POPCORN CHICKEN

Popcorn Chicken image

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 10

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4 chicken breasts (boneless and skinless (6 ounces each))
2 cups buttermilk
2 dashes Cholula hot sauce (or Tabasco hot sauce)
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1 tsp coarse black pepper
1 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp onion powder
2 cups panko bread crumbs
vegetable oil or shortening (for frying, at least 4 cups)

Steps:

Dice chicken breasts into small bite-size pieces (3/4 inch x 3/4 inch).
In a bowl, stir together buttermilk and hot sauce.
Whisk together flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and onion powder in a shallow bowl.
Place panko breadcrumbs in a third shallow bowl.
Heat oil (at least 4 inches deep, preferably 6 inches or more) in a Dutch oven. Heat oil to 350°F. The oil takes 15 minutes or so to heat to temperature. Use a candy or food thermometer to check the temperature. It must be the correct temperature before frying the chicken.
Working with just a few pieces at a time, dip chicken pieces into the flour mixture, coating on all sides. Then dip chicken in buttermilk and finally into the panko breadcrumbs.
Carefully drop just a few chicken pieces at a time into heated oil and fry until cooked through (the center should reach 165°F). The outside should be deep golden brown and crispy. Maintain an oil temperature of 350°F for best results. The chicken takes just 2 to 3 minutes to cook through.
Place cooked chicken on paper towels or brown paper bags to soak up excess oil.