These delicious air fryer popcorn chicken bites are made healthier by skipping the deep fryer. The skin is so crispy that you won’t be able to stop at just one.

I had a ball creating this recipe, guys! You won’t find another popcorn chicken recipe like it.

First, I noticed other recipes use square-cut chicken. Huh! Popcorn chicken is traditionally rolled into a ball.

If you’ve tried KFC popcorn chicken anyway.

But what separates this recipe from the others is the fresh herb blend on the inside.

Nobody seems to concentrate on that part. The flavour always seems to come from the crispy shell.

The real hero here is in the way my air fryer popcorn chicken cooked.

No more unhealthy cooking in the deep fryer. You can still enjoy the best tasting popcorn chicken without watching your waistline.

Dip your popcorn chicken in my yummy homemade garlic aioli sauce for extra flavour.

What ingredients do I need to make air fryer popcorn chicken?

Popcorn chicken is a winner for entertaining at parties and makes an excellent choice for finger food.

Note: This recipe will make approximately 36 pieces of popcorn chicken.
If you find that is too much for you, simply half the ingredients to make around 18.

You’ll need:

1 kg chicken breast mince

I don’t use chicken breast because popcorn chicken should traditionally be rolled into a ball-like shape.

Chicken seasoning:

garlic powder
onion powder
basil (fresh or lightly dried)
parsley (fresh or lightly dried)
salt & black pepper

Breading:

plain flour (all-purpose)
paprika
garlic powder
onion powder
salt & black pepper
1 tsp chilli powder (cayenne pepper)
eggs
milk
non-stick cooking spray (for greasing)

How to make popcorn chicken in an air fryer?

The flavour always seems to be on the outside of popcorn chicken, so we will change that and season our chicken.

Add the chicken mince, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, and parsley to a large bowl. Then season with salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Use your hands to thoroughly combine the ingredients together with the chicken mince.

Scoop one tablespoon of chicken onto your hands and roll it into a ball.

Then place it onto a tray lined with baking paper to prevent the chicken from sticking.

Repeat until all the chicken is gone.

Set up your breading station

Set up one large and one small mixing bowl.

Add plain (all-purpose flour), garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper into the large bowl.

Then in the smaller bowl, whisk 2 eggs with 1/2 cup of milk.

Dredge each piece of popcorn chicken into the flour, shaking off any excess flour.

Then dip into the egg mixture and back into the flour for the final time.

Again, shake off the excess and place it onto the baking tray.

Repeat until all of the popcorn chicken has been coated in the flour mixture.

Set the chicken aside for 10 minutes to give the chicken time to absorb most of the flour.

What air fryer do I use to make popcorn chicken?

If you are looking at replacing your old fryer, you definitely can’t go wrong with the Phillips XXL air fryer.

It’s large enough to feed a family of 5-6 people and is my personal choice of air fryers.

I can cook all 36 popcorn chicken bites in 2 batches because of its size.

How to cook popcorn chicken in the air fryer?

You are only moments away from being the best mum or dad when your kids try the best tasting air fryer popcorn chicken ever.

Preheat your air fryer to 200°C (400°F) for two minutes.

Then lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.

When placing the chicken into the air fryer, ensure that you don’t overcrowd the basket.

Leave a small space between each piece. And work in batches if necessary.

Then lightly spray each piece of popcorn chicken with olive oil spray until you don’t see any flour.

Close the draw of the air fryer and reduce the temperature to 180°C (355°F).

Cook the chicken for 10 minutes or until the temperature of the chicken reaches 74°C (165°F).

Use the Inkbird instant-read thermometer for more accurate results.

Stop the air fryer at 5 minutes and rotate the chicken. Then lightly coat with olive oil cooking spray once again.

Serve immediately with your favourite mashed potato recipe, vegetables, chips or crispy potato wedges.

Or try our homemade creamy tzatziki or garlic aioli dipping sauce.

Check out some of our other Air fryer recipes!

It doesn’t stop at air fryer popcorn chicken. We’ve made some other great air fryer recipes you can try at home.

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