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How to make Taiwanese popcorn chicken

ChihYu Smith

Taiwanese popcorn chicken (AKA Yan Su Ji or Salt and pepper chicken) with super crunchy coating and authentic Taiwanese fried chicken recipe.

Let’s get started!

Slice 

01

Dice the boneless skinless chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces. Clean and pat dry basil leaves before frying them.

Marinate

02

The chicken chunks and seasonings for 30 minutes (or overnight) to soak up the flavors from the spices.

Coat the chicken

03

In a bowl of starch, coat the chicken pieces, making sure all sides are covered. Work in batches.

Air fry, oven, or stovetop

04

Cook until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown. They should be really crispy and with a crunchy coating.

Toss & serve

05

In a large bowl, sprinkle the seasoning salt over the cooked chicken while they’re hot. Top it off with crushed fried basil leaves.

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