Oven-Baked Popcorn Chicken

DESCRIPTION

Irresistible popcorn chicken that is secretly healthier but tastes just as good as the fried version. This easy popcorn chicken requires little to no additional oil to make and is baked in the oven to crunchy bite-sized perfection.

INGREDIENTS

• 400g boneless chicken thigh
• 1 egg, beaten
• 50g cornstarch
• 100g panko crumbs
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• Cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 200°C / 390°F.
2. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.
3. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and lightly grease it.
4. Prepare 3 bowls. Place cornstarch in the first bowl, beaten egg and 1/2 tsp salt in the second bowl, and panko crumbs and the rest of the seasoning in the third bowl. Mix the seasoning until well combined with panko crumbs.
5. Dip a piece of chicken into the cornstarch, then egg, then panko crumb mixture. Transfer to prepared baking tray. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
6. Spray crumbed chicken very lightly with cooking spray. Transfer to oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through on the inside.
7. Serve immediately with your favorite sauces.

NOTES

• I used chicken thigh but you can use chicken breast if you want. Note that chicken breast will turn out slightly drier and you might need to reduce baking time by 1-2 minutes.
• Feel free to adjust amount of cayenne pepper to suit your spice preference.
• You may omit cooking spray completely to make this recipe lower in fat. However, note that the crumbs won’t be as golden and the popcorn chicken will also turn out a little bit drier.
• Feel free to substitute panko crumbs with gluten-free breadcrumbs or coconut flakes if you are gluten-intolerant.

© Chloe Ting Recipes – https://chloeting.com/recipes/oven-baked-popcorn-chicken