Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken

Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken is the perfect recipe for making a quick dinner, feeding a crowd, or serving up as a party appetizer or a snack on game day. You’re going to love this super crispy chicken. 

Suitable for gluten free diets. Post includes Weight Watchers points.

If you are looking for one of the easiest and tastiest recipes you can make in your air fryer, this is it! This popcorn chicken cooks up in less than 10 minutes and makes a perfect meal, snack, or appetizer. 

If you’ve got picky kids who only like chicken, you want this recipe in your repertoire. Serve up this air fryer popcorn chicken with a few dipping sauces and a side dish for a true family-friendly meal.

You can get creative and roll some in a tortilla with cheese and lettuce for a tasty wrap. Or serve it over mashed potatoes and gravy for a copycat version of KFC’s Chicken Bowls. Just as loved as our Air Fryer Sticky Chicken Wings and Air Fryer Ranch Pretzels.

Popcorn chicken in air fryer uses corn flakes for the coating, so it’s gluten-free and comes out incredibly crispy. 

Why Make This Recipe

• Easy – Coat the chicken and toss it in the air fryer.
• Kid-friendly – Kids love chicken, and it never hurts to have a new chicken recipe. 
• Versatile – this dish is great as an appetizer or as a main course. And simply double the recipe to feed a crowd.
• Frugal – Serve with some sides and a little chicken goes a long way. 

Ingredient Notes

• Chicken – Chicken breast cooks up tender and juicy. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. 
• Spices – We’ve added garlic powder and salt separately because it helps control the amount of salt. You can use garlic salt in place of the two ingredients, but it tends to be a little saltier. 
• Buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can add 1 Tbs. of white vinegar or 1 Tbs. of lemon juice to milk and allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes. Alternately you can use plain greek yogurt.
• Cornflakes – crushed cornflakes gives these their delicious crunch.

How To Make Popcorn Chicken in Air Fryer

Get full ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

1. Preheat Air Fryer to 350F / 180C.
2. Combine crushed cornflakes, garlic powder, and salt in a dish or a large plastic bag. 
3. Dip the cubed chicken into buttermilk, then roll them in the cornflakes mixture. 
4. Press lightly to make the cornflakes stick to the chicken.
5. Place in a single layer in the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes at 350F / 176C. 

Tips For Success

• Spray your air fryer with cooking spray, or use a piece of parchment to prevent the chicken from sticking to the basket. 
• If possible, allow the chicken to rest for about 10 minutes after coating and before air frying. This helps the coating to adhere to the chicken. 
• Leave space between the pieces of chicken.
• Shake or turn the chicken halfway through cooking. 
• Check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature of chicken should reach at least 165F / 76C. 

Variations

• Spicy Popcorn Chicken – add a bit of cayenne pepper to the cornflakes coating to give the chicken a bit of heat.
• Italian Popcorn Chicken – add Italian seasoning and a bit of grated parmesan cheese to the coating mixture. 

Budget-Friendly Tips 

• Purchase Chicken in Bulk – Buy chicken when it’s on sale or buy it in bulk to get the best prices. Freeze what you don’t use right away for later. 
• Use Stale Cornflakes – Didn’t eat all the cornflakes before they went stale? Save them in a bag in the freezer to use for coating chicken. 
• Cook Once, Eat Twice –  Make a big batch of chicken and serve it in wraps for dinner the second night. 

Make Ahead And Storage

Prep Ahead – You can cube and soak the chicken in the buttermilk for up to 24 hours before cooking the popcorn chicken. 

Store – Store leftover chicken for up to three days in the fridge. 

Freeze – Follow the handy tips below for how to freeze these;

• Lay cooked popcorn chicken in a single layer on a baking tray.
• Freeze for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Place chicken into freezer bags for up to four months.
• Take out what you need and reheat in the microwave, oven, or air fryer. 

FAQs

More Recipes You May Like

• Air Fryer Chicken Sandwich.
• Air Fryer Chicken Wings.
• Air Fryer Whole Chicken.
• Air Fryer Chicken And Potatoes.
• Air Fryer Ranch Pretzels.

Weight Watchers Points

There are 3 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.

Tools To Make This

• Air Fryer.
• Handy mixing bowl.
• Measuring cups and spoons.

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