This air fryer popcorn chicken is crispy, flavorful, and so much easier than deep frying. It’s one of those recipes you’ll want to make again and again.
The chicken gets a quick soak in buttermilk and hot sauce, which keeps it tender and adds a nice kick. Then it’s coated in a seasoned flour mixture that crisps up perfectly in the air fryer.
You don’t need a ton of ingredients for this either. Just chicken breast, buttermilk, some basic spices, and flour. Simple stuff you probably already have at home.
The best part is how quick it all comes together. After a short marinating time, the actual cooking takes less than 10 minutes.
Serve these with your favorite dipping sauce and you’ve got a snack, appetizer, or even a full meal that the whole family will love.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Way Less Oil Than Deep Frying – You get that crispy fried chicken taste using just a light spray of cooking oil instead of cups of it.
The Buttermilk Marinade Makes a Huge Difference – Soaking the chicken in buttermilk and hot sauce tenderizes it and adds flavor you cannot get by skipping that step.
The Double Dip Trick Gives Insane Crunch – Dipping the chicken back into buttermilk and flour a second time creates an extra crunchy coating that rivals any restaurant.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3/4 cup Buttermilk
- 1 tsp Hot Sauce
- 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- Cooking Spray
How To Make
Step 1
Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and pour in the buttermilk and hot sauce. Stir to coat, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. This tenderizes the chicken and gives it incredible flavor.
Step 2
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, and black pepper until evenly combined.
Step 3
Working in small batches, lift the chicken pieces from the buttermilk and let the excess drip off, then toss them into the seasoned flour mixture. Press the coating firmly onto each piece and shake off any loose flour. For extra crunch, dip each piece back into the buttermilk one more time and press into the flour again.
Step 4
Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F. Arrange the coated chicken pieces in a single layer in the basket, leaving a little space between each piece. Spray the tops generously with cooking spray.
Step 5
Air fry for 8 to 10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through with an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Step 6
Serve the popcorn chicken hot with ranch, honey mustard, or barbecue sauce for dipping.
Tips
Do the Double Dip for Extra Crunch
The recipe mentions an optional double dip – buttermilk, flour, buttermilk, flour. Don’t skip this. In an air fryer, you don’t have oil surrounding every inch of the chicken like deep frying, so that extra layer of coating is what gives you an actual crispy crunch instead of a thin, dry shell.
When you do the second dip, you don’t need to fully submerge each piece. Just a quick dunk so the surface gets wet enough for the flour to grab onto.
After that second flour coating, really press it on with your fingers. Loose flour falls off in the air fryer and just burns on the bottom of the basket.
Don’t Skip the Cooking Spray
Cooking spray is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here. In a deep fryer, oil is what turns that flour coating golden and crispy. In an air fryer, the cooking spray is your substitute for that.
Be generous with it – a light mist won’t cut it. You want the entire surface of every piece to look visibly wet from the spray. If any dry flour spots are left exposed, those spots will stay pale and powdery instead of turning crunchy.
After you shake the basket at the halfway mark, give the chicken another spray. The sides that were facing down are now exposed and they need oil too.
Cut Your Chicken Pieces Evenly
This matters more in an air fryer than you’d think. If you have some pieces that are half an inch and others that are an inch and a half, the small ones will dry out by the time the big ones are cooked through.
Try to keep everything as close to 1 inch as possible. It doesn’t need to be perfect, but avoid having some pieces that are clearly way bigger or smaller than the rest.
Related Recipes
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer Crispy Honey Mustard Chicken Bites
- Air Fryer Hot Honey Chicken Bites
- Air Fryer Firecracker Chicken Bites
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to marinate the chicken in buttermilk, or can I skip that step?
You really shouldn’t skip the buttermilk soak. It does two important things – it tenderizes the chicken so the pieces stay juicy inside, and it helps the flour coating stick properly so you get that crispy shell.
If you’re short on time, even 30 minutes makes a noticeable difference. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make a quick substitute by mixing 3/4 cup of regular milk with about 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice and letting it sit for 5 minutes.
Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken
- air fryer
- 1.5 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3/4 cup Buttermilk
- 1 tsp Hot Sauce
- 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- Cooking Spray
- Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and pour in the buttermilk and hot sauce. Stir to coat, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. This tenderizes the chicken and gives it incredible flavor.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, and black pepper until evenly combined.
- Working in small batches, lift the chicken pieces from the buttermilk and let the excess drip off, then toss them into the seasoned flour mixture. Press the coating firmly onto each piece and shake off any loose flour. For extra crunch, dip each piece back into the buttermilk one more time and press into the flour again.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F. Arrange the coated chicken pieces in a single layer in the basket, leaving a little space between each piece. Spray the tops generously with cooking spray.
- Air fry for 8 to 10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through with an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Serve the popcorn chicken hot with ranch, honey mustard, or barbecue sauce for dipping.