Popcorn hen – RecipeTin Eats

This can be a KFC popcorn hen 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 hen

Many individuals have tried this popcorn hen now, together with a complete crew of builders at my house which is beneath renovation. I received’t repeat what they really mentioned after they tried it. Let’s simply say Aussie builders are liberal customers of flowery language when they’re annoyed – or after they’re extraordinarily enthusiastic! 😂

The flavour is a copycat of KFC popcorn hen, with it’s distinct seasoning. However there may be one large standout distinction – this do-it-yourself popcorn hen is definitely crispy. KFC’s isn’t! It’s relatively smooth and fairly greasy.

For individuals who are nervous about fried recipes, this popcorn hen 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 hen items!

Substances in Popcorn Hen

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

Hen and marinade

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

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

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

  Nonetheless, you actually can use any minimize of hen meat – thighs, drumstick meat, something that may be minimize into cubes.

• Buttermilk – Sensible for tenderising the hen 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 selection 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, often 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 Purple Velvet Cake.

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

  Non dairy – You should utilize any non dairy milk blended 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 would have an identical marinating impact like buttermilk does.

• Egg helps the flour persist with the hen.

• Salt – To season the flesh of the hen.

Flour coating (“breading”) and seasoning

“Breading” refers to coating the hen 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 take advantage of the time period “breading” which appears a bit extra common within the culinary world as of late, 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 hen relatively than large 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 a bit smaller in order that they meld higher onto the floor of the small bites of hen.

• Flour and cornflour/cornstarch – Utilizing a mixture of flour and cornflour produces the perfect end result for a crunchy, golden crust for fried hen. Flour (simply common, plain/all goal flour) is normal for coating fried meals, nevertheless it doesn’t turn out to be all that crispy. Properly, it’s fairly crispy straight out of the fryer nevertheless it loses crispiness rapidly.

  Cornflour, alternatively, 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 laborious and will get caught in your tooth.

  Through the use of a mixture of the 2, we will obtain crispy fried hen perfection with simply the correct texture!

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

The best way to make Popcorn Hen

In case you’re a succesful cook dinner, that is all it is advisable to know for the way to make popcorn hen:

1. Marinate hen 1 hour;

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

3. Fry 2 minutes at 180°C/350°F.

Nonetheless, this part is a bit lengthier than 3 steps so even up-and-coming cooks can have the boldness that it is a relatively simple recipe. I’ve some ideas succesful cooks most likely already know for working with heaps and many little items of hen. Coating and cooking them one-by-one could be a ache!

1. Preparation

1. Minimize the hen into small 1.25cm / 1/2″ cubes.

   I minimize the hen into 1.25cm / 1/2″ strips, then minimize the skinny finish into cubes, and minimize the broader finish in half lengthways then into cubes.

2. Whisk marinade – Put the buttermilk marinade components in a bowl and whisk to mix.

3. Marinade – Add the hen, combine to coat and marinade for 1 to three hours, however don’t transcend 24 hours else the hen is usually a little too salty.

4. 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 aim right here is to get all these little items of hen coated within the breading combination with out having to deal with them one-by-one which might take eternally! The additional aim is a straightforward little trick that makes our popcorn hen cook dinner up additional crispy. 🙂

Bonus: Comply with 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 hen bowl. (That is for the extra-crispy trick).

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

3. Combine / rub the marinade by way of the flour so that you get numerous little clumps of flour. These turn out to be additional crispy bits on the hen, it’s so good!

4. Drip – Utilizing your left hand (I’m proper handed), choose up a handful of hen and let the marinade drip by way of your fingers.

5. Scatter the hen throughout the floor of the flour bowl. That is our alternative to separate every bit of hen as a result of as soon as coated with the flour, they received’t stick collectively.

6. Spoon – Utilizing your proper hand, spoon flour over the hen then, nonetheless together with your hand hand, use your fingers to toss and press flour onto the hen.

7. Shake – Decide up a number of the hen (nonetheless together with your proper hand) and provides it a shake to take away many of the extra flour.

8. Unfold the hen 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 hen.

AND VOILA! Did you discover how your palms 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 hen solely takes a few minutes to cook dinner so in the event you use a big cooking vessel it is advisable to transfer quicker – see FAQ for extra data.

Shallow frying – As a result of the items of hen 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 is going to 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. Remaining toss / separate – The hen 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 hen you’re about to cook dinner a bit toss on the tray within the extra flour to re-coat them and make them white once more, and to make sure they don’t seem to be sticking collectively.

2. Use scooper for security (or palms, in the event you’re a professional) – Then use a big scooper with giant holes (relatively than effective mesh) to choose up a handful of hen items and shake off extra flour (ie falls by way of the outlet).

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

3. Decrease the hen 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 the way to check the oil temperature in the event you don’t have one.

4. Fry 2 minutes – Then cook dinner the hen for two – 2 1/2 minutes till the floor is crispy and golden. Agitate the hen midway by way of the cook dinner time and separate any sticking collectively.

5. Scoop – When the hen is completed, scoop it out.

6. Unfold – Then unfold it out on a paper towel lined tray, to soak up extra oil. Then proceed to cook dinner remaining hen, remembering to perform a little ultimate flour toss on the tray earlier than cooking every batch!

Oven and air fryer strategies – please see the FAQ for why it isn’t really helpful 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 hen is flavoured sufficient and crispy sufficient on the surface and juicy sufficient on the within to need to shovel handfuls into your mouth plain, a bit 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 hen. You possibly can just about use any dipping sauce for it!

HOW TO SERVE IT

Tumble all of it into an enormous serving bowl and let all people dig in (palms!) and assist themselves.

Or, serve it like film popcorn in paper cups or popcorn bins, in the event you’re feeling additional enjoyable! I picked up those pictured on this submit from a reduction retailer, they have 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 do-it-yourself slaw (right here’s my favorite no-mayo Slaw, in order for you a lighter possibility) and KFC copycat potato and gravy (makes a superb dipper too!).

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

Hope you get pleasure from! Oh, and a bit trick I shared with a reader I ran into yesterday after I informed her I used to be sharing this immediately (hello Charlotte!) – use leftover marinade and flour to cook dinner up some little calmly steamed cauliflower florets. It appears to be like simply just like the hen. What a solution to sneak greens into the youngsters, eh?? A popcorn field stuffed with a mixture of popcorn hen and popcorn cauliflower!! – Nagi x

Watch the way to make it

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Popcorn hen – higher than KFC!

Creator: Nagi

Prep: 25 minutes minutes

Cook dinner: 10 minutes minutes

Whole: 35 minutes minutes

Mains, Snack

Southern, Western

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 hen isn’t, 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 straightforward finish of frying recipes as a result of it is simply shallow fried and takes simply 2 minutes. Serve in cups or mini popcorn bins with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce for a enjoyable meal or snack that everybody loves! Air fryer and baking choices – not lined on this recipe, please see FAQ above for motive.

Substances

CupsMetric

Popcorn Hen Breading (Observe 4):

KFC 11 Secret Herbs and Spices (Observe 4):

Dipping sauce recommendations

Cook dinner ModeStop display screen from sleeping

Directions

Marinade hen:

• Minimize hen into small 1.25 cm / 1/2″ cubes.

• Marinade – Whisk marinade in a bowl. Add hen, stir to coat, then refrigerate for 1 hour (now 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 hen 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 numerous small lumpy bits all all through (this fries up into additional crunchy bits, secret trick!).

Put together to cook dinner (work in specified order of steps):

• Frying vessel (Observe 5) – Giant saucepan / small pot ~20cm/8″ really helpful for learners. Giant pot / deep skillet ~24cm/9.5″ or bigger really helpful just for succesful cooks. Use heavy primarily based (not mild and flimsy), for security and warmth retention.

• Preheat oven to 50°C/125°F, to maintain cooked hen heat.

Breading (PS I am proper handed):

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

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

Frying:

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

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

• Serve hen – in popcorn bins, for additional enjoyable issue! – with dipping sauce of selection (pictured, Honey Mustard).

Recipe Notes:

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

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1. Hen – This will actually be made with any minimize of hen meat. I take advantage of breast as a result of it’s straightforward 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, depart 10 minutes. Will curdle. Use per recipe.
Non dairy – Use plain flavoured non dairy yogurt and milk (portions as above), and it the yogurt isn’t acidic in any respect like dairy yogurt is, simply add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar.
3. Salt – Halve if utilizing effective desk salt, enhance 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 many others, breading = flour coatings. Mash up of Aussie/US culinary converse 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, numerous little items of hen 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 velocity to fret about. Succesful cooks – be at liberty to make use of a bigger cooking vessel ~25cm/10″. With a skillet, you may cook dinner all of the hen in 3 batches in 6 minutes flat!
6. Batch cooking – Relying on how briskly you’re employed and the way nicely your hen is flour coated, the hen might sweat (ie change from white to darkish) whereas it’s ready round on the tray. If that’s the case, simply toss the hen within the flour on the tray simply earlier than frying.
7. Oil temperature – use a thermometer to examine the temperature. In case you don’t have one, check by throwing in a lump of breading – ought to sizzle right away however not burn rapidly. 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 submit / video for the one I’ve.
In case you don’t have one with holes giant sufficient for the flour to simply fall by way of, shake extra flour off earlier than transferring into a daily finer mesh spider or slotted spoon earlier than reducing into the oil.
9. Recipe supply: Some methods tailored from Kenji’s recipe on Severe Eats with some steps simplified / amended primarily based 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 isn’t as juicy as freshly cooked. Reheat with a fast 30 second fry or 3 minutes in a very popular oven.
Oil reuse – Oil will get infused with the seasoning flavour so whereas it’s okay to re-use a few times extra, be aware that no matter you cook dinner will probably be infused with the seasoning flavour from this recipe. I used the identical oil to make this identical popcorn hen 3 instances. I let the flour bits settle then poured off the clear oil, and topped up a bit as wanted.

Vitamin 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%)

Key phrases: KFC popcorn hen recipe, popcorn hen

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Lifetime of Dozer

Dozer’s routine to deal with his old-man medical situation consists of half-hour after every meal on his digestion mattress which is ready on an incline so gravity will help his meals transfer down into this abdomen. He all the time begins off so nicely, completely place:

Then about midway by way of, he begins to get bored and squirm off….

And by the top, I often discover him like this:

If he might discuss, 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 submit consuming – too laborious for a big canine like Dozer, and likewise his backbone isn’t robust sufficient! It’s a routine to deal with negative effects of his laryngeal paralysis situation which he was recognized with earlier this yr. I’m so blissful to have the ability to inform you he recovered and is having fun with life to the max, albeit a bit slower as of late as a senior canine (he’s 12, nearly 13!), he’s in remarkably nice situation and nonetheless in a position to get pleasure from romping on the seaside. I’m so grateful he’s okay! ❤️

Proof of seaside romping: