version of this recipe used. Potato starch can also be used, although the crust will be a little different. Cornstarch gives you a smoother coating.
• Thai basil – Holy basil is the better substitute if you can find it. I would not use Italian basil here because the leaves are much softer.
• Maggi Magic Sarap – Knorr Ginisa Mix, or 1 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder with a pinch of salt.
• Boneless chicken thighs – Boneless breast. Keep the pieces the same size and pull them as soon as they are cooked through.
• Five-spice powder – There is no clean substitute. Ground star anise with a little cinnamon gets you part of the way, but the result tastes different.

The best part for me is getting some of the fried basil with each bite of chicken. You get the black pepper first, then the five-spice from the meat, with that rough, crisp coating around everything. That is exactly how I want Taiwanese popcorn chicken to taste.