Baked Popcorn Chicken
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A healthier alternative to the deep-fried version with the best crispy potato chip crust!! No one will believe that this is baked!
Nope. The title is correct. This is baked.
Yes, completely baked from 0 to 100.
The secret? The epic potato chip crust!
And the beauty of the crust is how many variations you can use since Kettle Brand has so many bold flavors – pepperoncini, sriracha, maple bacon, etc. – you name it.
I used sour cream and onion here but you know Sriracha is next on my list.
Then the pepperoncini….then the roasted garlic……well, let’s just say I’m making my way down the list to hit them all.
Baked Popcorn Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 cups reduced fat buttermilk
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 cups crushed Sour Cream and Onion Kettle Brand® Potato Chips
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine chicken, buttermilk, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, to taste; marinate for at least 30 minutes. Drain well.
- Working in batches, dredge chicken in crushed potato chips, pressing to coat. Place onto the prepared baking sheet; drizzle with butter.
- Place into oven and bake, turning pieces halfway through, until crisp and cooked through, about 20-25 minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Kettle Brand. As always, I only partner with brands that I love and truly believe in, allowing me to create more quick and easy recipes to get us through the week without breaking the bank. All opinions expressed are my own.
Making this tonight, and also need to try out your homemade honey mustard. Thanks!
I liked the overall flavor of these, but had a big problem with getting the chips to stick to the chicken bites. Those that did stick mostly fell off when I turned the chicken. Any tips?
The chicken should still be a little bit wet from the buttermilk mixture – that should help with the coating. Hope that helps!
I made this last night…the 4 kids and the hubby loved it! I cheated though and marinated in spices and buttermilk ranch overnight. The chips were fun for the kids to crunch up 🙂 Will def make this again!
Family Loved this. Thanks. 🙂
OMG! This looks absolutely delicious and I’m so glad it’s baked. I’m going to make the dip with it as well 😛
http://www.wildfirecharm.com
Your recipes always filled my mouth with water …. damn awesome .. thanks for sharing
I never remember to leave comments for recipes from websites, blogs, etc. but these little chicken nuggets were seriously delicious and very easy to make. I just so happened to have time to marinate them for almost 3 hours (I didn’t have buttermilk so substituted almond milk) then followed the rest of the recipe and they were amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever cooked chicken thighs and was a little hesitant but they are so much more juicy and delicious than chicken breasts! The Kettle Brand chips (which I love anyway) add such a great crunch and flavor. My husband and I LOVED these and I’ll definitely be making them again. Thank you, Chungah, all of your recipes I’ve tried have been awesome! 🙂
I agree, these recipes are fantastic. Thanks Molly for advice re Almond Milk – I’m dairy free, it’s good to know that worked also. Cheers 🙂
You can add white vinegar to non dairy milk to create a similar effect that buttermilk has
Kettle has some fantastic flavors to choose from! I can think of a few I’d like to try with this!
Harry
Why do you use chicken thighs vs boneless/skinless chicken breast? Looks good. Thanks
I sometimes switch from white (breast) to dark meat (thigh) because of a taste preference but it comes at a price – higher calories, fat and saturated fat. But at the end of the day, you can use either/or – it’s up to personal preference.
Is that a type of mustard?
I used my homemade honey mustard recipe!
What type of dipping sauce?
I used my homemade honey mustard recipe!
Damn Delicious .. i really love your recipy
Aren’t the potato chip fried?
What is the dipping sauce? These look delicious.
I used my homemade honey mustard recipe!
Love all your receipes..delish and easy to make…Question:What sauce are you dipping these Baked Popcorn chicken?
I used my homemade honey mustard recipe!
KFC just got owned (;
What are you dipping this chicken in??
I used my homemade honey mustard recipe!
Have you tried this recipe with whole chicken thighs and if so how long would you cook them for?
I actually haven’t – sorry!
I cook chicken pcs alot using chips as a coating, you can just dip them in butter or beaten egg or even water, then bake them as you would any other time. I put parchment paper down on a cookie sheet but Im thinking a baking rack would work just as well. Always a tasty treat, and I have also used different flavoured chips ie: Barbq, onion and garlic, etc. I bake mine at 350 F.
Is that honey mustard for the dipping sauce? Do you have a recipe for your own?
I used my homemade honey mustard recipe!
Love all your recipes! Really delicious and easy to follow!