Crispy Air Fryer Popcorn Hen

Crunchy on the surface and tender and juicy on the within, this Air Fryer Popcorn Hen is prepared in 20 minutes from begin to end! These dippable crispy nuggets are the right sport day appetizer or enjoyable household dinner.

20-Minute, Extremely-Crispy Air Fryer Popcorn Hen

We love chicken tender recipe round right here, and I additionally LOVE my air fryer. I really feel like I make a batch of Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders a minimum of as soon as every week. With soccer season developing, I needed a recipe that’s simply as straightforward to make, but additionally completely snackable. Hey, sport day.

So, right this moment we’re making a bite-sized variation of one in every of my favourite meals: crispy air fryer popcorn hen. These crunchy, juicy nuggets of pleasure are a fast, straightforward appetizer to make for a crowd, and simply as scrumptious to function a meal on weeknights.

Popcorn hen is ideal for dipping in our favourite Copycat Chick-Fil-A Sauce, or barbecue sauce. You received’t consider how crispy these hen nuggets get in just some minutes!

Why You’ll Love This Air Fryer Recipe

So, why use the air fryer to cook dinner popcorn hen? Should you’re simply getting acquainted with the world of air frying, I’ve a super-handy information for How to Use an Air Fryer. An air fryer is principally a countertop convection oven, and it’s a handy, lighter method of getting your favourite meals good and crispy.

I’ll warn you now: when you get the cling of it, you’ll wish to put all the things in your air fryer. Biscuits? Air fryer. Mac and Cheese Balls? Air fried. I even use the air fryer to make Chocolate Chip Cookies! It’s a way of life. 

Right here’s why we will’t get sufficient of this air fryer hen recipe:

• A lighter method of frying. This air fryer popcorn hen crisps up completely, minus the surplus grease and oil of deep frying (to not point out, clear up is straightforward, since there aren’t any oil splatters to wipe off the partitions afterward).
• Prepared in beneath 20 minutes. Having an air fryer in the home is a deal with on weeknights. These hen bites come out crazy-crispy in a fraction of the time that it could take within the oven.
• Nice for rookies. That is a straightforward air fryer recipe that anybody could make. Merely coat the hen, pop it into the fryer, cook dinner, flip, and serve.

What You’ll Want

Beneath is a fast abstract of the substances wanted to make crispy popcorn hen within the air fryer. Make sure that to take a look at the total recipe particulars within the recipe card additional on.

• Hen: Boneless skinless hen breast is greatest for this recipe. Boneless hen thighs may also work.
• Flour and Bread Crumbs: You’ll want each for the breadcrumb coating. For popcorn hen, I like Panko because the crumbs are bigger and crunchier once they come out of the air fryer.
• Seasonings: You’ll season your breadcrumbs with a mix of salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
• Eggs and Milk: An egg wash helps the Panko adhere to the hen. You need to use any sort of milk you favor, entire milk, 2%, or skim. For a tangier taste, you’ll be able to even use buttermilk (store-bought, or homemade).
• Dijon Mustard: I like the creamy, zesty taste that comes from including Dijon mustard to the egg wash. Should you don’t have Dijon, you need to use common yellow mustard as a substitute. You could wish to use barely much less, as the flavour will likely be stronger.
• Olive Oil Spray: Air frying recipes name for considerably much less oil than conventional frying strategies. You should buy olive oil spray from the shop, or add your personal olive oil to a twig bottle. Just some spritzes is all it takes to crisp up the surface of the hen because it cooks.

Methods to Make Popcorn Hen in Your Air Fryer

Able to “fry” some hen? Earlier than you begin, you’ll wish to cube up your hen breasts into nugget-sized chunks. This recipe makes about 60 hen nuggets, so there ought to be greater than sufficient to feed a hungry crowd. Now, let’s get this recipe poppin’.

• Put together the Seasoned Breadcrumbs: First, in a shallow dish, mix Panko with flour and a teaspoon of salt, together with the remainder of the seasonings.
• Put together the Egg Wash: Subsequent up, in a separate dish, whisk collectively the eggs with some milk, Dijon, and a half-teaspoon of salt.

• Coat the Hen: Coat your hen items first within the egg wash, then within the Panko combination. Use your palms to essentially press the Panko over all sides of the hen nuggets, and switch the coated nuggets to a baking sheet.

• Air Fry: As soon as all of the hen is coated and your air fryer is preheated to 390ºF, add a batch of hen to the air frying basket and spritz them with olive oil spray (not non-stick cooking spray, see the guidelines under). Cook dinner every batch for 8 minutes, turning midway by way of.
• Serve: As soon as all of the hen has cooked by way of, it’s time to serve! This crispy popcorn hen makes an ideal appetizer or predominant, good for household dinners or events.

Can I Make Baked Popcorn Hen As an alternative?

Positively. Should you don’t have an air fryer, this recipe is straightforward sufficient to translate to the oven! Right here’s the way to do it:

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF and get a baking sheet prepared and lined with parchment paper.
2. Organize the coated hen on the baking sheet.
3. Bake for about 20 minutes (or till the interior temperature of the hen is 165ºF), flipping the nuggets midway by way of. 

Ideas and Variation Concepts

What’s the key to completely crispy air fryer popcorn hen? I’ve included some notes and variation concepts under. Try my tutorial for extra useful air frying suggestions and methods.

• Keep away from aerosol cooking sprays. Now, for somewhat Air Fryer 101: Aerosol non-stick sprays, like PAM, can injury the non-stick coating that’s already in your air fryer basket. Keep away from utilizing cooking sprays, and as a substitute use an olive oil spray when air frying, or add olive oil to a spritzer bottle.
• Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket. Make sure that to go away sufficient area for the new air to flow into between the hen items for the crispest outcomes. Work in batches and let these items breathe!
• Methods to inform when the hen is completed cooking: Your popcorn hen is completed when the interior temperature is at a totally cooked 165ºF. Use a kitchen thermometer to test.
• Scale the recipe. This popcorn hen recipe makes a number of nuggets! Be happy to scale down or double up the substances to fit your wants.
• Make spicy crispy popcorn hen. For some further warmth, combine some cayenne pepper or crushed pink pepper flakes into the breadcrumb coating.
• Add dried herbs. Along with the spices already within the coating, you’ll be able to add dry herbs like thyme, basil, oregano, or a spoonful of Italian seasoning mix.
• Use cornflakes for further crunch. Crush up cornflake cereal to combine in with the Panko for a fair crunchier texture. That is straightforward to do by putting the cereal inside a big zip-top bag and rolling over it just a few occasions with a rolling pin.

Serving Recommendations

We love dunking our crispy hen in The Best Chicken Dipping Sauce (critically, it’s the BEST!) or my straightforward Homemade BBQ Sauce. However the serving potentialities are limitless. Get pleasure from your air fryer popcorn hen with a number of of those straightforward selfmade dipping sauces:

This straightforward popcorn hen recipe is ideal to make as a celebration snack alongside extra appetizer concepts like Mini Corn Dogs, Pigs In A Blanket, and Philly Cheesesteak Sliders. 

For dinner, I’ll serve popcorn hen with a facet of Beach Bread and veggies, like a inexperienced salad, steamed broccoli, Air Fryer Asparagus, or Instant Pot Corn on the Cob. 

Methods to Retailer and Reheat Air Fryer Hen

This popcorn hen may be saved hermetic within the fridge for as much as 3 days. Reheating leftovers is as straightforward as popping them again into the air fryer at 280ºF, for about 7 minutes or till warmed by way of.

Leftover popcorn hen can be nice to take pleasure in chilly over a Couscous Salad, in hen wraps, or as a snack dipped in Ranch Dressing.

Can I Freeze Popcorn Hen?

Sure! Cooked air fryer popcorn hen is freezer-friendly and splendid for defrosting and reheating. As soon as the hen bites have cooled fully, retailer them hermetic in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Defrost the popcorn hen within the fridge earlier than reheating.

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