Best of Airfryer Chicken Round Four: Popcorn Chicken, by Diane

 

This week to mix things up, I've decided to play Best of Airfryer Chicken for lunches. 5 days, 5 recipes. I am always looking for a good airfryer chicken recipe, and I figured this was the best way to give this one a shot and discover a great go-to recipe. I also hate cooking lunches and usually batch them during the week, so bonus if the recipe was going to store well. This was also the week I found out raw chicken only lasts 1-2 days in the fridge...

Round four was popcorn chicken by Very Hungry Verbena. I love following her on Instagram! Her chicken came out MUCH more coated and crunchy than mine and I'm still trying to sort out what went wrong, but the flavor was outstanding and they were so juicy. I also made more of that honey mustard I'm obsessed with and damn this was a great lunch! If I could figure out how to make these crunchy like hers were, I'd be SOLD with this one as the winner.

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken (I used one chicken breast and adjusted), cubed

cajun or bbq seasonings (I used a sweet and spicy bbq blend)

50 grams tapioca flour (I used about 1/2 cup just to be safe)

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp baking soda

Goya seasoning (I added this just to make sure the coating was flavorful)

Spray oil

Directions:

1. Marinate the chicken cubes in seasonings for 30 min in the fridge.

2. Toss the chicken in a bowl with tapioca, cornstarch, baking soda, and goya until totally covered. 

3. Shake off excess coating and place in a sprayed airfryer rack evenly spread apart. 

4. Liberally spray with oil, then bake at 400F for 15 minutes, spraying again and shaking the bin every 5 min. 

5. I served it with my honey mustard sauce: 1 tbsp mayo, 3/4 tbsp mustard, 1/2 tbsp honey, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, sprinkle chili powder. Stir to combine.

Best of Airfryer Chicken Round Two- Healthy Chicken Nuggets, by Diane

 

This week to mix things up, I've decided to play Best of Airfryer Chicken for lunches. 5 days, 5 recipes. I am always looking for a good airfryer chicken recipe, and I figured this was the best way to give this one a shot and discover a great go-to recipe. I also hate cooking lunches and usually batch them during the week, so bonus if the recipe was going to store well. This was also the week I found out raw chicken only lasts 1-2 days in the fridge...

Round two was healthy chicken nuggets by Kayla's Kitchen Fix. These were super juicy thanks to the marinade/brine, but not the total flavor of the coating I was going for. They honey mustard sauce I whipped up on the side (recipe below bc it ROCKED) was a total game changer, and it just involved instincts from my pantry. I'd make these again but would want a different coating. She has two options on her site- almond and coconut flour which I used, and cassava flour. I might try the later next time and see if that's better! 

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast, cubed

1/4 cup pickle juice

1/4 cup almond milk, unsweetened

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup almond flour

2 tbsp coconut flour

1 tsp paprika

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste (I used goya)

Avocado oil spray

Directions:

1. Combine the almond milk and vinegar in a bowl and let sit for 5 minutes to mimic a buttermilk. Add in the pickle juice and let sit for 5 more minutes.

2. Add in the chicken, mix, and let sit for 30 minutes in the fridge.

3. Combine almond flour through salt and pepper in a bowl, mix to combine. Dip the chicken in the mixture, coating each side and move to a sprayed airfryer pan. Spread the chicken out evenly.

4. Liberally spray all the chicken well and cook at 400 for 12-15 minutes (I used a thermometer until 170F).

5. I served it with honey mustard sauce: 1 tbsp mayo, 3/4 tbsp mustard, 1/2 tbsp honey, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, sprinkle chili powder. Stir to combine.