ReelsMeals
RecipesDishes
Sign inStart cooking
  1. Home
  2. Recipes
  3. Dinner
  4. Korean Popcorn Chicken

Korean Popcorn Chicken

Recipe by Zach Olson on InstagramAdded 1 August 2026.
  • 35 min
  • Serves 4
  • 16 ingredients

15 minutes to prep, 20 to cook. A crispy, sweet‑and‑spicy Korean popcorn chicken that’s perfect for a quick dinner. The light batter gives a satisfying crunch while the tangy gochujang glaze delivers bold flavor. Serve it over rice or with your favorite side.

See all 5 versions of popcorn chicken, compared

Free. No account needed.

Korean Popcorn Chicken by Zach Olson, a frame from the Instagram video

Ingredients

4 servingsMetric

Chicken

Sauce

Amounts as Zach Olson gives them. Metric converts supported weights and liquids, and oven temperatures; spoon measures and counts stay as written.

Method

  1. 1

    Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pan or wok to 350°F (350°F).

  2. 2

    In a bowl, whisk the egg, then add flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ginger powder; stir until a smooth batter forms.

  3. 3

    Toss the diced chicken thighs in the batter, allowing excess to drip off.

  4. 4

    Carefully lower the coated chicken pieces into the hot oil and fry for 5–7 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through; remove and drain on paper towels.

  5. 5

    While the chicken fries, combine ketchup, soy sauce, sesame oil, gochujang, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and butter in a small saucepan.

  6. 6

    Heat the sauce over medium heat, stirring until the butter melts and the mixture becomes smooth and slightly thickened, about 3–4 minutes.

  7. 7

    Transfer the fried chicken to a large bowl and toss with the hot sauce until every piece is evenly coated.

  8. 8

    Serve immediately over steamed rice or with your preferred side, and enjoy while hot.

Tips while you cook

Dry the batter before frying
After tossing the chicken in the batter, let excess drip off before lowering into the oil.
Heat oil to the correct temperature
Preheat the vegetable oil to 350°F (175°C) before adding the chicken.
Combine sauce while chicken fries
Prepare the glaze in a saucepan while the chicken is frying.
Toss chicken while sauce is hot
Transfer the fried chicken to a bowl and toss with the hot sauce right after the sauce thickens.

Notes from ReelsMeals, based on this recipe's ingredients, times and method. They are not the creator's instructions.

Made it?

Tap a star to rate it. Ratings help other cooks decide what to make next.

Rate this recipe

Watch Zach Olson make it. The video loads from Instagram when you tap.

Zach Olson made this.

The recipe comes from Zach Olson’s Instagram reel. ReelsMeals wrote it down from the caption and the voiceover. Check the original if something looks off, and for anything about allergens.

Are you Zach Olson and want this changed? Email [email protected].

Share or print it

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on X
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Email
Credit or embed it on your own site

Popcorn chicken, 5 ways

Four creators posted their own. Every one is built on chicken and egg.

  1. Zach Olson35 min16 ingr.Deep-fried
  2. Jeremy30 min21 ingr.Only this one uses baking powder
  3. Donaldo Estevam26 min8 ingr.Only this one uses mustard and chives
  4. Donaldo Estevam26 min10 ingr.Only this one uses orange marmalade and ground ginger
  5. Ryan Miller40 min19 ingr.Only this one uses potato starch and white rice
Compare all 5 side by side

More dinner recipes

  • Pan‑Sear Steak with Herb‑Butter Sauce, Roasted Potatoes and Carrots

    Sam Kelly ¡ 50 min

  • Autumn Beef Short Rib Lasagna

    Sam Kelly ¡ 2 hr 30 min

  • Creamy High-Protein Pasta with Chicken

    Chefmetlef ¡ 30 min

  • Pulled Chicken Shawarma Wrap (High Protein)

    Chefmetlef ¡ 35 min

    • Dinner
    • Korean
    • Fried chicken
    • Rice bowl
    • Popcorn chicken, compared
    • Recipe scaler
    • Cups to grams converter

    Saved hundreds of reels like this one? ReelsMeals brings your whole Instagram saved folder into one cookbook. See how

ReelsMeals is a cookbook for the recipes you save from videos, websites and paper cards. Each recipe links back to the person who made it.

Recipes

  • Browse recipes
  • Dishes compared
  • Cooking techniques
  • Creators
  • Tags
  • Supported sites
  • Recipe index data

Save from

  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • YouTube Shorts
  • Paper recipes

Free tools

  • Oven temperature converter
  • Cups to grams converter
  • Recipe scaler
  • Air fryer converter
  • Baking pan converter
  • Ingredient substitutes
  • All tools

Compare

  • vs Paprika
  • vs Pestle
  • vs Mela
  • vs ReciMe
  • vs Crouton
  • vs AnyList
  • All comparisons

ReelsMeals

  • For AI assistants
  • Blog
  • About
  • Support
  • Follow Mike
Back to top

[email protected]

Privacy ¡ Terms ¡ AI disclosureRecipes stay credited to their creatorsŠ 2026 ReelsMeals, a Groceri company

ReelsMeals