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’ve got picky kids who only like chicken, you want this air fryer chicken recipe in your Air Fryer Recipes repertoire.
Serve up this air fryer popcorn chicken with a few dipping sauces and a side dish for a true whole family friendly meal. It’s one of the easiest and tastiest recipes you can make in your air fryer.
We’re all about convenience these days, and this finger-licking popcorn chicken is the poster child for speedy and stress-free cooking.
This popcorn chicken air fryer recipe cooks up in less than 10 minutes. Not only is it a surefire way to tame those rumbling stomachs in no time, but it’s also a lifesaver for those last-minute gatherings or unexpected guests.
Like these Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets and super crunch Air Fryer Chicken tenders, these bite-sized nuggets are practically designed to win over the pickiest of eaters.
There’s just something about that crispy, golden-brown exterior that makes them totally irresistible, even to the tiniest of food critics.
And if you love this you will love this Doritos Chicken and crispy Baked Ranch Chicken.
The crispy coating is made with good ol’ cornflakes, giving each piece an extra dose of crunchiness that’s nothing short of addicting. Plus, this version is a winner because it’s completely gluten-free, thanks to those trusty cornflakes.
So, if you’re looking for a satisfying snack or a fantastic appetizer for your next shindig, you can count on these gluten-free wonders to steal the spotlight.
Ps please do check out this really awesome Air Fryer Orange Chicken.
Table of Contents
Why Make This Recipe
- Kid-friendly – Kids love chicken, and it never hurts to have a new chicken recipe and their favorite fast food.
- Versatile – This dish is great as an appetizer or as a main course. And simply double the recipe to feed a crowd.
- Healthier – Popcorn chicken in air fryer has fewer calories than using a deep fryer plus they are gluten free.
- Frugal – Serve with some sides and a little chicken goes a long way.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken – Skinless Chicken breasts cooks up tender and juicy. You can also use chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of the chicken breast.
- Spices – We’ve added garlic powder and kosher 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 tablespoon of white vinegar or 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to milk and allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes. Alternatively you can use plain Greek yogurt.
- Cornflakes – Crushed cornflakes give these chicken pieces their delicious crunch – the crispy breading this recipe is known for.
Handy Tip: Use Good Kitchen Tools!
For the best tools to help make your recipe even easier and more successful, check out my collection of the Best Air Fryer Tools on Amazon.
How To Cook Popcorn Chicken in Air Fryer
Get full ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C.
- Combine crushed cornflakes, garlic powder, and salt in a large bowl or a large plastic bag.
- Dip the cubed chicken pieces into buttermilk, then roll them in the cornflakes mixture.
- Press lightly to make the cornflakes stick to the chicken.
- Place the popcorn chicken pieces in a single layer in the air fryer basket and air fry for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F / 176 degrees C until they are golden brown all over and cooked through.
- Serve immediately.
Note: Always check for doneness with an awesome meat thermometer. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken.
Tips For Success
- Cut the chicken into even sized cubes.
- Be sure to use cornflakes, not frosted flakes.
- Use a blender to crush the cornflakes or transfer them to a zip top bag and crush with a rolling pin.
- Marinate in the buttermilk for 30 minutes to one hour for even more flavor.
- Spray your air fryer with cooking spray or olive oil, or use a piece of parchment to prevent the chicken from sticking to the basket.
- If possible, allow the air fryer 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 during air frying so the air circulates and the pieces cook evenly and crisp up.
- Depending on the size of your air fryer you may need to cook these in batches.
- Shake or turn the chicken halfway through cooking.
- If desired, spray the pieces with a little olive oil or cooking spray while cooking for extra crunch.
- Check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature of chicken should reach at least 165 degrees F / 76 degrees C.
Variations
- Spicy Popcorn Chicken – add a bit of cayenne pepper to the cornflakes coating to give the chicken bits a bit of heat.
- Italian Popcorn Chicken – add Italian seasoning and a bit of grated parmesan cheese to the coating mixture.
- Vary more spices – add more dried spices like onion powder, cajun seasoning, greek seasoning, poultry seasoning etc.
- Breaded chicken – if you prefer you can make your homemade popcorn chicken with seasoned flour mixture and bread crumbs. You might need to set up a dredging station to dip chicken in flour, an egg mixture and then the breadcrumbs before frying. Also to get the golden colour you might need to toast the panko breadcrumbs first before breading the meat.
- Dipping sauce – serve these as is or with things like honey mustard sauce, bbq sauce, homemade ketchup and more.
- Nuggets – You can use this same cornflakes and seasoning to make slightly larger chicken nuggets.
Budget-Friendly Tips
- Purchase Chicken in Bulk – Buy chicken breasts 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 crispy popcorn chicken pieces and serve it in wraps for dinner the second night.
- Check out some of my favorite items for making this recipe.
Prep 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 an airtight container in the fridge.
- Freeze – Follow the handy tips below for how to freeze these;
- Lay cooked popcorn chicken in a single layer with sapce on a baking tray.
- Freeze for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- When frozen, then place chicken into container or freezer bags for up to four months.
- Take out what you need and reheat in the microwave, oven, or air fryer.
- To reheat in the air fryer, reheat at 350 degrees F for 5-6 minutes with a little spray of oil.
Meal Prep
- Frozen – Make a double batch and freeze the uncooked, coated chicken to cook from frozen later. Simply coat with cornflakes then freeze on a tray. Cook frozen popcorn chicken in air fryer at 400 degrees F / 200 degrees C for 10-15 minutes. You can also freeze cooked popcorn chicken and reheat.
- Sandwiches – Roll air fryer popcorn chicken pieces in a tortilla with cheese and lettuce for a tasty wrap.
- Mashed Potato Bowls – Serve chicken over mashed potatoes and gravy for a copycat version of KFC’s Chicken Bowls.
FAQs
Popcorn Chicken, first whipped up on Taiwan in the 1970’s, are popcorn sized aka bite sized pieces of crunchy chicken. This favorite fast food is usually breaded and deep fried.
However this made from scratch air fryer recipe is a minimal oil, less processed and healthier version of your favorite treat.
Yes! Most brands of Cornflakes cereal are gluten-free, and since there is no flour in this coating, this recipe is gluten-free. But please do check your ingredients to be sure.
If you prefer larger pieces of chicken, you can coat chicken tenders with the cornflake mixture instead.
Be sure to check for doneness with a meat thermometer, as the larger pieces may take a bit longer to cook.
Wondering how long to air fry popcorn chicken? On average, popcorn chicken will cook in about 10 minutes at 350 degrees F.
This can vary depending on the size of the chicken pieces and the make and model of air fryer. Check for doneness with a meat thermometer for the best results.
It’s easy to cook frozen popcorn chicken in air fryer. You can prepare and freeze uncooked popcorn chicken or make Tyson popcorn chicken air fryer.
For frozen chicken, preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F / 200 degrees C and cook for 10-15 minutes. Check for doneness with a meat thermometer.
If the popcorn chicken is not crispy, then air fry it for another 2 minutes at a time. But do keep an eye on it so that it does not over cook or burn.
You can totally double or triple the recipe. Depending on the size of your air fryer basket, you might need to cook this in batches.
More Recipes You May Like
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For more air fryer chicken recipes and other delicious recipes you might like check out these below.
- Air Fryer Chicken Sandwich.
- Air Fryer Southwest Egg Rolls.
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings.
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets.
- Air Fryer Orange Chicken.
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken.
- Air Fryer Chicken And Potatoes.
- Air Fryer General Tsos Chicken.
- Air Fryer Ranch Pretzels.
- Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks.
- For something a little different try Kung Pao Chicken.
Serving Suggestion
To make this a family dinner serve with Garlic Parmesan Fries, or with Dump and Start Garlic Butter Red Potatoes or Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice.
You can also serve alongside some Smothered Green Beans.
Recommended Tools
- An awesome Air Fryer.
- A fast read thermometer to check the temperature of your meat.
- Really good air fryer accessories.
- For the best tools to help make your recipe even easier and more successful, check out my collection of the Best Air Fryer Tools on Amazon.
Weight Watchers Points
There are 3 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.
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Did you make this recipe? Then I would love to hear how it turned out. Please leave a comment and star rating below. And I really appreciate you sharing this recipe with your family and friends. Enjoy every mouthful 😊🍲 – Bintu
Get The Popcorn Chicken in Air Fryer Recipe:
Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 1 cup (28g) crushed Cornflakes cereal
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240mL) buttermilk
Instructions
- Combine crushed cornflakes, garlic powder, and salt in a dish or a large plastic bag.
- Pour buttermilk into a separate bowl, dip the cubed chicken in the buttermilk, then roll them in the cornflakes mixture.
- Press lightly on the Cornflakes coating so it sticks to the chicken.
- Place chicken pieces in a single layer in the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F / 176 degrees C.
- Repeat process until all of the popcorn chicken is cooked.
Notes
- Cut the chicken into even sized cubes.
- Be sure to use cornflakes, not frosted flakes.
- Use a blender to crush the cornflakes or transfer them to a zip top bag and crush with a rolling pin.
- Marinate in the buttermilk for 30 minutes to one hour for even more flavor.
- Spray your air fryer with cooking spray or olive oil, or use a piece of parchment to prevent the chicken from sticking to the basket.
- If possible, allow the air fryer 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 during air frying so the air circulates and the pieces cook evenly and crisp up.
- Depending on the size of your air fryer you may need to cook these in batches.
- Shake or turn the chicken halfway through cooking.
- If desired, spray the pieces with a little olive oil or cooking spray while cooking for extra crunch.
- Check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature of chicken should reach at least 165 degrees F / 76 degrees C.
- Storage – keep leftovers in an airtight container inside the fridge for 3 days.
- There are 3 Blue Plan SmartPoints in a serving of this.
Kenzie
Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope they will like it.