Chicken Poppers With Creamy Sauce

These chicken poppers are a delicious snack or side dish with a crunch on the outside and juicy chicken on the inside. The best part about these poppers is that they are baked in the oven and not fried.

Check also baked cornflake chicken nuggets recipe.

The creamy sauce made of mayo, dijon mustard, cider vinegar and honey. Serving this sauce with chicken poppers makes them even more delicious. You may also use store-bought sauce or just any homemade sauce of your choice.

Why this recipe works?

Chicken Poppers are a yummy bite-sized snack that is healthy, easy to prepare and makes a star recipe for an evening snack or a party. The corn starch and spice coating make them nice and crispy. These chicken poppers are easy to make with just a handful of ingredients and the creamy sauce for the best taste giving every bite a wholesome flavour.

What's in the Chicken Poppers and the creamy sauce?

• Chicken breast: Use boneless chicken, diced into small chunks.
• Buttermilk: It is the main ingredient for this dish as it makes the chicken tender and can be substituted with yoghurt.
• Seasonings: Use onion powder, garlic powder, ground black pepper, turmeric and salt for the best flavour.
• All-purpose flour: Flour to keep the ingredients in place and to achieve the crunchy outer layer.
• Lemon juice: The lemon juice enhances the flavour of the chicken while making it tender.
• Corn starch/cornflour: The corn starch/cornflour helps the chicken to turn crunchy and brown on the outside and stays juicy on the inside.
• Eggs: To dredge the chicken so the flour sticks better to the chicken. It also makes the chicken crispier.

The sauce:
A flavourful dip is much needed for these chicken poppers. They give an added flavour with every bite you take. This creamy sauce requires,

• Mayo: Gives all the flavour that’s needed for this creamy sauce.
• Dijon mustard: It adds the perfect mustard taste for extra flavour.
• Cider vinegar: It gives a tangy taste to the sauce, which intensifies the flavour.
• Honey: It enriches and adds a subtle flavour to the sauce.
  Garlic powder, salt and pepper for seasoning.

How to make the sauce?

To make this super creamy sauce, whisk all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Then put in the fridge until ready for serving.

How to make the chicken poppers?

Preparing the chicken: Cut the chicken breasts into small bite-size.
Seasoning the chicken: Season the chicken pieces well with onion powder, garlic powder, ground black pepper, turmeric and salt. Make sure all the chicken chunks are well coated.

In a large bowl, mix the chicken with buttermilk well. (feel free to put the chicken in the fridge to marinate if you like).
Arrange three plates in the table; in the first one, add the corn starch; in the second one, add the eggs, and in the third one, add the flour.
Now, move one individual chicken bite from the buttermilk mixture and dredge in corn starch, then to the egg plate and coat it well, then dredge in flour and put in a big plate. Repeat with all other chicken pieces.

Baking: After that, arrange the chicken on a baking sheet and bake at 170C for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

Top Tips

• Make sure you place the chicken a little away from each other when you bake as they need room to crisp up. Else, the chicken would cook unevenly or too slowly, giving raw chicken in the middle.
• You can use dry mustard instead of Dijon mustard for the sauce. One teaspoon dry mustard is equal to 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard.
• Marinate the chicken longer for more tender chicken. Allow it to marinate at least for an hour.
• You can substitute corn starch or cornflour with wheat flour or potato starch.

Recipe Variations

• You can easily switch the spices based on your preference; you can use garlic, ginger and sesame seeds.
• If you like them hot, you can try chicken jalapeno poppers.
• You may toss these chicken poppers in BBQ sauce, buffalo sauce or with garlic and parmesan cheese for added flavour. Make sure to toss the chicken right before serving, as they may become soggy.

Serving Suggestions

• You may serve it with ketchup, chipotle sauce or any other sauce of your choice.
• Serve along with eggs and toast for breakfast.
• Stuff it in a whole-wheat wrap or pita with veggies and some sauce.
• Serve them with white rice, pasta or bread.

You can also serve it with some veggie salad, making it extra healthy such as:

• Rocket salad with parmesan
• Homemade coleslaw salad
• Lemon garlic potato salad
• Mediterranean couscous salad

Recipe FAQs

How long can you leave the chicken in buttermilk?

It is best to marinate the chicken overnight. If you marinade much longer, it will most likely lose its tenderness.

Can I use whipping cream instead of buttermilk?

You could use it, but it may not taste the same as whipping cream, does not have lactic acid and may get spoiled very quickly. It is recommended to use buttermilk or yoghurt.

Chicken gets dry after baking; what is to be done?

You may be overcooking the chicken. Make sure to follow the recipe to avoid drying the chicken.

Can these chicken poppers be air-fried?

Yes, you can air-fry them. Use lesser oil while you air-fry these poppers.

Can I use other chicken parts instead of boneless ones?

Yes, you can use any chicken part, but it is best to use boneless, making it easier to eat.

Can I freeze these chicken poppers?

Yes, you can freeze fully baked chicken poppers for up to 2 months in a zip-lock bag or airtight container and heat them in the oven whenever needed.

Can I deep fry these poppers?

Yes, use a deep pan to fry these poppers using canola oil, preferably. To fry these chicken Poppers, put 3-4 cups of oil in a heavy pan and heat over medium-high heat. Then fry the chicken in batches until crispy and golden brown.

Is there a substitute for eggs?

You can skip the eggs and use just flour and water. Season the chicken well and roll them in flour. You may also dip the pieces in water after dredging them and roll them again in flour for a thicker coating, making them crispier.

Can I make these chicken Poppers ahead of time?

Yes, you can season the chicken and mix it with buttermilk, then put it in a Ziploc bag in the fridge for 1-2 days, ready for breading and baking or frying.

More chicken recipes

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