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Sunday, January 12, 2025

Popcorn hen – RecipeTin Eats


It is a KFC popcorn hen copycat recipe. It’s downright addictive – I problem you to cease at only one! Surprisingly fast, they take simply 2 minutes to cook dinner, and simply shallow fried at that.

Popcorn chicken

Popcorn hen

Many individuals have tried this popcorn hen now, together with a whole crew of builders at my dwelling which is below renovation. I received’t repeat what they really mentioned after they tried it. Let’s simply say Aussie builders are liberal customers of flowery language when they’re annoyed – or after they’re extraordinarily enthusiastic! 😂

Nigel from H Squared, my builders, attempting the Popcorn Rooster. Simply to make clear, no flowery language got here from him! 😂

The flavour is a copycat of KFC popcorn hen, with it’s distinct seasoning. However there may be one massive standout distinction – this do-it-yourself popcorn hen is definitely crispy. KFC’s shouldn’t be! It’s reasonably gentle and fairly greasy.

For many who are nervous about fried recipes, this popcorn hen is an efficient place to begin as a result of we’re solely shallow frying and every batch takes simply 2 minutes to cook dinner. A lot simpler than deep frying complete hen items!

Popcorn chicken

Substances in Popcorn Rooster

Popcorn hen is made by marinating small items of hen then coating in a closely seasoned “KFC 11 secret herbs and spices” flour combination. The coating is particularly formulated so the hen cooks up actually crispy – no soggy popcorn hen round right here!

Rooster and marinade

This recipe makes use of a buttermilk marinade, like Southern Fried Rooster, to maintain the hen meat juicy. Marinating is sort of essential for popcorn hen as a result of the items of hen are so small, they’ll overcook and dry out in a flash.

Don’t have buttermilk? Don’t fear, there are straightforward substitutes, see under the picture or the recipe card.

  • Rooster – I like to make use of breast as a result of it’s straightforward to chop into small cubes. Tenderloin can also be straightforward to chop into small even items.

    Nonetheless, you actually can use any reduce of hen meat – thighs, drumstick meat, something that may be reduce into cubes.

  • Buttermilk – Sensible for tenderising the hen and injecting it with salt so as to add seasoning into the flesh in addition to serving to to maintain it juicy when it cooks. Buttermilk is the normal liquid of alternative used for marinating in Southern Fried Rooster. It’s barely thicker than common milk however thinner than pouring cream, and mixed with egg it creates an excellent batter thickness for the correct quantity of flour to cling to the floor of every piece.

    Discover it alongside milk on the grocery retailer, often in small 600ml cartons ($2.75). This recipe requires 180ml (3/4 cup) so use the leftover buttermilk to make Blueberry or Choc Chip Muffins, or Purple Velvet Cake.

    Substitutes – you should utilize yogurt combined with milk, or make your personal buttermilk with milk and vinegar. Each these substitutes work simply as effectively, I attempted them each!

    Non dairy – You need to use any non dairy milk combined with any non dairy yogurt so long as they’re impartial flavoured eg. they don’t style nutty. If the yogurt has no acidity in it, like dairy yogurt does, then add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar into the marinade, then it should have an analogous marinating impact like buttermilk does.

  • Egg helps the flour stick with the hen.

  • Salt – To season the flesh of the hen.

Flour coating (“breading”) and seasoning

“Breading” refers to coating the hen within the seasoned flour combination. It’s is a time period used within the US which refers to coating issues in breadcrumbs or different dry combination (like seasoned flour we’re utilizing right here) that turns into a crispy crust when cooked.

Right here in Australia, we have a tendency to make use of the phrase “crumbing” once we coat meals with breadcrumbs, however I by no means felt it was the suitable time period when there’s no breadcrumbs concerned. So I take advantage of the time period “breading” which appears a bit extra common within the culinary world lately, despite the fact that sure, I do know breadcrumbs aren’t concerned!

  • The Seasoning is a KFC copycat. It’s the identical elements utilized in my KFC Copycat Fried Rooster recipe, though portions tweaked barely to go well with Popcorn Rooster. For instance, the amount of salt is drastically decreased as a result of we’re working with tiny items of hen reasonably than large bone-in, skin-one items which is far tougher for seasoning to penetrate. Additionally, I prefer to crush the oregano and thyme with my fingers to make them a bit smaller so that they meld higher onto the floor of the small bites of hen.

  • Flour and cornflour/cornstarch – Utilizing a mix of flour and cornflour produces one of the best end result for a crunchy, golden crust for fried hen. Flour (simply common, plain/all function flour) is normal for coating fried meals, nevertheless it doesn’t turn out to be all that crispy. Effectively, it’s fairly crispy straight out of the fryer nevertheless it loses crispiness shortly.

    Cornflour, then again, fries up actually crispy nevertheless it doesn’t go a pleasant golden color. And in the event you coat issues too thickly in cornflour it turns into too laborious and will get caught in your enamel.

    By utilizing a mix of the 2, we are able to obtain crispy fried hen perfection with simply the suitable texture!

  • Oil for cooking – canola, vegetable or peanut oil, for impartial flavour and talent to warmth to the temperature wanted with out burning the hen or the oil smoking.

Popcorn chicken
Popcorn hen simply must be shallow fried as a result of they’re small items.
Popcorn chicken

How you can make Popcorn Rooster

In the event you’re a succesful cook dinner, that is all it is advisable know for make popcorn hen:

  1. Marinate hen 1 hour;

  2. Toss 3 tbsp marinade liquid within the flour combination, then coat hen; and

  3. Fry 2 minutes at 180°C/350°F.

Nonetheless, this part is a bit lengthier than 3 steps so even up-and-coming cooks can have the boldness that this can be a reasonably simple recipe. I’ve some ideas succesful cooks in all probability already know for working with heaps and many little items of hen. Coating and cooking them one-by-one could be a ache!

1. Preparation

  1. Minimize the hen into small 1.25cm / 1/2″ cubes.

    I reduce the hen into 1.25cm / 1/2″ strips, then reduce the skinny finish into cubes, and reduce the broader finish in half lengthways then into cubes.

  2. Whisk marinade – Put the buttermilk marinade elements in a bowl and whisk to mix.

  1. Marinade – Add the hen, combine to coat and marinade for 1 to three hours, however don’t transcend 24 hours else the hen could be a little too salty.

  2. Combine breading – Combine the flour, cornflour and “11 secret herbs and spices” in a bowl. The broader the higher – simpler to scatter items throughout the floor and toss to coat.

2. breading

The purpose right here is to get all these little items of hen coated within the breading combination with out having to deal with them one-by-one which might take endlessly! The additional purpose is an easy little trick that makes our popcorn hen cook dinner up further crispy. 🙂

Bonus: Comply with my left hand / proper hand directions so that you don’t find yourself with batter-caked fingers!

Additionally – see Substances part above for touch upon “crumbing” v “breading”. As a result of it’s being raised!

  1. Scoop up 3 tablespoons of the marinade out of the hen bowl. (That is for the extra-crispy trick).

  2. Dribble this marinade throughout the floor of the flour combination.

  1. Combine / rub the marinade by the flour so that you get numerous little clumps of flour. These turn out to be further crispy bits on the hen, it’s so good! Wonderful crispy hen trick picked up Kenji’s Fried Rooster recipe on Severe Eats.

  2. Drip – Utilizing your left hand (I’m proper handed), choose up a handful of hen and let the marinade drip by your fingers.

  1. Scatter the hen throughout the floor of the flour bowl. That is our alternative to separate every bit of hen as a result of as soon as coated with the flour, they received’t stick collectively.

  2. Spoon – Utilizing your proper hand, spoon flour over the hen then, nonetheless together with your hand hand, use your fingers to toss and press flour onto the hen.

  1. Shake – Choose up a few of the hen (nonetheless together with your proper hand) and provides it a shake to take away many of the extra flour.

  2. Unfold the hen on a tray. Go away the surplus flour on the tray, we are going to want it to do a final minute toss simply earlier than cooking. Repeat with remaining hen.

AND VOILA! Did you discover how your palms aren’t caked with sticky thick flour batter!? 🎉

3. COOKING THE POPCORN CHICKEN

Cooking vessel – I discover it best to make use of a big saucepan or small pot round 20cm/8″ in measurement although in case you are a assured cook dinner you should utilize a bigger one round 25cm/10″. Popcorn hen solely takes a few minutes to cook dinner so in the event you use a big cooking vessel it is advisable transfer quicker – see FAQ for extra data.

Shallow frying – As a result of the items of hen are so small, we don’t want a lot oil. Simply 2.5cm / 1″ depth in no matter cooking vessel you’re utilizing. It’s going to vary from ~2 1/2 cups (625 ml) for a 20cm/8″ small pot to three 1/2 cups (875 ml) for a 25cm/10″ pot.

  1. Closing toss / separate – The hen will sweat and the white flour coating will darken because it sits round on the tray. So if yours has darkened a bit, give the hen you’re about to cook dinner a bit toss on the tray within the extra flour to re-coat them and make them white once more, and to make sure they don’t seem to be sticking collectively.

  2. Use scooper for security (or palms, in the event you’re a professional) – Then use a big scooper with giant holes (reasonably than high quality mesh) to choose up a handful of hen items and shake off extra flour (ie falls by the outlet).

    Palms – In the event you’re a assured cook dinner, be at liberty to make use of your palms however watch out of oil splash-age. I favor to make use of palms as a result of then I can drop the hen in one-by-one to make sure they aren’t sticking collectively.

  1. Decrease the hen into oil pre-heated to 180°C/350°F utilizing the scooper.

    Use a meals thermometer to check the oil temperature, or see recipe notes for check the oil temperature in the event you don’t have one.

  2. Fry 2 minutes – Then cook dinner the hen for two – 2 1/2 minutes till the floor is crispy and golden. Agitate the hen midway by the cook dinner time and separate any sticking collectively.

  1. Scoop – When the hen is completed, scoop it out.

  2. Unfold – Then unfold it out on a paper towel lined tray, to soak up extra oil. Then proceed to cook dinner remaining hen, remembering to do some closing flour toss on the tray earlier than cooking every batch!

Popcorn chicken

Oven and air fryer strategies – please see the FAQ for why it’s not advisable for this specific recipe with out alterations which I haven’t discovered but!


Issues of serving

Dipping sauce

And although I can guarantee you that this popcorn hen is flavoured sufficient and crispy sufficient on the surface and juicy sufficient on the within to need to shovel handfuls into your mouth plain, a bit dipping sauce actually by no means goes astray.

My favorite is Honey Mustard Sauce, pictured – 4 ingredient, 1 minute sauce (you perceive why it’s a dipping fave!). Use what you need – ketchup, BBQ, candy and bitter, candy chilli. It’s hen. You’ll be able to just about use any dipping sauce for it!

Popcorn chicken

HOW TO SERVE IT

Tumble all of it into an enormous serving bowl and let all people dig in (palms!) and assist themselves.

Or, serve it like film popcorn in paper cups or popcorn packing containers, in the event you’re feeling further enjoyable! I picked up those pictured on this submit from a reduction retailer, they have been $2 for five (right here they’re on Amazon Australia).

WHAT TO SERVE WITH POPCORN CHICKEN

For an actual KFC expertise at dwelling, full your meal with a facet of do-it-yourself slaw (right here’s my favorite no-mayo Slaw, in order for you a lighter possibility) and KFC copycat potato and gravy (makes a superb dipper too!).

Else, another wonderful facet choices embody baked potato wedges, do-it-yourself fries or crispy smashed potatoes, plus a easy backyard salad or any leafy greens tossed with my go-to easy salad dressing.

Hope you get pleasure from! Oh, and a bit trick I shared with a reader I ran into yesterday once I informed her I used to be sharing this at present (hello Charlotte!) – use leftover marinade and flour to cook dinner up some little calmly steamed cauliflower florets. It seems simply just like the hen. What a approach to sneak greens into the youngsters, eh?? A popcorn field stuffed with a mixture of popcorn hen and popcorn cauliflower!! – Nagi x

Popcorn hen further ideas & FAQ


Watch make it

And watch me make it! Shout out to Kenji’s Fried Rooster recipe on Severe Eats for the superb further crispy trick that I apply to all my fried hen recipes (right here, right here and right here).

Hungry for extra? Subscribe to my e-newsletter and observe alongside on Fb, Pinterest and Instagram for the entire newest updates.

Popcorn chicken

Popcorn hen – higher than KFC!

Servings4 as a meal

Faucet or hover to scale

Recipe video above. That is higher than KFC as a result of it is truly crispy – KFC popcorn hen shouldn’t be, it is gentle and greasy! The flavour is remarkably related with my copycat of the KFC’s 11 secret herbs and spices. It is ridiculously good – you need to shovel it in your mouth by the handful!Comparatively simple and on the simple finish of frying recipes as a result of it is simply shallow fried and takes simply 2 minutes. Serve in cups or mini popcorn packing containers with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce for a enjoyable meal or snack that everybody loves! Air fryer and baking choices – not lined on this recipe, please see FAQ above for cause.

Substances

Popcorn Rooster Breading (Observe 4):

KFC 11 Secret Herbs and Spices (Observe 4):

Dipping sauce solutions

Stop display screen from sleeping

Directions

Marinade hen:

  • Minimize hen into small 1.25 cm / 1/2″ cubes.

  • Marinade – Whisk marinade in a bowl. Add hen, stir to coat, then refrigerate for 1 hour (now not than 24 hours).

Put together breading:

  • Breading combination – Combine collectively Breading and all KFC Secret Herbs & Spices in a big bowl (bigger floor space = coat extra hen in a single go).

  • Clump = crunchy! Drizzle 3 tablespoons of the Marinade into the flour combination. Use your fingers to rub in so that you get numerous small lumpy bits all all through (this fries up into further crunchy bits, secret trick!).

Put together to cook dinner (work in specified order of steps):

  • Frying vessel (Observe 5) – Massive saucepan / small pot ~20cm/8″ advisable for learners. Massive pot / deep skillet ~24cm/9.5″ or bigger advisable just for succesful cooks. Use heavy based mostly (not gentle and flimsy), for security and warmth retention.

  • Preheat oven to 50°C/125°F, to maintain cooked hen heat.

Breading (PS I am proper handed):

  • Bread hen – Choose up a handful of hen from the marinade together with your left hand, then scatter throughout floor of the flour combination. Spoon flour over hen then toss with the spoon to coat.

  • Shake off extra (use proper hand) – Separate the hen items and press the clumpy flour onto the hen items. Choose up a handful, shake extra flour off by fingers (no should be thorough). Unfold hen on tray. Repeat with remaining hen. Voila! No clumpy flour-batter-caked fingers!

  • Separate and final minute coat (Observe 6) – Simply earlier than frying, use your fingers to briefly re-toss the hen you are about to cook dinner within the residual flour on the tray (to clean up the flour coating, because it sits round it sweats/will get moist), and ensure the hen items aren’t caught collectively.

Frying:

  • Line a tray with paper towels (for draining cooked hen). Preheat oven to 50°C/125°F to maintain cooked hen heat.

  • Warmth oil – Add oil to your pot to a depth of two.5 cm / 1″. Warmth it over medium excessive to 180°C/350°F (Observe 7).

  • Fry 2 minutes – Choose up some hen and put it in a spider with giant holes (Observe 8) and shake so extra flour falls by (or use palms to shake off extra flour then then switch right into a scoop to decrease into oil). Rigorously decrease hen into the oil. Fry for two – 2.5 minutes till golden, separating any that get caught collectively round midway by.

  • Drain – Scoop out with a spider and unfold on a paper towel lined tray Maintain cooked hen heat within the oven and cook dinner remaining hen.

  • Serve hen – in popcorn packing containers, for further enjoyable issue! – with dipping sauce of alternative (pictured, Honey Mustard).

Recipe Notes:

Basic sides: Fries, coleslaw, KFC copycat potato and gravy, steamed or grilled corn, cornbread or gentle rolls, fries, potato salad, Southern Baked Beans!


1. Rooster – This could actually be made with any reduce of hen meat. I take advantage of breast as a result of it’s straightforward to chop into small cubes. Lean, however the marinade protects it from drying out.
2. Buttermilk – Substitute with 1/4 cup yoghurt whisked with 1/2 cup milk (finally ends up buttermilk-like), or make your personal buttermilk: add 3/4 tsp white vinegar into 3/4 cup of milk, stir, go away 10 minutes. Will curdle. Use per recipe.
Non dairy – Use plain flavoured non dairy yogurt and milk (portions as above), and it the yogurt shouldn’t be acidic in any respect like dairy yogurt is, simply add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar.
3. Salt – Halve if utilizing high quality desk salt, improve by 2% if utilizing salt flakes (and crush with fingers to make it finer).
4. Breading notes:

  • Cornflour makes it crunchy whereas flour makes it fry up golden (cornflour stays white). 
  • Add 1 tsp cayenne pepper for warm & spicy!
  • Spices – Positive in the event you’re lacking one or two, possibly even 3, there’s loads of different spices to maintain it flavourful. See elements part for what to substitute with for every spice.

PS In my world, crumbing = breadcrumbs, crushed cornflakes and so on, breading = flour coatings. Mash up of Aussie/US culinary communicate that appears sensible to me, and likewise, I simply can’t use the phrase “crumbing” when there’s no breadcrumbs concerned!!
5. Frying vessel – You’re working with quantity right here, numerous little items of hen that cooks quick. Up and coming cooks – I like to recommend utilizing a smaller cooking vessel (~20cm/8″) and cooking in smaller batches which is simpler, much less pace to fret about. Succesful cooks – be at liberty to make use of a bigger cooking vessel ~25cm/10″. With a skillet, you’ll be able to cook dinner all of the hen in 3 batches in 6 minutes flat!
6. Batch cooking – Relying on how briskly you’re employed and the way effectively your hen is flour coated, the hen might sweat (ie change from white to darkish) whereas it’s ready round on the tray. If that’s the case, simply toss the hen within the flour on the tray simply earlier than frying.
7. Oil temperature – use a thermometer to verify the temperature. In the event you don’t have one, check by throwing in a lump of breading – ought to sizzle right away however not burn shortly. OR stick a bamboo chopstick in and contact the bottom of the pot – if bubbles rise from ground of pot, oil is scorching sufficient.
8. Spider – Cooking utensil that is sort of a handheld colander / wire mesh, very helpful for scooping issues out of water / oil. See footage in submit / video for the one I’ve.
In the event you don’t have one with holes giant sufficient for the flour to simply fall by, shake extra flour off earlier than transferring into an everyday finer mesh spider or slotted spoon earlier than decreasing into the oil.
9. Recipe supply: Some strategies tailored from Kenji’s recipe on Severe Eats with some steps simplified / amended based mostly on my testing. Spices are my KFC copycat “11 secret herbs and spices” combine.
Leftovers will preserve for 3 to 4 days within the fridge however crust will lose crispiness and inside shouldn’t be as juicy as freshly cooked. Reheat with a fast 30 second fry or 3 minutes in a extremely popular oven.
Oil reuse – Oil will get infused with the seasoning flavour so whereas it’s alright to re-use a few times extra, be aware that no matter you cook dinner can be infused with the seasoning flavour from this recipe. I used the identical oil to make this identical popcorn hen 3 instances. I let the flour bits settle then poured off the clear oil, and topped up a bit as wanted.

Diet Info:

Serving: 100gEnergy: 280cal (14%)Carbohydrates: 9.4g (3%)Protein: 21.8g (44%)Fats: 17.3g (27%)Saturated Fats: 3.7g (23%)Sodium: 589mg (26%)Sugar: 1.5g (2%)

Re-use the oil to make these!

These have related / their very own sturdy seasoning so it’s okay to make use of the oil from this recipe for these. Don’t re-use the oil from Popcorn Rooster to make issues like Churros, Beer Battered Fish, Honey Rooster and so on as it should alter the flavour of the batter.


Lifetime of Dozer

Dozer’s routine to deal with his old-man medical situation consists of half-hour after every meal on his digestion mattress which is ready on an incline so gravity will help his meals transfer down into this abdomen. He all the time begins off so effectively, completely place:

Then about midway by, he begins to get bored and squirm off….

And by the tip, I often discover him like this:

If he may discuss, I’m positive he’d be declaring “I’m nonetheless technically on the digestion mattress, mum! My proper paw is!”😂

Background: Dozer’s digestion mattress is my sensible/viable different to a feeding chair that maintain canine in an upright place throughout and submit consuming – too laborious for a big canine like Dozer, and likewise his backbone shouldn’t be sturdy sufficient! It’s a routine to deal with negative effects of his laryngeal paralysis situation which he was identified with earlier this yr. I’m so pleased to have the ability to inform you he recovered and is having fun with life to the max, albeit a bit slower lately as a senior canine (he’s 12, nearly 13!), he’s in remarkably nice situation and nonetheless in a position to get pleasure from romping on the seashore. I’m so grateful he’s okay! ❤️

Proof of seashore romping:

Screenshot



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