Popcorn Chicken – it just SOUNDS like little nuggets of deliciousness! As my girls were growing up, all they wanted for just about any meal was chicken nuggets. Bu they hated the frozen, bagged nuggets – and I hated feeding them to them. These popcorn chicken bites will beat ANY frozen chicken nugget! They are quick to make and are usually eaten before I even get a bite! My youngest daughter gave me the best compliment when she said “Mom, these are even better than Chick Fil A”!
Here’s how I make them:
- You’ll need two bowls – one for an egg and a little milk or water and another for the flour/seasoning mixture.
- Dip the chicken in the egg mixture first and coat and then transfer to the seasoning mixture and coat well. They should look like this when you’re done with this step.
- Fry them in about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a medium skillet. Using a slotted spoon, remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel. Then hit them with some delicious seasoning salt. All done!
Popcorn Chicken
Popcorn Chicken are delicious, poppable bites of perfectly fried goodness! Your kids will ask for these over and over!
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup of panko bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp cajun seasoning like Old Bay
- 2 tsp of paprika
- good sprinkle of salt
- 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- Lawry's seasoning salt or your favorite brand
- * The cajun seasoning does not make these spicy at all! It just gives them a little seasoned taste.
Instructions
- Cut chicken breasts into very small pieces (think popcorn shrimp).
- In one small bowl, mix one egg with either a little milk or just a little water to thin the egg out. Mix well.
- In a second bowl, combine the flour, bread crumbs, cajun seasoning, paprika, and salt. Mix together.
- Add a handful of the chicken pieces to the egg mixture and coat well. Then transfer them to the flour mixture and coat chicken in mixture. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.
- While you are finishing coating all the chicken, heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add the oil. You want the oil to come up about 1/2 inch around the sides of the skillet.
- When all the chicken is coated, add the chicken to the skillet in small batches, turning as it browns. Remove it using a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate covered in paper towels.
- As you take the chicken out of the oil and transfer to the plate, sprinkle with seasoning salt while the chicken is still hot.
- Serve with your favorite sauce and enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
