Air fryer recipe · Snacks
Chicken Popcorn
Bite-sized crunchy chicken nuggets that disappear faster than you can fry them.
- 30 minTotal time
- 200°CAir fryer
- 5Serves
- Non-vegetarianDiet
Nutrition per serving
- 140kcal
- 17.7 gprotein
- 10.3 gcarbs
- 3.0 gfat
- 0.5 gfibre
Per serving, about 5 servings. Figures are estimates from standard ingredient databases, not medical, dietetic, or nutritional advice.
Ingredients
- Chicken breast, small cubes400 g
- Buttermilk4 tbsp
- All-purpose flour5 tbsp
- Cornflour2 tbsp
- Paprika1 tsp
- Garlic powder1 tsp
Method
Soak in buttermilk
Soak the small chicken cubes in seasoned buttermilk for 20 minutes to keep them juicy. The mild acid in the buttermilk softens the meat, so the tiny bites stay tender inside their crisp coating.
Mix the dredge
Stir the flour, cornflour, paprika, garlic powder, salt and black pepper in a wide bowl. The cornflour is what gives that light, shattering crunch, so do not skip it or the crust turns soft and bready.
Dredge and shake
Lift each piece from the buttermilk and toss it in the flour mix, pressing so the coating grips. Shake off the extra flour so you do not get thick, doughy, gummy patches; a thin, even coat crisps best.
Spritz and air-fry
Spray the coated cubes well with oil and spread them out without overlap. Air fry at 200°C for 13 min, shaking the basket twice, until golden and crunchy. The chicken is done when it is opaque through with no pink at the centre.
