Chicken Poppers are a yummy bite-sized snack or appetiser that is healthy and easy to prepare. I first breaded the chicken pieces into a mixture of corn starch, flour and seasonings and then baked them in the oven until crispy. Served with a simple, creamy dip.
Chicken Poppers
My daughter absolutely loves these Chicken Poppers; she eats them throughout the day—morning, afternoon, and night. I appreciate how simple this recipe is and how delightful these poppers are as a snack.
They're wonderfully crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The best thing about these chicken poppers is that they're baked in the oven, not fried.
I also like to serve them with a creamy, flavourful dip made of mayo, dijon mustard, cider vinegar and honey, which is super delicious! The dip gives a tasty flavour with every bite you take.
You may also use store-bought sauce or just any homemade sauce of your choice such as Haydari (Turkish Yogurt Sauce), Cilantro Garlic Sauce or Egyptian Tahini Sauce.
Ingredients
Chicken: I use boneless chicken breast, diced into small chunks.
Buttermilk: It makes the chicken tender and also adds a flavor. It can be substituted with yoghurt.
Seasonings: I use onion powder, garlic powder, ground black pepper, turmeric and salt for the best flavour.
All-purpose flour and Corn starch: To achieve the crunchy and golden brown outer layer.
Lemon juice: The lemon juice enhances the flavour of the chicken.
Eggs: To dunk the chicken in first so the flour sticks better to the chicken. It also makes the chicken crispier.
For the dip: I used mayonnaise, dijon mustard, cider vinegar, honey, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
How To Make The Chicken Poppers?
One: Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F.
Two (Prepare the Chicken): Cut the chicken breasts into small bite-size.
Three (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.
Four: In a large bowl, mix the chicken with buttermilk well. (feel free to put the chicken in the fridge to marinate if you like).
Note: I didn't marinate the chicken, but I recommend to marinate for at least an hour.
Five: 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.
Six: 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.
Seven: After that, arrange the chicken on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
Pro Tip: 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.
Eight (Make the dip): To make this super creamy sauce, whisk the mayonnaise, dijon mustard, cider vinegar, honey, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Then put in the fridge until ready for serving.
Top Tips
- You can use dry mustard instead of Dijon mustard for the sauce. One teaspoon dry mustard is equal to 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard.
- You can substitute corn starch with wheat flour or potato starch.
- Don't overcook the chicken; otherwise, they will turn out dry!
Some 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 bites in BBQ sauce, buffalo sauce or with garlic and parmesan cheese for added flavour right before serving.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve them with eggs and toast for breakfast or stuff them in a whole-wheat wrap or pita with veggies and top them with ketchup or chipotle sauce.
You can also serve them with salad, such as:
- Rocket salad with parmesan
- Homemade coleslaw salad
- Lemon garlic potato salad
- Mediterranean couscous salad
Storage
To freeze: Put the fully baked chicken poppers for up to 2 months in a zip-lock bag or airtight container and reheat them in the oven whenever needed.
To make ahead of time: 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.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can air-fry them. Use lesser oil while you air-fry these poppers.
Yes, you can use any chicken part, but it is best to use boneless, making it easier to eat.
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.
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.
More Chicken Recipes
- Baked Cornflake Chicken Nuggets
- Coronation Chicken Sandwich
- Crispy Chicken Patties
- Crispy Fried Chicken Burger (Sandwich)
Don't forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it turned out in the comment section below. Thanks for visiting my blog.
Recipe Card
Baked Chicken Poppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken breast , boneless and diced into small chunks
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoon cornstarch/cornflour
- 2 eggs
The dip
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon honey
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F.
- 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 cornstarch, 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 cornstarch, 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.
- After that, arrange the chicken on a baking sheet and bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
- To make this super creamy sauce, whisk the mayonnaise, dijon mustard, cider vinegar, honey, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Serve with the chicken.
Notes
- 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.
Catoline says
These are so easy and healthy side dish; I love serving them with some roasted eggplants.
Korie says
My son likes these chicken poppers with ketchup.
Kace says
I made this recipe, but I fried the chicken instead of baking, and it was so delicious, and the sauce was so good.
Nola says
I had a party yesterday, and these chicken poppers were on my list. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Molly says
These chicken poppers look so delicious. Your recipe sounds yummy, and I will try it soon!