Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (Yan Su Ji)
Bite-size chicken thigh marinated with garlic, ginger, soy and five-spice, coated in coarse sweet potato starch, fried crisp and tossed with fried basil and five-spice salt.
Yan su ji, "salty crispy chicken", is a street snack sold at Taiwan's night markets; in the West it is called popcorn chicken. Wikipedia notes its history is relatively recent (citing Cathy Erway in The New York Times, 2022) and that vendors marinate diced leg or thigh meat, coat it in flour or sweet potato starch, deep-fry it and season it with pepper after frying. Adam Liaw writes that it is said to have been created by street stall cooks in the late 1970s, inspired by American fried chicken; we found no dated source for that. Taiwanese chains later took it abroad, to Hong Kong among other places (Wikipedia).
Why it works the kitchen science
Coarse sweet potato starch
The big grains fry into a bumpy, glassy crust that stays crunchy longer than flour.
Baking soda in the marinade
A pinch raises the pH of the meat, which helps it stay tender and juicy during a hot, fast fry.
Step by step
- Step 1
Mix the chicken with the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, baking soda and five-spice. Marinate 10 minutes.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, toast the salt, five-spice, white pepper and chili powder in a dry small saucepan over medium-low heat about 2 minutes, until fragrant. Set aside.
- Step 3
Heat the oil in a deep pot to 300°F. Fry the basil leaves until crisp and see-through, about 30 seconds, stirring gently with a slotted spoon; the oil spatters hard, so use a splatter guard. Drain on paper towels.
- Step 4
Lift the chicken out of the marinade and toss it in the sweet potato starch until well coated, pressing so the coarse grains stick.
- Step 5
Raise the oil to 340°F. Fry the chicken in batches about 3 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through (165°F), skimming out loose starch between batches.
- Step 6
Toss the hot chicken with the fried basil and a generous pinch of the five-spice salt and serve right away.
Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (Yan Su Ji)
Serves 4 (as a snack) · about 40 bite-size pieces · 40 min total
Chicken and marinade
- 1 1/3 lb boneless chicken thighs, preferably skin-on, cut into 1 1/4-inch chunks
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp five-spice powder
Coating and frying
- 1 cup coarse Taiwanese sweet potato starch (sold at Asian markets)
- 1 cup loosely packed basil or Thai basil leaves, washed and completely dry
- Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Five-spice salt (makes extra)
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/4 tsp five-spice powder
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- A pinch of chili powder
Method
- Mix the chicken with the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, baking soda and five-spice. Marinate 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, toast the salt, five-spice, white pepper and chili powder in a dry small saucepan over medium-low heat about 2 minutes, until fragrant. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a deep pot to 300°F. Fry the basil leaves until crisp and see-through, about 30 seconds, stirring gently with a slotted spoon; the oil spatters hard, so use a splatter guard. Drain on paper towels.
- Lift the chicken out of the marinade and toss it in the sweet potato starch until well coated, pressing so the coarse grains stick.
- Raise the oil to 340°F. Fry the chicken in batches about 3 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through (165°F), skimming out loose starch between batches.
- Toss the hot chicken with the fried basil and a generous pinch of the five-spice salt and serve right away.
Adapted from Adam Liaw, "Taiwanese popcorn chicken", The Cook Up with Adam Liaw (SBS Food, March 18, 2024), as written for 4, converted to US amounts. Liaw's 150°C and 170°C are converted to 300°F and 340°F. The 165°F check is from USDA FSIS. sbs.com.au. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (2)
Tips
- Can't find sweet potato starch? Potato starch or cornstarch works, but the crust will be smoother.
- Thigh or leg meat only; Liaw says the dish is never made with lean breast.
- Night-market stalls fry vegetables, tofu and squid in the same oil; try sliced mushrooms or green beans after the chicken.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- It was invented in the late 1970s, inspired by American fried chicken. Folklore: Adam Liaw reports it as something "it is said"; Wikipedia gives no date.
- Sweet potato starch is essential. Disputed: Liaw's recipe calls for it, while Wikipedia says vendors use flour or sweet potato starch.
- Fried basil on top. Documented as standard (Liaw's recipe).
- Breast meat. Folklore that it ever is: Liaw says thigh or diced leg only.
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