Baked Popcorn Chicken with Maple-Dijon Dipping Sauce
Try this Baked Popcorn Chicken with Maple-Dijon Dipping Sauce recipe
Try this Baked Popcorn Chicken with Maple-Dijon Dipping Sauce recipe
- Carbohydrate 13.1566593837511 g
- Cholesterol 75.0247792 mg
- Fat 11.4064891818838 g
- Fiber 0.321656248177557 g
- Protein 26.061561661915 g
- Saturated Fat 3.397269885542 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (205g)
- Sodium 367.95423594877 mg
- Sugar 12.8350031355735 g
- Trans Fat 0.966867674277542 g
- Calories 263 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees then spray a foil-lined baking sheet with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Lightly season chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning then stir to coat.
- In a shallow dish whisk together egg and water.
- In another shallow dish mix together panko bread crumbs and Cajun seasoning.
- Dunk seasoned chicken in egg mixture then bread crumb mixture, and then place onto prepared baking sheet.
- Spray tops with olive oil or nonstick spray then bake for 10-12 minutes (depending on how big you cut your chicken,) flipping halfway through.
- For the Maple-Dijon Dipping Sauce: stir ingredients together then serve.
- To freeze popcorn chicken: freeze on the baking sheet after breading and before baking until completely frozen, and then transfer to a freezer bag.
- Bake straight from the freezer as directed (do not thaw first.)
Operating within a standard home oven requires managing convection and moisture to achieve genuine crispness without frying. This recipe relies on a high thermal threshold and dry coatings to simulate the crunch of deep-fat immersion.
- Preheat the baking sheet inside the 425 degree oven so the bottom crust sets instantly upon contact.
- Cut chicken pieces into uniform one-inch cubes to ensure the internal temperature and exterior browning finish simultaneously at the 12-minute mark.
- Apply a light layer of oil spray over the panko crumbs to provide the necessary fat molecules for browning reactions under dry heat.
- Whisk plain greek yogurt into the maple syrup and dijon base if you prefer a thicker, tarter emulsion that clings to the meat.
Freezing the breaded pieces solidly on a sheet pan prior to baking prevents the coating from shedding in storage. Uncooked frozen pieces require two additional minutes in the oven to compensate for internal chill.
