Taiwanese Fried Chicken Cutlet | Crispy, Juicy, and Bigger Than Your Face
We took Taiwanese popcorn chicken and leveled it up to dà jī pái—giant, golden, ultra-crispy chicken cutlets straight out of a night market. Crunchy bubbles on the outside, juicy perfection inside.
You’ll need:
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 75 g light soy sauce
• 60 g mijiu (or sake)
• 7 g white pepper (divided)
• 3 g five-spice powder
• 5 g Sichuan chile powder
• 3 g kosher salt
• 2 g chicken bouillon powder
• 5 g sugar
• 2 g rice vinegar powder (optional)
• 85 g tapioca starch
• 30 g egg white (plus more as needed)
• 400 g coarse sweet potato starch
• Neutral oil for frying
Steps:
1. Prep: Butterfly and pound chicken until thin and even.
2. Marinate: Combine soy sauce, mijiu, 5 g white pepper, and five-spice powder. Coat chicken and refrigerate 1–16 hrs.
3. Seasoning mix: Blend chile powder, salt, bouillon powder, sugar, remaining pepper, and vinegar powder.
4. Batter: Whisk tapioca starch and egg white to form a light batter. Coat chicken evenly.
5. Dredge: Cover in coarse sweet potato starch—shake off excess.
6. First fry: In 360 °F / 182 °C oil, fry each breast 5–6 min until golden. Rest on rack.
7. Second fry: Raise oil to 375 °F / 191 °C, fry again 3–4 min for ultimate crisp.
8. Finish: Dust with spice mix, wrap in paper, or slice to serve—just like the night markets in Taipei.
Key tips:
• Coarse sweet potato starch is the secret to that signature bubbly crust.
• Double-frying = crunch that lasts.
• Don’t skip pounding—it guarantees even cooking and juicy texture.
• For authentic flavor, marinate overnight.
? Get the full recipe for both the giant cutlet and Taiwanese popcorn chicken:
https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/taiwanese-fried-chicken-cutlet
https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/taiwanese-popcorn-chicken