When I lived in Ann Arbor, my then-boyfriend (now-fiance) and I would spend the summer going to outdoor movies projected on the wall of a parking structure on Fletcher, then heading to Bubble Island for bubble tea and popcorn chicken. They have pretty fantastic popcorn chicken...stuff so hot that it kinda melted through the styrofoam takeout box they'd put it in.
I wanted to make some popcorn chicken of my own, but since eating deep fried bits of chicken will undo all my gym time, I decided to make this version that is made right in the oven.
Ingredients (2 servings):
-1/2 to 3/4 lb of chicken, boneless tenders work best
-1 egg
-1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1/2 cup italian style bread crumbs
1. First, I cut up the chicken into small pieces with my awesome new knife.
2. Then I broke the egg into a small bowl.
Add mustard, salt, and garlic powder.
3. Pour bread crumbs into shallow bowl.
4. Preheat oven to 400F. I like using the toaster oven for baking projects this small.
5. Dunk chicken into egg mixture first.
Then coat with breadcrumbs. I like using chopsticks for this purpose, but you could totally do this with fingers or tongs.
Give it a nice firm pat so the crumbs cover the whole piece of chicken.
6. Place popcorn chicken on a baking pan covered in foil. I use the drip pan that came with my toaster oven. I'm over it.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip each piece over and bake again for 10 minutes.
Done!
These are great served with a side of spicy brown mustard or ranch.
Delicious!
These are delicious and wonderful for so many occasions!
First of all, this is a great way to get kids into the kitchen--have them help you coat the chicken with bread crumbs. It's like playing in the sand.
Secondly, this recipe takes very little effort, talent, or money, but it is a total crowd pleaser at parties.
Lastly, it's a great compromise for those of us who are trying to be healthy but still crave something substantial. Most recipes can be altered to make them a bit better for you, and this is definitely one way you can do that.
Mm! Look at that lovely white chicken on the inside. Healthy and delicious!
Enjoy! And have a wonderful Manic Monday!
For a printable version of this recipe, please click here.
Ah, these look lovely. My favorite thing to eat at KFC is popcorn chicken. But these look a lot tastier and healthier :)
ReplyDeleteI'll have to try these, thanks for posting them x
About to cook these with my own boyfriend. There aren't many foods where our tastes coincide, but chicken, garlic and mustard are three of them. Looking forward to the tastiness!
ReplyDeleteI have a gluten allergy can I use chex cereal instead of bread crumbs?
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm sure that would work! Or puffed rice as well :) I haven't tried it, but you'll have to tell me how they turn out!
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