Description
This Paleo Popcorn Chicken recipe delivers a crispy, flavorful chicken bite coated in crunchy plantain chip crumbs and cooked effortlessly in the air fryer. Perfect for a healthy snack or meal, it avoids grains and gluten, making it suitable for paleo diets. The air frying technique ensures a crispy exterior with juicy chicken inside, all without excess oil or deep frying.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1 lbs chicken breast, diced into cubes
Coating
- 1 bag plantain chips
- 2 Tbsp tapioca starch or arrowroot starch
- Salt and spices to taste (such as paprika, garlic powder, black pepper)
Batter
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Dice Chicken: Start by cutting the chicken breasts into evenly sized cubes to ensure uniform cooking.
- Prepare Coating Mixture: Place the plantain chips, tapioca or arrowroot starch, and your chosen spices into a food processor. Blitz until the chips break down into fine crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, place the chips in a sealed bag and crush them manually. Transfer this crumb mixture into a large bowl.
- Whisk Eggs: In a small bowl, whisk the eggs thoroughly. This will serve as the binding agent for the coating.
- Coat Chicken: Set up a dipping station with the eggs in one bowl and the coating mixture in another. Dip each chicken cube into the egg, allowing excess to drip off, then roll it in the chip crumb mixture until fully coated.
- Arrange in Air Fryer: Place the coated chicken pieces in a single layer inside the air fryer basket. Avoid overcrowding; cook in batches if necessary to ensure even crisping.
- Air Fry: Cook the chicken at 350°F for 7 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway if your air fryer requires it, until the chicken is cooked through and the coating is golden and crispy.
- Serve and Enjoy: Once done, remove from the air fryer and serve immediately while hot and crunchy.
Notes
- You can substitute eggs with flax eggs or other egg replacements if needed, but results may vary.
- Adjust spices according to your preference; paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, or cayenne pepper work well.
- Cook chicken in batches to prevent overcrowding for the crispiest results.
- Check internal temperature of chicken to ensure it reaches 165°F for food safety.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Paleo
Keywords: Paleo Popcorn Chicken, Air Fryer Chicken, Gluten Free Snack, Crispy Chicken Bites, Plantain Chip Chicken
