Korean Popcorn Chicken
This Korean popcorn chicken is ready in 30 minutes, with golden, crunchy bites of boneless chicken thigh pan-fried and tossed in a honey gochujang sauce. It's loaded with sweet and spicy flavor and quick and simple enough for an easy weeknight dinner.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 cup corn starch or arrowroot powder
- 2 tbsp neutral oil avocado or vegetable oil
- 1 tsp sesame seeds for garnish
- 1 tbsp chopped green onions
Sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp finely grated ginger
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos or tamari
- 2 tbsp gochujang
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Place the chicken thighs in a bowl and crack in the egg. Stir so all of the chicken is coated in the egg.
- In another bowl stir together the corn starch, ground ginger, garlic powder, white pepper and salt. Dip each of the chicken pieces in the cornstarch mixture ensuring that they are well coated all over.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot add in the chicken (you may need to work in two batches depending on the pan sauce to ensure that you do no overcrowd the pan). Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and crunchy. Add all of the cooked chicken to a large bowl.
- In a small sauce pan on medium heat add the sesame oil along with the ginger and garlic and saute for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and whisk until smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer and leave to cook for 4-5 minutes until the sauce has begun to reduce and thicken.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and toss it gently until all of the chicken is coated. Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped scallions before serving
Nutrition
Calories: 412kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 203mg | Sodium: 1259mg | Potassium: 537mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 131IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg