Description
This Popcorn Chicken recipe offers bite-sized, crispy-coated chicken pieces that can be baked, air fried, or deep-fried for a crunchy, flavorful snack or meal. Coated in a seasoned flour and egg mixture, then encrusted with crushed cornflakes, these chicken bites are versatile and perfect served with your favorite dipping sauces.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 2–3 large breasts)
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup milk
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 ½ cups corn flakes cereal, lightly crushed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Coat Chicken: Place chicken pieces in a bowl or ziplock bag and add the flour, stirring or shaking to coat completely. Set aside.
- Prepare Egg Mixture: In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Set aside. In another shallow bowl, place the crushed cornflakes.
- Dredge Chicken: Dip each flour-coated chicken piece into the egg mixture, then press it gently into the cornflake crumbs to coat thoroughly.
- Choose Cooking Method: Opt to bake, air fry, or deep-fry the prepared chicken according to your preference.
- Bake: Arrange the coated chicken on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 10 minutes. Flip the pieces and bake for another 5-8 minutes until fully cooked.
- Air Fry: Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange half the chicken pieces in a single layer and spray the tops with cooking spray. Air fry at 360°F for 3 minutes. Flip chicken, spray the tops again, increase temperature to 400°F, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until crisp and cooked through.
- Deep Fry: Heat vegetable oil in a pot to 350°F. Working in batches, lower the chicken into the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
- Serve: Serve the popcorn chicken warm with dipping sauces such as BBQ, Hot Honey, ranch, or Chick-fil-A sauce.
Notes
- You can easily adjust seasoning to taste; add cayenne pepper for spice.
- Ensure chicken pieces are uniform in size for even cooking.
- For extra crispiness when baking, lightly spray chicken with cooking spray before baking.
- If air frying, do not overcrowd the basket to allow proper air circulation and crisping.
- Leftover popcorn chicken can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-18 minutes depending on cooking method
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: popcorn chicken, crispy chicken bites, baked chicken nuggets, air fryer chicken, deep-fried chicken, party snacks, kid-friendly recipes
