Looking for something extra zesty, extra crispy, and extra juicy to dazzle your next dinner guests? Look no further than this Crispy Lemon Pepper Popcorn Chicken (which are as much of a mouthful as the name!). Since it’s popcorn chicken, this dish is conveniently boneless and bite-sized, with plenty of extra crispy crust on every piece. A generous coating of lemon pepper seasoning yields zesty, bold fried morsels that are sure to captivate anyone who tries them. As the chicken is coated with corn starch, it is also naturally gluten-free. This delicious popcorn chicken is great for dinner or as a tasty game-day appetizer.

The funny thing about this recipe is that I never intended to make it. One day, I had heated some oil and just finished cutting up some chicken. I was just about set to start frying when I realized: I was completely out of salt! I desperately scanned my cupboards in search of a possible substitute. Luckily, I found some onion salt, but I was worried the onion flavor might be overpowering. In the same cupboard, I had some lemon pepper seasoning that just might balance out the flavor. It was worth a shot. So, I seasoned the chicken with onion salt before frying, and generously sprinkled lemon pepper seasoning onto the chicken after.

When I tried the lemon pepper popcorn chicken, I was immediately relieved; the lemon pepper seasoning had saved dinner! You can imagine my delight when my family not only enjoyed the meal, but asked when we were having it again. Those are some of the most rewarding moments as a cook. Since you can buy the same seasoning that saved our dinner at the grocery store, I am posting this recipe so you, too, can give it a try.

Scroll down to see how you can make this Crispy Lemon Pepper Popcorn Chicken!

crispy lemon pepper fried chicken recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs Chicken thighs, boneless
1 cup Corn starch
2 eggs
1 tsp Onion salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Garlic powder
3 cups Oil, canola or vegetable
3 Tbsp Lemon pepper seasoning

Instructions

Cut up boneless chicken thighs into 1 inch bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken pieces to a large mixing bowl with onion salt, pepper, garlic powder, corn starch, and eggs. Mix the ingredients together to coat the chicken with corn starch and seasonings.

Once the chicken is coated, deep fry the chicken. Heat canola or vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat to 350–375ºF. The oil should be at least 1 inch deep in the skillet to ensure deep frying. You can also use a deep fryer if you have one. Gently drop the coated chicken pieces into the hot oil and fry for 7 minutes, turning them over after 5 minutes to cook chicken on all sides.

When the chicken is golden brown, remove the fried chicken pieces from the oil and place them on a wire rack over a baking sheet to drain the excess oil. You most likely won’t be able to fit all the chicken and will need to fry the chicken morsels in batches. If that is the case, you can keep the fried chicken warm in a 250ºF oven while you continue frying the rest.

To finish this dish off with some zesty, bold flavor, generously sprinkle the lemon pepper seasoning onto the fried chicken. Enjoy!

If you like this Lemon Pepper Popcorn Chicken, you may also like The Best Korean Chicken. To get more recipes like this, subscribe via email or follow on Instagram so you never miss an update!

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4 from 2 votes