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A bowl of taiwanese air-fried popcorn chicken.
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5 from 1 vote

Taiwanese Air Fried Chicken

Taiwanese inspired chicken that is cooked in an air fryer for delicious crispiness
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Taiwanese
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 389kcal
Author: Dana Rao

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken thigh cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon shaoxing cooking wine
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger minced
  • 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon 5 spice powder
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 cup tapioca flour mix with 1 teaspoon salt

seasoning salt

  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon 5 spice powder
  • ¼ teaspoon white pepper

Instructions

  • Cut chicken thigh in 1 inch cubes. Start marinating chicken by adding the 1 tablespoon shaoxing cooking wine, 3 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon minced ginger, 1.5 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon 5 spice powder, 1 teaspoon sugar, and ¼ teaspoon white pepper. Mix all ingredients together until all ingredients are mixed evenly.
  • Cover chicken and marinate for minimum of 30 minutes. I recommend to marinate overnight for the best flavor!
  • After marinating, add 1 egg white to the chicken and mix well. Mix ½ teaspoon salt in the tapioca flour. Then, dip (lightly press) the chicken in the tapioca flour until the chicken is well-coated.
  • Grease the plate or tray with oil before putting the battered chicken on it. The chicken with the tapioca flour can be pretty sticky and will be hard to take off the resting plate later.
  • Rest the chicken (battered with egg and tapioca) for at least 15 minutes for the starch to dry up.
  • Next, spray oil generously on top of the chicken to ensure that the chicken with be golden brown when air-fried.
  • Place chicken in the air-fryer at 375F for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn the pieces over and turn the temperature up to 400F and heat the chicken for 5 minutes until it’s golden brown.
  • The chicken is done! Sprinkle some seasoning salt on the chicken while hot ◡̈ Hope you enjoy!!

Notes

Expert Tips
  • Cook the Chicken in 2 batches: overcrowding the chicken in the air fryer can prevent your chicken from crisping up in the air fryer.
  • Spray oil generously on the chicken before air fryer. This ensures that the chicken can crispy up and the flour doesn’t get too dry in the air fryer. Tip: If no oil is added, the chicken will be blonde-colored.
  • Use Tapioca flour for authentic Taiwanese crunch. It’s supposed to make the batter crunchy!

Nutrition

Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 152mg | Sodium: 897mg | Potassium: 312mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 153IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 2mg