Popcorn rooster – RecipeTin Eats


It is a KFC popcorn rooster 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 rooster

Many individuals have tried this popcorn rooster now, together with a complete crew of builders at my house which is underneath renovation. I gained’t repeat what they really stated once they tried it. Let’s simply say Aussie builders are liberal customers of flowery language when they’re pissed off – or once they’re extraordinarily enthusiastic! 😂

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

The flavour is a copycat of KFC popcorn rooster, with it’s distinct seasoning. However there may be one large standout distinction – this selfmade popcorn rooster is definitely crispy. KFC’s will not be! It’s somewhat smooth and fairly greasy.

For individuals who are nervous about fried recipes, this popcorn rooster is an effective place to start out 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 rooster items!

Popcorn chicken

Substances in Popcorn Hen

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

Hen and marinade

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

Don’t have buttermilk? Don’t fear, there are simple substitutes, see beneath the photograph or the recipe card.

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

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

  • Buttermilk – Sensible for tenderising the rooster 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 Hen. It’s barely thicker than common milk however thinner than pouring cream, and mixed with egg it creates a very good batter thickness for the correct quantity of flour to cling to the floor of every piece.

    Discover it alongside milk on the grocery retailer, normally 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 Pink Velvet Cake.

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

    Non dairy – You should 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 can have the same marinating impact like buttermilk does.

  • Egg helps the flour keep on with the rooster.

  • Salt – To season the flesh of the rooster.

Flour coating (“breading”) and seasoning

“Breading” refers to coating the rooster 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” after 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 exploit the time period “breading” which appears slightly extra common within the culinary world nowadays, although sure, I do know breadcrumbs aren’t concerned!

  • The Seasoning is a KFC copycat. It’s the identical components utilized in my KFC Copycat Fried Hen recipe, though portions tweaked barely to go well with Popcorn Hen. For instance, the amount of salt is drastically diminished as a result of we’re working with tiny items of rooster somewhat than big bone-in, skin-one items which is far more durable for seasoning to penetrate. Additionally, I wish to crush the oregano and thyme with my fingers to make them slightly smaller so that they meld higher onto the floor of the small bites of rooster.

  • Flour and cornflour/cornstarch – Utilizing a mix of flour and cornflour produces one of the best outcome for a crunchy, golden crust for fried rooster. Flour (simply common, plain/all goal flour) is customary for coating fried meals, nevertheless it doesn’t turn into all that crispy. Nicely, 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 arduous and will get caught in your tooth.

    Through the use of a mix of the 2, we will obtain crispy fried rooster perfection with simply the proper texture!

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

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

Methods to make Popcorn Hen

In the event you’re a succesful cook dinner, that is all that you must know for tips on how to make popcorn rooster:

  1. Marinate rooster 1 hour;

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

  3. Fry 2 minutes at 180°C/350°F.

Nevertheless, this part is slightly lengthier than 3 steps so even up-and-coming cooks can have the arrogance that this can be a somewhat simple recipe. I’ve some ideas succesful cooks in all probability already know for working with heaps and plenty of little items of rooster. Coating and cooking them one-by-one can be a ache!

1. Preparation

  1. Reduce the rooster into small 1.25cm / 1/2″ cubes.

    I reduce the rooster 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 components in a bowl and whisk to mix.

  1. Marinade – Add the rooster, combine to coat and marinade for 1 to three hours, however don’t transcend 24 hours else the rooster is usually 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 rooster 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 rooster cook dinner up further crispy. 🙂

Bonus: Observe 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 rooster bowl. (That is for the extra-crispy trick).

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

  1. Combine / rub the marinade via the flour so that you get a number of little clumps of flour. These turn into further crispy bits on the rooster, it’s so good! Glorious crispy rooster trick picked up Kenji’s Fried Hen recipe on Critical Eats.

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

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

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

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

  2. Unfold the rooster 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 rooster.

AND VOILA! Did you discover how your arms 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 use a bigger one round 25cm/10″. Popcorn rooster solely takes a few minutes to cook dinner so in the event you use a big cooking vessel that you must transfer sooner – see FAQ for extra data.

Shallow frying – As a result of the items of rooster are so small, we don’t want a lot oil. Simply 2.5cm / 1″ depth in no matter cooking vessel you might be utilizing. It would 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. Ultimate toss / separate – The rooster 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 rooster you’re about to cook dinner slightly toss on the tray within the extra flour to re-coat them and make them white once more, and to make sure they aren’t sticking collectively.

  2. Use scooper for security (or arms, in the event you’re a professional) – Then use a big scooper with massive holes (somewhat than effective mesh) to select up a handful of rooster items and shake off extra flour (ie falls via the outlet).

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

  1. Decrease the rooster 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 tips on how to take a look at the oil temperature in the event you don’t have one.

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

  1. Scoop – When the rooster 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 rooster, remembering to perform a little remaining flour toss on the tray earlier than cooking every batch!

Popcorn chicken

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


Issues of serving

Dipping sauce

And although I can guarantee you that this popcorn rooster is flavoured sufficient and crispy sufficient on the surface and juicy sufficient on the within to need to shovel handfuls into your mouth plain, slightly dipping sauce definitely 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 rooster. You possibly can 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 everyone dig in (arms!) 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 put up from a reduction retailer, they had been $2 for five (right here they’re on Amazon Australia).

WHAT TO SERVE WITH POPCORN CHICKEN

For an actual KFC expertise at house, full your meal with a facet of selfmade slaw (right here’s my favorite no-mayo Slaw, if you would like a lighter possibility) and KFC copycat potato and gravy (makes a superb dipper too!).

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

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

Popcorn rooster further ideas & FAQ


Watch tips on how to make it

And watch me make it! Shout out to Kenji’s Fried Hen recipe on Critical Eats for the superb further crispy trick that I apply to all my fried rooster 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 rooster – 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 really crispy – KFC popcorn rooster will not be, it is smooth 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 coated on this recipe, please see FAQ above for cause.

Substances

Popcorn Hen Breading (Observe 4):

KFC 11 Secret Herbs and Spices (Observe 4):

Dipping sauce ideas

Stop display screen from sleeping

Directions

Marinade rooster:

  • Reduce rooster into small 1.25 cm / 1/2″ cubes.

  • Marinade – Whisk marinade in a bowl. Add rooster, stir to coat, then refrigerate for 1 hour (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 rooster 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 a number of 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 rookies. 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 rooster heat.

Breading (PS I am proper handed):

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

  • Shake off extra (use proper hand) – Separate the rooster items and press the clumpy flour onto the rooster items. Decide up a handful, shake extra flour off via fingers (no must be thorough). Unfold rooster on tray. Repeat with remaining rooster. 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 rooster 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 rooster items will not be caught collectively.

Frying:

  • Line a tray with paper towels (for draining cooked rooster). Preheat oven to 50°C/125°F to maintain cooked rooster 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 – Decide up some rooster and put it in a spider with massive holes (Observe 8) and shake so extra flour falls via (or use arms to shake off extra flour then then switch right into a scoop to decrease into oil). Fastidiously decrease rooster into the oil. Fry for two – 2.5 minutes till golden, separating any that get caught collectively round midway via.

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

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

Recipe Notes:

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


1. Hen – This could actually be made with any reduce of rooster meat. I exploit breast as a result of it’s simple 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 will not be acidic in any respect like dairy yogurt is, simply add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar.
3. Salt – Halve if utilizing effective 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 decent & spicy!
  • Spices – Positive in the event you’re lacking one or two, perhaps even 3, there’s loads of different spices to maintain it flavourful. See components 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, a number of little items of rooster 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 less complicated, 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 rooster in 3 batches in 6 minutes flat!
6. Batch cooking – Relying on how briskly you’re employed and the way properly your rooster is flour coated, the rooster could sweat (ie change from white to darkish) whereas it’s ready round on the tray. In that case, simply toss the rooster within the flour on the tray simply earlier than frying.
7. Oil temperature – use a thermometer to examine the temperature. In the event you don’t have one, take a look at 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 photos in put up / video for the one I’ve.
In the event you don’t have one with holes massive sufficient for the flour to simply fall via, shake extra flour off earlier than transferring into an everyday finer mesh spider or slotted spoon earlier than reducing into the oil.
9. Recipe supply: Some methods tailored from Kenji’s recipe on Critical 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 will not 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 couple of times extra, be aware that no matter you cook dinner will likely be infused with the seasoning flavour from this recipe. I used the identical oil to make this identical popcorn rooster 3 instances. I let the flour bits settle then poured off the clear oil, and topped up a bit as wanted.

Diet Data:

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 Hen to make issues like Churros, Beer Battered Fish, Honey Hen and so on as it can alter the flavour of the batter.


Lifetime of Dozer

Dozer’s routine to handle his old-man medical situation contains half-hour after every meal on his digestion mattress which is ready on an incline so gravity can assist his meals transfer down into this abdomen. He at all times begins off so properly, completely place:

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

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

If he might speak, I’m certain 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 put up consuming – too arduous for a big canine like Dozer, and likewise his backbone will not be sturdy sufficient! It’s a routine to handle uncomfortable side effects of his laryngeal paralysis situation which he was identified with earlier this 12 months. I’m so completely satisfied to have the ability to inform you he recovered and is having fun with life to the max, albeit slightly slower nowadays as a senior canine (he’s 12, virtually 13!), he’s in remarkably nice situation and nonetheless capable of take pleasure in romping on the seashore. I’m so grateful he’s okay! ❤️

Proof of seashore romping:

Screenshot



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