This homemade Popcorn Chicken recipe is everything you want it to be: crispy and crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. It couldn’t be easier to make and can be cooked in the oven, air fryer, or fried.
Classic Popcorn Chicken, made better.
Classic Popcorn Chicken, made better.Everyone wins with this recipe because it’s healthier than deep-fried chicken, but still has the yummy, bite-size crisp and crunch everyone loves from Popcorn Chicken. Most of all the ingredients are simple and high quality; no preservatives here, and this is much healthier than anything you’d buy from a store or restaurant.
I usually cook popcorn chicken in the oven or air fryer, but I left instructions for frying as well. I often make a double batch and freeze the rest for an easy dinner another day. Stop buying the frozen bag at the grocery store and make your own! It’s so easy, healthier, and the quality just can’t be beat!
Enjoy Popcorn Chicken as a game day appetizer or for a kid-friendly meal with steamed veggies, fruit, fries, Mashed Potatoes, coleslaw, or mac and cheese. Or, serve it on our Honey Mustard Chicken Salad.
How to make Popcorn Chicken:
Coat Chicken: Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces then place in a bowl or bag with flour. Stir or shake until all chicken is covered. Combine eggs, milk, and spices to a bowl then stir. In another bowl, add crushed cornflakes.
Dip Chicken: Dip each chicken piece into egg mixture then roll in cornflakes. Pressing cornflakes into the chicken.
Cook Chicken:
Oven Method: Arrange chicken on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 10 minutes. Flip and bake for another 8 minutes, or until fully cooked.
Deep-Fry Method: Pour a few inches of vegetable oil in a pot then heat until hot (350 degrees F). Working in batches, lower chicken into oil and cook for 3-4 minutes, until cooked through. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels.
Air Fry Method: Spray nonstick spray on the bottom of basket then arrange half of the chicken pieces in a single layer. Spray the top of all of the chicken generously then air fry at 360°F for 3 minutes. Flip, spray the tops again, then bump up the temperature to 400°F and cook for 2-3 minutes, until cooked and crispy.
Serve warm with hot honey, BBQ sauce, ranch, Chick-fil-A sauce, honey mustard, or your favorite dipping sauce!
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: Cut the chicken into pieces and coat in flour. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before continuing recipe.
To Reheat Popcorn Chicken:
- Air Fryer: Spread into a single layer and air fry for 2-3 minutes, or until crispy and warm.
- Oven: Preheat oven to 325°F then arrange chicken on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cook for 10 minutes, or until hot and crispy.
To Freeze: Allow chicken to cool to room temperature, then space the chicken out on a baking sheet that will fit into the freezer. Keep chicken in freezer for about 1 hour or until mostly frozen, then transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, place frozen popcorn chicken on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees F for about 15 minutes or until heated through.
Recipe Variations:
- No Cornflakes: Try potato chips (kettle chips are great!), ritz crackers, panko, or panko and cornmeal mixed!
- Dairy Free: Swap cows milk for soy, almond, or your favorite dairy-free milk.
- Sweeten It: Omit the eggs and marinate the flour-coated chicken in 2 Tablespoons of honey, for 20 minutes, before coating in cornflakes.
- Buttermilk: Swap regular milk for buttermilk.
Dips to pair with Popcorn Chicken:
- BBQ Sauce
- Hot Honey
- Ranch
- Ketchup
- Honey Mustard
- Chick-fil-A sauce
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Recipe
Popcorn Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts , cut into bite-sized pieces (about 2-3 large breasts)
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 1/2 cups corn flakes cereal , lightly crushed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Coat Chicken: Place chicken pieces in a bowl or ziplock bag and add flour, stirring or shaking to coat completely. Set aside.
- Add eggs, milk, salt and pepper, garlic powder and paprika to a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside. In another shallow bowl combine crushed cornflakes.
- Dip each piece of flour-coated chicken into the egg mixture, followed by the cornflakes, gently pressing the cornflake mixture into the chicken.
Cook in Oven, Air Fryer, or Deep-fry:
- To Bake. Place chicken on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Flip chicken and bake for another 5-8 minutes or until cooked through.
- To Air Fry: Spray the bottom of the fry basket with nonstick cooking spray and place half of the chicken pieces into a single layer in the basket. Generously spray the top of each piece of chicken with cooking spray. Air Fry at 360F for 3 minutes. Open air fryer, flip chicken pieces to the other side, and spray tops again with cooking spray. Increase air fryer temperature to 400F degrees and cook for 2-3 more minutes, or until crisp and cooked through.
- To Fry: Heat a few inches of vegetable oil in a pot. Once hot (350 degrees F), work in batches to lower the chicken into the oil and cook for 3-4 minutes, until cooked through. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
- Serve warm with BBQ sauce, Hot Honey, ranch, Chick-fil-A sauce, honey mustard, or another favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- Air Fryer: Spread into a single layer and air fry for 2-3 minutes, or until crispy and warm.
- Oven: Preheat oven to 325°F then arrange chicken on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cook for 10 minutes, or until hot and crispy.
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe January 2017. Updated February 2021 and January 2025.
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Take more prep than some recipes but not difficult and cook really nice in the air fryer.
It was a lot of work to make these. They were crunchy and my kids like them enough. But they are tasteless. Even after I salted everything. The egg the flour and the corn flakes. Just keep adding salt.
So glad your kids liked them. Feel free to double the seasoning amount in the future if you want more flavor.