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overhead shot of 3 sandwiches in blue dish surrounded by ingredients

Popcorn Chicken Sandwiches

These Popcorn Sandwiches are fun to make and even more delicious to eat. Perfect for potluck or game day!
5 from 6 votes
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Course: Game Day, lunch, Pot Luck
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Marinating Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings (click & slide): 8 mini sandwiches
Calories per serving: 230kcal
Author: Chris
Cost per serving: £2 / $2.50

Equipment

  • Pot & Slotted Spoon (suitable for deep frying)
  • Medium Sized Bowl & Cling Film (for marinating)
  • Shallow Medium Dish (for batter)
  • Wire Rack & Paper Towels
  • Bread Knife
  • Kitchen Thermometer

Ingredients

Popcorn Chicken

  • 2x 7oz/200g Chicken Breasts, diced into mini bite sized pieces
  • 3-4cups / 750ml-1litre Vegetable Oil (or other other suitable for deep frying)
  • 1 packed cup / 200g Plain/All Purpose Flour (scoop & level method)
  • 1 cup / 250ml Buttermilk (see notes for subs)
  • 2 tsp Salt
  • 1.5 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1 tsp EACH: Baking Powder, Cayenne Pepper
  • 3/4 tsp EACH: Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Oregano

Sandwich

  • 8 mini Brioche Finger Rolls (see notes for subs)
  • 8 tbsp Coleslaw, (or to preference)
  • Dill or Bread & Butter Pickles, to preference
  • BBQ Sauce, as needed

Instructions

  • Marinate: In a medium sized mixing bowl combine your chicken pieces with 1 cup/250ml buttermilk, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, best results being 2-4 hours or over night. This step is to tenderize the chicken and allow the seasoning to works its way into the meat.
  • Coat Chicken: In a shallow dish combine 1 packed cup/200g plain flour with 1.5 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp salt, baking powder & cayenne pepper, 3/4 tsp garlic & onion powder, 1/2 tsp oregano and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Take a piece of chicken and dredge in the flour. Really make sure you work the flour into the chicken and create lots of flaky bits. This is what makes the chicken crispy. Don't dredge more than 2-3 pieces at a time or the flour will turn sludgy.
  • Deep Fry: Heat up oil to 180C/356F. When you drop a tiny pieces of batter in it should sizzle and slowly rise to the top. In batches, gently lower in your chicken and immediately separate if they stick together. Fry for 3-5mins or until deep golden & crispy and white through the centre. Place on wire rack with paper towels underneath and repeat next batch. Bring oil back up to temp before each batch.
  • Serve: Slice open your rolls and add coleslaw. Top with pickles, then add popcorn chicken (5-6 pieces per roll, depending on size) then drizzle over BBQ sauce. Enjoy!

Quick Demo

Notes

a) Buttermilk - You'll find this in many shops in the UK/US, but if for whatever reason you don't have buttermilk you can sub either of the following:
  • 3/4 cup plain unsweetened yogurt mixed with 1/4 cup of milk (to thin it out).
  • 1 cup milk with 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice, let it sit for 10mins then stir in the chicken
b) Brioche Rolls - I managed to grab a pack of mini all butter brioche finger rolls from Sainsburys (UK) and they're perfect size! Brioche is great because the slight sweetness contrasts nicely with the spicy popcorn chicken. You can however use any roll you like. I recommend finger rolls because the popcorn chicken stays in much easier.
c) Topping subs - I've made these with a variety of different fillings/toppings. Shredded iceberg lettuce and mayo is a great combo. You can also switch out the pickles for jalapeños if you want a spicy sandwich. Go wild!
d) Calories - just based on the popcorn chicken (as toppings are down to preference). Assuming 40 chicken pieces use all the buttermilk and flour (overestimate), 1/2 tsp oil is soaked up per pieces and then shared between 8.

Your Private Notes:

Nutrition:

Nutrition Facts
Popcorn Chicken Sandwiches
Amount Per Serving
Calories 230 Calories from Fat 118
% Daily Value*
Fat 13.15g20%
Saturated Fat 9.735g61%
Trans Fat 0.015g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.505g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.738g
Cholesterol 38mg13%
Sodium 663mg29%
Potassium 306mg9%
Carbohydrates 14.14g5%
Fiber 0.6g3%
Sugar 1.57g2%
Protein 13.97g28%
Vitamin A 243IU5%
Vitamin C 0.4mg0%
Calcium 71mg7%
Iron 1.11mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
*Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.
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