Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (Gà Chiên Lá Quế Đài Loan)

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Taiwanese Popcorn chicken is a beloved street food that’s a staple at night markets and boba shops alike. There’s something so satisfying about getting handed a bag of this crispy, spiced, bite-sized chicken on a little wooden skewer to eat it with. Luckily, the dish isn’t that hard to make at home, thanks to Argo Corn Starch!

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Argo Corn Starch is the secret ingredient to getting that delicate crispy crust on the chicken. In Taiwan, potato starch is used, but I don’t usually keep any in the house, and corn starch has so many more uses. It’s also celiac-friendly, unlike flour dredges, because Argo Corn Starch is gluten free!

Jump to:

• ? Ingredients
• ? Instructions
• ? Substitutions
• ? Variations
• ? Equipment
• ? Serving Suggestions
• ? How to store or make in advance
• ? Serving Size
• Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (Gà Chiên Lá Quế Đài Loan)
• ? Food safety

? Ingredients

You will need:

For the chicken:

• Skinless, boneless chicken thigh
• Soy sauce
• Shaoxing wine
• Salt
• Pepper
• Five Spice Powder
• Grated garlic
• Grated Ginger
• Thai Basil
• Argo Corn Starch
• Canola oil or another neutral, high smoke point oil

For the optional spice sprinkle:

• Five spice powder
• Szechuan peppercorns
• Salt
• Pepper

See recipe card for quantities.

? Instructions

Tips:

• The basil leaves will continue to cook slightly when you take them out, so remove them from the oil earlier than you’d think or else they’ll burn.
• If you want extra crispy chicken, fry the cooked chicken one more time after it’s been taken out of the oil to cool.
• You want the cornstarch to be a little bit moist and resemble sand or little beads on the surface of the meat.

? Substitutions

• I have not personally tried to make this recipe vegetarian, but I would recommend using oyster mushroom, seitan, or a similar food that won't fall apart when you massage the corn starch into it.
• You can use boneless chicken breast if you don’t like thighs, but the chicken will be a little bit drier. Thighs are much harder to overcook and will stay succulent.

? Variations

You can make various flavors of popcorn chicken by playing around with the marinade and spice sprinkle:

• Spicy: Add a little sriracha to the marinade, and chili flakes to the spice sprinkle
• Curry: Add your favorite curry powder to the marinade and spice sprinkle, omit the Szechuan peppercorns
• Garlic Parmesan: Omit the five spice and Szechuan peppercorns, add extra garlic to the marinade and use garlic powder and Parmesan cheese to the spice sprinkle.

? Equipment

I use a cast iron skillet to fry my chicken. Make sure there’s enough oil in the pan so that the chicken is fully submerged when it’s added. A dutch oven will work as well.

? Serving Suggestions

Taiwanese popcorn chicken is usually served as-is, with little bamboo skewers to skewer the chicken with. If you’d like to round out the meal with a vegetable, I recommend some seaweed salad or kimchi.

Many boba or bubble tea shops have Taiwanese popcorn chicken on the menu. Serve this up with some boba for an authentic treat.

? How to store or make in advance

Once the chicken is fried it should be served immediately. Marinated chicken can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking, or frozen after marinating. To cook it from the freezer, let the chicken completely defrost before mixing in the Argo Corn Starch.

Leftover chicken can be reheated in the oven on a wire rack or in an air fryer to preserve the crispiness, but it might dry out a bit.

? Food safety

Whenever cooking meat, follow these best practices:

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point when deep frying.
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

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