Description
A crispy and flavorful Fritos Popcorn Chicken recipe featuring tender bite-sized chicken pieces coated in a seasoned flour mixture and crushed original Fritos, then deep-fried to golden perfection. Served with your favorite dipping sauce, this dish is perfect as a snack or meal for 4 to 4 people.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Marinade
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 egg white
Dredging Mixture
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, divided (1 cup + ¼ cup)
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup water
Coating
- 1¼ cups finely crushed Original Fritos, divided (1 cup + ¼ cup)
Frying
- 1½ quarts peanut or vegetable oil (for frying)
To Serve
- Favorite dipping sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Pat the chicken dry and season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Cut into ½-inch pieces and place in a zipper-style plastic bag.
- Make and Apply Slurry: In a small bowl, whisk together cider vinegar, cornstarch, and egg white to make a slurry. Pour it over the chicken in the bag, seal, and shake to coat all pieces evenly. Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, ¼ cup cornstarch, baking powder, onion powder, granulated garlic, sugar, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- Add Water and Create Craggy Batter: Add ¼ cup water to the flour mixture and rub with your fingers until it forms tiny bits with craggy edges, resembling damp sand that holds together when squeezed.
- Incorporate Fritos: Add 1 cup crushed Fritos to the mixture and stir to combine thoroughly.
- Coat Half the Chicken: Remove chicken from fridge and add half the chicken pieces to the flour/Frito mixture. Toss well to coat all sides, then spread coated chicken evenly on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Prepare Remaining Coating: To the leftover dry mixture, add remaining ¼ cup flour and ¼ cup crushed Fritos, whisk to combine evenly.
- Coat Remaining Chicken: Add remaining chicken pieces to this second flour/Frito mixture, toss well to coat, and spread on a separate rimmed baking sheet.
- Heat Oil: Pour oil 1-inch deep into a Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 400°F.
- Prepare Drain Station: Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels and place it next to the Dutch oven for draining fried chicken.
- Fry Chicken in Batches: Using a slotted spoon or spider skimmer, carefully add half the coated chicken to the hot oil. Stir immediately and frequently to keep pieces moving. Fry for 2-3 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- Drain First Batch: Transfer cooked chicken to the paper towel-lined baking sheet using the skimmer or slotted spoon.
- Reheat Oil and Fry Second Batch: Heat the oil back to 400°F and repeat frying for the remaining chicken. Drain on paper towels as before.
- Rest and Serve: Allow fried chicken to cool for 5 minutes, then serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.
- Enjoy: Savor your crispy, flavorful Fritos Popcorn Chicken!
Notes
- For extra crispiness, ensure the oil temperature remains steady at 400°F while frying.
- Use crushed Original Fritos processed finely in a food processor for best coating texture.
- If you prefer less spicy, omit or reduce cayenne pepper.
- Monitor chicken pieces frequently during frying to avoid overcooking and drying out.
- This recipe is best served immediately for optimal crisp texture.
- Substitute peanut oil with vegetable oil if there are allergy concerns.
