Who can resist perfectly crispy popcorn chicken? Not me! Now couple that with some hot sauce and a phenomenal homemade blue cheese dressing for some buffalo-style popcorn chicken and you’re in heaven!
Crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside, these delicious spicy buffalo popcorn chicken bites are fun to make and fun to eat!
I don’t deep-fry very often, but there are occasions when I make exceptions, like some Chinese dishes like General Tso’s Chicken, Orange Chicken and Sesame Chicken, or Fish and Chips. The good news is that you don’t need a deep fryer to make this popcorn chicken recipe. You just need a frying pan and about an inch of cooking oil and you’re set.
How to Make Perfectly Crispy Popcorn Chicken
The key is getting the oil at the right temperature. If the oil is not hot enough you’ll end up with oil-logged, greasy popcorn chicken. If the oil is too hot you’ll end up with batter that fries too quickly and leaves the chicken undercooked.
The temperature of the oil should be 350 degrees F. Use an instant read thermometer to confirm it’s the right temperature. You’ll end up with perfectly crispy popcorn chicken.
This recipe is for buffalo-style popcorn chicken but you can easily adjust the amount of hot sauce you use according to your heat tolerance. Or you can omit it entirely. Whether you love screamin’ spicy hot popcorn chicken or prefer them nice and mild with that cool and delicious blue cheese dipping sauce, you’re going to love it either way!
How to Make the BEST Blue Cheese Dressing
We’ve got you covered! Try our recipe for homemade Blue Cheese Dressing.
Popcorn Chicken Recipe
Let’s get started!
Add the chicken pieces to a bowl and stir in the hot sauce. Set aside while preparing the batter.
Combine all the batter ingredients in a large mixing bowl, whisking until no lumps remain.
Get your “station” set up. Place the 1/2 cup of flour and cornstarch in a separate bowl and place the chicken pieces and batter next to it. Dip the chicken pieces in the flour/cornstarch mixture, shake off the excess, and dredge completely in the batter.
Use a candy thermometer to make sure the oil is at 365 degrees F and immediately place the battered chicken pieces in the frying pan. The oil needs to be at least 1/2 inch deep for best results.
Fry the chicken for about 2 minutes on each side until a rich golden brown and cooked through. Work in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the frying pan.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken pieces to a paper towel-lined plate. Let the chicken pieces drain on the paper towels for one minute.
Serve immediately with celery sticks and our homemade blue cheese dressing for dipping.
ENJOY!
PIN ME!
Popcorn Chicken (Buffalo-Style)
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts , cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons Frank's Red Hot Sauce , or hot sauce of choice, use more or less depending on heat preference
- 1/2 cup flour mixed with 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 tablespoons Frank's Red Hot Sauce , or hot sauce of choice, **use more or less depending on heat preference
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing (click link for recipe)
- Celery sticks
Instructions
- Place the chicken pieces and 2 tablespoons hot sauce in a bowl and stir to thoroughly combine. Set aside.
- Place the 1/2 cup flour/cornstarch mixture in a shallow bowl and set aside.
- Combine the 2 cups of flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, garlic powder and onion powder in a large mixing bowl and whisk in the buttermilk and water until no lumps remain. Add the 4 tablespoons of hot sauce and the vinegar and stir to combine.
- Pour some oil into a small skillet to at least 1/2 inch depth. Using a candy thermometer, heat the oil to 365ºF.
- Dredge the chicken pieces into the 1/2 cup of flour/cornstarch, shake off the excess, then dip the pieces into the wet batter. Immediately place the chicken pieces carefully into the hot oil and fry on all sides until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes on each side. Work in batches and be careful not to overcrowd the pan. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken pieces to a plate lined with paper towels to drain for 1 minute.
- Serve immediately with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks.
CC says
Awesome recipe! I love spicy so I might dip it into some more Red Hot sauce! Must make!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, CC! Sometimes you just have to break down and make some good ol’ snack food! :)
jesusan says
These look and sound very good. Believe it or not, I’ve never had buffalo anything. When I first looked at the picture of the finished bites, they looked just like the free-form deep-fried doughnuts my mother used to make (I hate to think about how long ago that was)…
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Now that gives me an idea, Susan…crop out the celery sticks and Tabasco sauce and I can just recycle the same pic for a dessert recipe and save myself some work! :) Nah, I wouldn’t do that. But you do have me craving some freshly made doughnuts right now!
Sarah L. says
I would have NO problem clearing off that entire plate…and then having seconds! ;)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
No problem here either, Sarah! :) Thanks!
amallia says
wow interesting recipe, I should try this one. Thanks for sharing the recipe:-)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Amallia, and thank you for visiting!
Al says
WooHoo, just made these…..awesome, but I used a bit more heat!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fabulous, Al! Thanks so much for the feedback!
Anonymous says
just made this yummmm in my tummm
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, thanks so much for the feedback!
Chelsea says
This is sooo delicious and so quick and easy! My family is obsessed! Thanks for sharing!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Chelsea, I’m happy it’s been a family hit, thank you!
Stephanie says
These were so good and super easy to make!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Stephanie, thank you!
Katie says
Looks amazing! Can’t wait to try this one.
Katie says
My kids are going to love this! Can’t wait to make it for them!
Erin says
I know for sure this popcorn chicken would be a huge hit in my house!
Catalina says
A different way to have a delicious dinner. Thanks for the idea!
Mara says
My little girl would love these! I’m also trying to switch to a healthier lifestyle and started to mine for healthy recipes like yours. Also, I’m training with, and I managed to get rid of some pounds. Your blog posts are super inspiring for me in this phase, thanks!
Jen says
Such a fun twist on dinner! The kids got a kick out of dipping them in different sauces to find their favorite. Thanks for a great dinner idea to change up our normal chicken dinner routine.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad it was a family hit, Jen, thank you!
katerina says
I can’t wait to make these for my kids! They are going to LOVE them!!
Suzy says
I am loving how you used chicken! My kids would go crazy for this and for the flavors!
Allyson Zea says
Wow this looks like a delicious and easy meal!!
Sara Welch says
Served these for dinner last night and my kids gobbled them up! Delicious and easy, too!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Sara, thank you!
Button Curry says
The only thing that we need with the recipe is a good movie to watch along enjoying the chicken.
Micheline Marigliano says
Hi in the ingredients you mentioned vinegar
But never mentioned where and when to
Use it
Thank you
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Micheline, it’s in Step 3 when you add the buttermilk. Thanks for catching that.