Popcorn Chicken is one of those comfort foods that never gets old. While these crispy, juicy morsels are 100% kid-friendly, the adults in your life will enjoy them just as much.

If you love the taste of our Crispy Chicken Sandwiches or Baked Chicken Nuggets, this Popcorn Chicken recipe is going to become a regular part of your dinner rotation.

a plate with popcorn chicken and veggies

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What is Popcorn Chicken?

It’s likely that you first fell in love with popcorn chicken at KFC. If you’ve never tried it before, it features tender chunks of chicken breast that have been breaded and deep-fried to golden brown perfection. Unlike traditional fried chicken or Chicken Tenders, it comes in bite-sized pieces (hence the “popcorn” reference in the name).

It can be served as a snack or appetizer with your favorite dipping sauce, over salad, or with your favorite side for a complete meal. 

Ingredients for Popcorn Chicken

  • Chicken Breast – Use fresh or thawed chicken, cut it into even, bite-sized pieces
  • Flour – all-purpose flour works best for this recipe
  • Salt – fine sea salt or table salt will do
  • Garlic powder – adds extra flavor to the breading
  • Buttermilk – makes the chicken juicy and the breading nice and crispy
  • Panko Crumbs – add a nice, crunchy texture to the chicken 
  • Oil – use any high heat cooking oil such as canola oil, vegetable oil, or light olive oil
ingredients for popcorn chicken

How to Make Popcorn Chicken

  1. Slice chicken breast – cut into even, bite-sized pieces. 
  2. Make the flour mixture – Whisk the flour, salt, and garlic powder together in a medium bowl. 
  3. Measure buttermilk & panko – Pour buttermilk into a separate bowl and the panko bread crumbs onto a plate. 
  4. Dredge the chicken – Dip the chicken bites into the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk then panko.
  5. Fry the chicken – Preheat about 1-inch of oil in a deep frying pan to 350˚F and pop the coated chicken pieces inside. Fry in small batches until golden brown.
  6. Allow the chicken to rest – Remove the popcorn chicken from oil with a slotted spoon and let it rest on a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up the excess grease or a wire rack with paper towels underneath. Serve with your favorite sauce! 
a step by step image of how to make popcorn chicken

Tips for the Tastiest Popcorn Chicken

  • Cut the chicken into even-sized pieces – To ensure even cooking, slice the chicken into similar-sized pieces. 
  • Avoid overcooking the chicken – Once the chicken turns golden brown, remove it immediately from the oil. The longer it cooks, the drier it will get. Chicken breast should reach 165˚F on an instant read thermometer when done.
  • Check the oil with a thermometer – To make sure your oil has reached 350°F before adding the chicken. 
  • Season the batter – If you’re feeling adventurous, add in a couple teaspoons of different spices into the flour mixture. Cayenne pepper, freshly cracked black pepper, and paprika are all great flavorings.
  • Add baking powder for extra crispy popcorn chicken – If you like your chicken extra crispy, add in a couple of tablespoons of baking powder to the flour mixture. 
Crispy popcorn chicken bites on plate

How to Serve

Platter of popcorn chicken served with ketchup

Common Questions

Is popcorn chicken just chicken nuggets?

They are very similar. Popcorn chicken is smaller-sized and made with whole pieces of chicken breast meat, while chicken nuggets use ground chicken and can be made with both chicken breasts and thighs.

What’s the best way to reheat popcorn chicken?

The best way to reheat leftover popcorn chicken in the oven or air fryer at 350°F until crispy and warmed through.

Can you freeze popcorn chicken? 

To freeze popcorn chicken, assemble the raw, breaded chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze uncovered for 1 hour or until frozen, then transfer to freezer-safe zip bags and store up to 3 months. Bake frozen nuggets at 400˚F for 15-18 minutes or just until cooked through with an internal temperature of 165˚F.

Can you make gluten-free popcorn chicken? 

Yes – substitute in your favorite gluten-free flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs and prepare as directed.

More Tasty Chicken Recipes

We love chicken recipes like this Popcorn Chicken because they are inexpensive, easy to make, and well-loved by everyone. P.S. If you love chicken, check out our 40+ Best Chicken Breast Recipes.

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Easy Popcorn Chicken Recipe

4.96 from 66 votes
Author: Natalya Drozhzhin
Popcorn Chicken served on a platter with ketchup
Popcorn chicken is crispy on the outside and juicy inside. Satisfying and the ultimate comfort food. Great as an appetizer or salad topping.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 8 servings as an appetizer

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and garlic powder.
  • Pour the buttermilk into a separate bowl and the panko crumbs onto a plate.
  • Dredge a piece of chicken into the flour mixture until evenly coated then dip in buttermilk, letting excess drip off. Lastly, roll in panko bread crumbs until evenly coated. Transfer to a platter.
  • Preheat 1-inch of oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat. Adjust the heat to keep the oil at 350˚F. Fry the popcorn chicken in small batches, leaving space between each piece and flipping as needed. Fry until golden brown and 165˚F at the deepest part of the chicken on a thermometer.
  • Remove the popcorn chicken from the oil and let it rest on a paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce!

Notes

*Nutrition calculation is only an estimate as it is difficult to quantify oil quantity from frying. 

Nutrition Per Serving

347kcal Calories13g Carbs39g Protein14g Fat3g Saturated Fat2g Polyunsaturated Fat8g Monounsaturated Fat0.02g Trans Fat112mg Cholesterol748mg Sodium702mg Potassium1g Fiber2g Sugar101IU Vitamin A2mg Vitamin C65mg Calcium1mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Easy Popcorn Chicken Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
347
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
14
g
22
%
Saturated Fat
 
3
g
19
%
Trans Fat
 
0.02
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
8
g
Cholesterol
 
112
mg
37
%
Sodium
 
748
mg
33
%
Potassium
 
702
mg
20
%
Carbohydrates
 
13
g
4
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
2
g
2
%
Protein
 
39
g
78
%
Vitamin A
 
101
IU
2
%
Vitamin C
 
2
mg
2
%
Calcium
 
65
mg
7
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: popcorn chicken recipe
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $$
Calories: 347

Natalya Drozhzhin

Natalya is a food blogger who founded Momsdish.com to make cooking easier. Growing up on a farm in Ukraine, Natalya was inspired by the amazing dishes that were prepared using simple ingredients. Natalya is most notably known for making cooking approachable for any person.

Read more posts by Natalya

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Deni
    March 6, 2024

    This looks delicious but I’ve sworn off canola/vegetable oils and use only olive or avocado oil. Can I substitute I hope? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 6, 2024

      Hi Deni, avocado oil may work as long as it has a high smoke point. I hope you love this recipe.

      Reply

  • Lians
    February 18, 2024

    I made it with coconut milk. Used a candy thermometer to get the vegetable oil to the right temperature. It was awesome. Appreciate your teaching.
    Quick question- My oven has 425F air fryer setting. I was thinking of air frying the recipe instead. Your advice?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      February 19, 2024

      Hi Lians! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! I haven’t tested this on air fryer mode. I looked through the comments to see if any of my readers have left any feedback on this but I did not see any comments. I assume it could work please let us know how it turns out if you experiment.

      Reply

  • Kristi
    September 4, 2023

    I just made this recipe tonight & was wondering if you could confirm the amount of salt. I loved everything about it, but they were way too salty. Was the 1.5T in your recipe correct?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      September 4, 2023

      Hi Kristi, I apologize for not catching that – I’m certain it should have been 1.5 tsp rather than Tablespoons. Thank you for letting me know and I’m sorry we didn’t catch that sooner.

      Reply

  • klara
    July 2, 2023

    it didnt turn out well… it wasnt like crispy at all.. probably wont do it some other time

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 2, 2023

      Hi Kiara! This can happen if your oil is not hot enough. Check the oil with a thermometer (affiliate link) to make sure your oil has reached 350°F before adding the chicken. Also, I mentioned in the notes if you like your chicken extra crispy, add a couple of tablespoons of baking powder to the flour mixture.

      Reply

  • Tulika Sinha
    June 13, 2023

    Hi Natasha, can I refry before serving instead of reheating in the oven?
    Thanks

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      June 13, 2023

      Hi Tulika! I think that could work but I haven’t tested that.I worry they might dry out. We like to reheat these in the air fryer or the oven.

      Reply

  • Tulika Sinha
    June 11, 2023

    Hi Natasha, can we substitute the butter milk with something else

    Like yogurt or something else?
    Thx😊

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      June 11, 2023

      You can try to make your own buttermilk at a ratio of 1 cup whole milk to 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice. Combine and let it sit 10 minutes to curdle then stir and use.

      Reply

      • Tulika Sinha
        June 12, 2023

        Thx, will try making the buttermilk as suggested by you
        Thx 😊

        Reply

        • Natashas Kitchen
          June 12, 2023

          I hope you love it!

          Reply

  • Tulika Sinha
    June 7, 2023

    Hi Natasha, thx for sharing such wonderful recipes 😊

    Can we use chicken thigh meat( bite size) for the popcorn
    Since chicken thighs are juicy and won’t dry out
    Thx
    Tulika

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 7, 2023

      Hi Tulika, yes, chicken nuggets can be made with both chicken breasts and thighs. I hope that helps!

      Reply

      • Tulika Sinha
        June 8, 2023

        Thx Natasha for the quick response 😊 Your videos are so helpful and entertaining as well!

        Reply

        • NatashasKitchen.com
          June 8, 2023

          You’re welcome, Tulika! Thank you.

          Reply

  • Mariah
    March 28, 2023

    Can the buttermilk and panko be substituted with regular milk and breadcrumbs? Just trying to stick with what’s in my cupboard. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 28, 2023

      Hi Mariah, I haven’t tested using just milk. Panko breadcrumbs work well for frying chicken because they crisp up so beautifully. Regular breadcrumbs can be used interchangeably in most recipes. It won’t be quite the same but I assume it would work just fine for this recipce.

      Reply

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