Popcorn chicken is a fun and tasty “pop-able” savory snack for folks of all ages! My recipe is packed with lots of garlicky flavor, crispy coating, and it comes with a creamy and delicious dipping sauce!
No Frying Pan Required for this Popcorn Chicken!
I just love nibbling on little finger foods that pack a lot of flavor into each bite, and when they're healthy, it’s even better!
That's what makes my scrumptious popcorn chicken recipe such a perfect snack food or appetizer for both kids and adults to enjoy, because the one-bite pieces of marinated chicken are baked until golden and crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside—no frying pan required!
Whipped up without a lot of muss or fuss, this crispy popcorn chicken is a delicious, protein-packed snack that's perfect to plunge into a light, creamy sauce.
How to Make Popcorn Chicken in the Oven
The great thing about going the baked route with this popcorn chicken recipe is that besides saving a few calories, it keeps the process super simple and clean. There’s no need to heat up any oil and fry in batches—that means less mess!
For my recipe, I choose ingredients that will add lots of savory flavor to each little morsel and help to create that crunchy outer coating, a definite must when it comes to popcorn chicken. I even include a creamy parmesan-ranch dipping sauce to serve on the side to make things extra finger-licking good!
Here's a little peak at how I prep my popcorn chicken recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe)
- Because I want each bite of popcorn chicken to be loaded with lots of savory seasoning, I like to first briefly marinate my chicken pieces in garlic, salt and pepper, which give this recipe an irresistible amount of flavor.
- Once marinated, the chicken gets a dip in flour and then a shake in a coating that's a combo of cornflakes and grated parmesan cheese, kissed with paprika. It's the perfect coating for this baked version of popcorn chicken, providing lots of texture and crispy bits!
- I place the coated pieces onto a baking tray and baked for about 20 minutes before finishing under the broiler for a couple of minutes (for extra crunch).
- While the chicken bakes, I whip up my quick, creamy parmesan-ranch dipping sauce, and then serve it on the side to plunge the popcorn chicken into while hot!
Recipe
Popcorn Chicken
by Ingrid Beer
Category: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Yield: Serves 4
Nutrition Info: 353 calories (with 2 tablespoons of dipping sauce)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 22 minutes
Total time: 37 minutes
Popcorn Chicken Ingredients:
• 1 pound chicken tenderloins (or skinless and boneless chicken breasts), cut into tiny bite-size pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• ½ teaspoon salt, divided use
• ¼ teaspoon, plus a pinch, black pepper, divided use
• ½ cup flour
• 2 ½ cups corn flakes
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
• ¼ cup buttermilk
• Cooking oil spray
Parmesan-Ranch Dipping Sauce Ingredients:
• 1 cup sour cream
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 clove garlic
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon, plus a pinch, salt
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped chives
- Preheat your oven to 400°, and line a baking sheet with foil.
- Add the diced chicken pieces into a medium-size bowl, and add to it the garlic, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and pinch of black pepper; toss together to combine, and marinate the chicken while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Add your flour to a large ziplock bag, and set aside.
- Add the cornflakes, parmesan, paprika, ¼ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of black pepper and granulated garlic to the bowl of a food processor, and process just until a fine crumble (not too fine and powdery, but not too chunky); add that mixture to another large ziplock bag, and set aside for a moment.
- Add your chicken pieces to the bag with the flour, and shake to coat the pieces well.
- Place the flour-coated pieces into a medium-size bowl, and drizzle the buttermilk over them; using your fingers, mix the buttermilk gently into the chicken, just to coat it.
- Add the buttermilk-coated chicken pieces to the ziplock bag with the corn flake mixture, and shake to coat the pieces well.
- Place each piece of coated chicken onto the foil-lined baking sheet in a single layer, give them a light misting of the cooking oil spray, and bake for 20 minutes; then, turn on your broiler, and allow the popcorn chicken to become extra crunchy by broiling for 2 minutes more.
- While the popcorn chicken bakes, prepare the parmesan-ranch dipping sauce (optional): add all sauce ingredients to the bowl of your food processor, and process until completely smooth and blended; keep covered in fridge until ready to serve.
- Serve the hot popcorn chicken with the parmesan-ranch dipping sauce (or your preferred sauce) on the side.
Tips & Tidbits for my Popcorn Chicken:
- Chicken breast tenderloins for convenience: I really like to use the smaller chicken breast tenderloins for this recipe, as they are easy to cut into small, one-bite pieces and yield a nice, juicy texture when baked. You can also sub skinless, boneless chicken breasts, or even skinless, boneless thighs, if you prefer.
- Marinate for extra flavor: Marinating in the fresh garlic, salt and pepper gives this popcorn chicken a really savory flavor. All you need is a few minutes, just while you prep the rest of your ingredients.
- Cornflakes, the perfect coating for extra crunch: To make the coating, I quickly process together the cornflakes with rest of the coating ingredients just to break them up into a slightly finer texture. Crushed/processed cornflakes are an ideal coating ingredient when it comes to just about any baked “fried” chicken recipes!
- Homemade dipping sauce, or store-bought: My little dipping sauce is quick to whip up, and has a really tasty savory “tang” to it from a hint of garlic, parmesan, and lemon. It's so good with this popcorn chicken! But feel free to use store-bought ranch, or your favorite dipping sauce if you prefer.
Hungry for more tasty snacks? Check out these Chicken Lettuce Wraps, this Fried Cauliflower, these Coconut Chicken Strips, or these Tortilla Crunch Chicken Strips!
Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2014, and has been updated with even more love!
ami@naivecookcooks
My husband loves getting popcorn chicken all the time! Will try this recipe for sure!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Ami, that's great! It's got a healthier twist, but with the flavors, I don't think your husband will miss that they're not the typical fried variety. Thanks for stopping by!
Sarah
Ingrid... these look AWESOME. I never know what to do with tenderloins. I'm going to have to try this soon. And they are baked? Ah, it's love.
The Cozy Apron
Hey Sarah, thanks! And now you know how to use those tenderloins, haha! 🙂 Hope you enjoy, and thanks for stopping by for a peak.
Kristi
Made these for dinner tonight. Absolutely delicious! Just as good as deep fried - but much healthier and no mess!
The Cozy Apron
Kristi, that's great! So excited that you enjoyed these, and had success with the recipe. Thanks so much for stopping back to comment!
Bronwyn
Did you use fresh parmersean?!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Bronwyn, if you have fresh grated parmesan, than definitely use it! Fresh is always best, but either will work for this recipe.
Amy
These look great! I usually deep fry them and toss them in along with some salad so that it changes things up from your usual chicken breast salad, but I might have to try them baked. Seems healthier too!
The Cozy Apron
Do you hope try these, Amy!
Julie@Cool Stuff for the Kitchen
One of my son's favorite meals, so I will definitely be trying this healthier version.
The Cozy Apron
Julie, that's great—he most likely won't even notice they're healthier! 🙂
Pamela Gurganus
Hi! I have a quick question. In step 2 under "Preparation" it says to "Add the diced chicken pieces into a medium-size bowl, and add to it the garlic, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and pinch of black pepper; toss together to combine, and marinate the chicken while you prep the rest of the ingredients." Is there where we also add the buttermilk? Thanks so much! 🙂
The Cozy Apron
Hi Pamela! Actually, that is just the marination part. If you go down a few more steps (after coating the chicken pieces in the flour), then you will see that you will just drizzle the buttermilk over the chicken pieces to moisten them and prep them for a good shake in the cornflake/parm/spice mixture. Hope that helps! Please enjoy...
Angel
Hi,
Is there something else to use instead of buttermilk? I really don't like using it.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Angel, just sub a couple of whisked eggs thinned with a little water—dip the pieces in their very lightly. You basically need a bit of a "glue". 🙂
Junco
Do you have any suggestions for a substitution for the corn flakes? I'm allergic to corn but really want to put these in my face.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Junco, you can substitute panko breadcrumbs for the cornflakes, if you're allergic; it may not be quite as crispy, but I think that would be the best (and tastiest) substitute. Now go put some of these in your face!
Maria
Hi there...these look awesome. Would I be able to prepare them in advance and freeze them prior baking?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Maria, my only concern is that the coating will not hold up well. These truly are best prepared and baked off fresh, for crispy results!
Mia
Hello! I saw this recipe on Pinterest and made it today. I substituted the salt with low-sodium soy sauce in the marinade and taste-wise this chicken popcorn taste great! My concern though is the chicken turned out dry. I followed the recipe exactly except for the soy sauce substitution. Also, I used skinless chicken breast. I wonder if my oven is too hot or I should've baked it less than 20 minutes.
Amanda
Made this last night and it was delightful! My Fiance loved it. So happy I ran across your website on Pinterest. Can't wait to try out your other recipes!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Amanda, so happy to read that! 🙂 I'm glad you found us, too—hope you peruse and find more recipes to try out and enjoy!
Pisces
Hi
What flour should I use?
Plain? Self raising? Corn?
Thanks
The Cozy Apron
Hi there, all-purpose flour is fine!
Mohamed Mostafa
My kids loved this recipe but I had a little problem when I dropped the creamy chicken in the corn flakes bag; the chicken pieces stuck to each other forming lumps and I had to break them apart and return them into the bag by hand numerous times, what have I done wrong ?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Mohamed, thanks for your question! Yes, they can tend to stick to each other a bit; I just shake the bag really vigorously (up and down, back and forth) and when I open it up, I sort of run my fingers through the pieces, separating them a little, and tossing them a bit more in the cornflake mixture to get them well-coated. You could even try to go a touch less on the buttermilk if you feel it's too creamy or wet, and this could help, too. Glad the kids enjoyed! 🙂
Amy
Hi,
Have you tried freezing the leftover chicken for future meals? How did they hold up?
Thanks,
Amy
The Cozy Apron
Hi Amy, I didn't—we've never had any left over, lol! I'm not sure these would taste quite as good and crispy when frozen and thawed as they are when freshly prepared; it just think this is one of those recipes that should ideally be enjoyed the day of.
Jenny
This recipe is a dream. When I originally saw the picture on Pinterest, I was sure they were fried - to find out they are baked was delightful in and of itself!
The Cozy Apron
Thank you, Jenny! Hope you enjoy!
Meghann F.
I have made these twice now for myself, 18 month old son, and chicken wing loving husband. They are such a hit!! They will become a regular in our house. By far the BEST healthy, baked chicken recipe I have ever made. And as a dietitian, not only do I approve but LOVE!!
The Cozy Apron
Meghann, I love reading that! Thanks for sharing our comments. So glad you all are enjoying the recipe, and I'm honored to have you, as a dietician, compliment it in that way. 🙂
Where'd My Sanity Go
These look delicious!! I can't wait to try these... I'm hoping the kids will enjoy them to.
The Cozy Apron
Thank you, I hope they enjoy them, too!
Linda
Hii!!! This recipe looks awesome!! I want to know if there is any way to replace the butermilk and use another ingredient because of alergy. Maybe margarine? Thank u so much.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Linda! If it's a dairy allergy, I would substitute almond milk, or your choice of non-dairy milk; otherwise, you could use regular milk. But margarine would not be the best substitution, in my opinion. Hope that helps!
Barbara
I couldn't wait to tell you! This popcorn chicken is simply wonderful!! This is only the second chicken recipe that I have found on Pinterest that was true to its claims. It has flavor, crunchy texture, pantry ingredients, beautiful color! I can't thank you enough. This was so easy to make. I kept thinking it was too easy. When I opened the oven for the last time I'm surprised the whole world didn't hear me shout Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you! B. Karr
The Cozy Apron
Hi Barbara, you made my day with your precious (and gregarious) comment!
I'm absolutely thrilled you enjoyed the recipe so much. You reminded me of just how tasty this recipe is, and now I'm craving it, lol...I think I'll be preparing it again soon, myself! Thanks for sharing your experience with me.