Taiwanese Fried Chicken
, Published Sep 21, 2026
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Meet your new favorite chicken recipe: Taiwanese Fried Chicken! Juicy thigh pieces marinated in soy sauce and five spice, fried in a craggy sweet potato starch coating and dusted with five spice seasoning powder while still hot. Deep fry it, or make it in the air fryer and watch it magically disappear…
The secret to that night market crunch isn’t a batter or a flour dredge – it’s coarse sweet potato starch. It fries into a knobbly, super crisp shell that holds on to the seasoning powder while the chicken stays juicy inside.
Our family has long been obsessed with the addicting crispy fried chicken they serve at our local Taiwanese restaurant. It barely hits the table and it’s literally gone within seconds, that’s how incredibly tasty it is. My kids begged me to make their fave chicken at home and I am finally sharing the recipe with you. It’s just as good as the restaurant version even if I say so myself…
What is Taiwanese Fried Chicken?
In Taiwan, fried chicken means two different street foods. Ji pai (雞排) is the huge flattened cutlet, often bigger than your face. We are making Yan su ji (鹽酥雞), which means “salty crispy chicken”; bite-size pieces of marinated chicken fried until crunchy and served with a seasoning powder and fried Thai basil leaves.
Outside Taiwan it’s often called Taiwanese popcorn chicken, and it is a bubble tea shop favorite. It is quite different from Western-style popcorn chicken, which uses a buttermilk and a seasoned flour coating. Here the coating is pure starch, which is why it fries up so light and crunchy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Two methods: deep fried for the authentic crust, or air fried so you don’t have to deal with all that oil.
- Better than takeout: super crisp, fresh and authentic tasting.
- Easy to scale: dinner for four, or a snack for a crowd.
Here’s What You’ll Need
- Chicken thighs – boneless and skinless. Thighs stay juicy through the high heat in a way breast meat doesn’t.
- Minced garlic and ginger – infuse the chicken with so much flavor.
- Soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and five spice – the marinade. The five spice is what gives it that unmistakable night market smell.
- Egg white – helps the starch cling to the chicken.
- Chicken powder – a pinch of savory backbone, and what takes the flavor from home-cooked towards street vendor.
- Coarse sweet potato starch – the coarse grains make the knobbly crust. Look for it in Chinese and East Asian supermarkets (Wing Yip, Hoo Hing or the Chinatown grocers) or online.
- Thai basil – optional, but it is the classic night market finish. Fried for a few seconds it turns crisp and fragrant. Italian basil works at a push.
- Seasoning powder – five spice, sugar, chili powder and white pepper, dusted over the chicken while it is still hot.
Cook’s tip
Sweet Potato Starch Substitutions
- Potato starch or tapioca starch – very crisp, just smoother and more even.
- Cornstarch (cornflour) – the emergency option. On its own it can fry up dusty and chalky. Rest the chicken once coated to allow for the marinade to absorb some of the starch.
How to Make Taiwanese Fried Chicken
Marinate The Chicken
- Cut the thighs into bite-size pieces and mix with the marinade and egg white. Leave for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours in the fridge.
Coat Chicken
- Toss the pieces in the sweet potato starch, pressing it on so every side is completely covered. Double dredge if needed!
- Leave the coated pieces on a tray for 5 to 10 minutes, until the starch looks a little damp in spots (if cooking in the air fryer, let the coating get properly damp).
Deep Frying Method
- Heat 2 inches (5cm) of neutral oil in a wok or deep fryer pot to 350°F (175°C). Fry the chicken in batches for 4 to 5 minutes, turning now and then, until deep golden and cooked through (165°F / 74°C in the middle).
- Lift onto a rack to drain, and let the oil come back up to temperature before you fry the next batch. A kitchen thermometer is worth using to make sure the oil temperature stays stable – it’s what keeps the coating crisp instead of greasy.
- Pat the basil leaves dry and drop the leaves into the hot oil once the last batch of chicken is out, count to five and lift them straight out with a spider strainer.
Air Fryer Method
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Mist the starchy chicken with oil first, until you can’t see dry patches of starch (it makes ALL the difference between golden and chalky).
- Cook in a single layer, in batches as needed, for 15 to 18 minutes, shaking the basket once or twice, until golden and cooked through.
Serve and Enjoy!
Toss the hot chicken with the seasoning powder and serve straight away with fried Thai Basil leaves. My kids love to dip their chicken into sriracha mayo or Kewpie mixed with a little wasabi.
Serving Suggestions
Serve it as a snack with a skewer, the way it comes at the night markets, with bubble tea on the side. For dinner, serve with rice or spicy garlic noodles and something cool and sharp alongside, like a smashed cucumber salad.
Storage and Reheating
- Fridge: keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: air fry at 375°F (190°C) for 4 to 5 minutes. Don’t microwave it – the coating goes soft.
- Make ahead: the chicken can be marinated a day ahead. Coat it in starch just before cooking.
Cook’s tip
Save The Frying Oil
Don’t throw the oil away – you can fry with it two or three more times. Let it cool completely in the pan, then strain it through a fine mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter or piece of cheesecloth to get rid of any burnt bits. See Recipe Card for further instructions!
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The giant flattened cutlet is ji pai. This recipe is yan su ji, the bite-size version sold in paper bags at the night markets, often called Taiwanese popcorn chicken outside Taiwan.
You can, but the crust will be smoother and can taste a little dusty. Potato starch or tapioca starch is a much closer swap. Coarse sweet potato starch is what gives the craggy night market texture.
Yes. Toss the coated chicken with a tablespoon of oil, then air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 15 to 18 minutes, shaking the basket once or twice. Cook in two batches so the pieces sit in a single layer.
Thighs stay much juicier through the high heat, but you can use breast cut into the same bite-size pieces. Check it early, as it cooks faster and dries out quickly.
Chinese and East Asian supermarkets stock it – Wing Yip, Hoo Hing and the Chinatown grocers in the UK – and it is easy to find online. Look for coarse sweet potato starch or sweet potato flour.
Yes. Cool the oil, strain it through a fine mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter or paper towels, and store it in a sealed jar. It keeps for about a month in a cool, dark cupboard or up to 3 months in the fridge, and you can use it two or three more times. Discard it once it darkens, smells rancid, foams or starts smoking early.
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Taiwanese Fried Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
For the marinade
- ¼ cup (60ml) light soy sauce , low sodium
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine , optional
- 2 tsp Chinese five spice
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp white pepper
- ¼ tsp chicken powder (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 large egg white See Note 1
For the chicken
- 2 lb (900g) chicken thighs boneless and skinless (6 to 8 thighs)
- 3 cups (360g) sweet potato starch See Note 2
- neutral oil , to fry, as needed
For the seasoning powder
- 2 tsp Chinese five spice
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp mild chili powder , or hot, up to you
- ¼ tsp white pepper
To serve
- handful Thai basil leaves (optional)
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- Whisk the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, five spice, sugar, white pepper, chicken powder, garlic and ginger together in a bowl, then stir in the egg white.¼ cup (60ml) light soy sauce, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 2 tsp Chinese five spice, 1 tsp granulated sugar, ½ tsp white pepper, ¼ tsp chicken powder, 2 cloves garlic, 1 large egg white, 1 tsp grated ginger
- Cut the chicken thighs into bite-size pieces, roughly 1 inch (2.5cm), trimming off any fatty bits.2 lb (900g) chicken thighs
- Add the chicken and mix well. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours in the fridge.
Coat in sweet potato starch
- Put the sweet potato starch in a wide bowl. Lift the chicken out of the marinade a few pieces at a time and toss in the starch, pressing it on so every side is coated.3 cups (360g) sweet potato starch
- Set the coated pieces on a tray and leave them for 5 to 10 minutes, until the starch looks damp rather than powdery. This is what stops the coating falling off in the oil.
To fry
- Heat 2 inches (5cm) of neutral oil in a wok or deep pan to 350°F (175°C). Fry the chicken in batches for 4 to 5 minutes, turning now and then, until deep golden and cooked through (165°F / 74°C in the middle).neutral oil
- Lift onto a rack to drain, and let the oil come back up to temperature before you fry the next batch.
- Once all the chicken is fried, pat a handful of Thai basil leaves completely dry and drop them into the hot oil for 3 to 5 seconds, until they turn crisp and translucent. Lift them out quickly with a spider strainer and drain on paper towels, then scatter over the seasoned chicken.handful Thai basil leaves
To make it in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Mist the coated chicken with oil using a spray bottle until no dry patches of starch are visible.
- Cook in a single layer, in two batches, for 15-18 minutes, shaking the basket once or twice, until the chicken golden and cooked through (minimum 165°F / 74°C in the middle when checked with a thermometer). Please note you cannot fry the basil leaves in the air fryer – the air will suck them into the heating element!
Season and serve
- Mix the five spice, sugar, chili powder and white pepper for the seasoning powder in a small bowl.2 tsp Chinese five spice, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp mild chili powder, ¼ tsp white pepper
- Tip the hot chicken into a large bowl, sprinkle over the seasoning powder and toss well. Serve straight away garnished with fried Thai basil (see notes).
Notes
- Note 1: You don’t have to use the egg white but it helps the starch stick to the chicken. If you are leaving it out, make sure the chicken has enough moisture in the marinade.
- Note 2: Coarse sweet potato starch is what gives the craggy, night market crust. Potato starch or tapioca starch is the next best thing; cornstarch (cornflour) works but fries up smoother.
- Don’t throw the oil away – you can fry with it two or three more times. Let it cool completely in the pan, then strain it through a fine mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter, a piece of cheesecloth or a double layer of paper towels. The little bits of starch left behind are what make oil darken and taste stale, so it’s worth straining carefully.
- Pour the strained oil into a clean, dry jar or bottle, seal it and label it with the date and what you fried in it. Kept in a cool, dark cupboard it will be fine for about a month; in the fridge it keeps for up to 3 months (it may turn cloudy when cold, which is normal – it clears as it warms up). Use it for savory frying rather than doughnuts, as it carries a little of the five spice and chicken flavor with it. Throw it out when it has darkened noticeably, smells sharp or rancid, foams up around the food, looks thick and syrupy or starts smoking at a lower temperature than usual.
- Never pour it down the sink – let it set, or soak it up with paper towels, and put it in the bin, or take larger amounts to a household recycling center.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The coating falls off | It went into the oil straight after dredging, or the pan was crowded | Rest the coated chicken for 5 to 10 minutes and fry in small batches |
| Pale, powdery patches in the air fryer | Dry starch with no oil on it | Toss with oil before cooking, and spray any white spots when you shake the basket |
| Greasy chicken | The oil was too cool | Use a thermometer and let the oil come back up to temperature between batches |
| The crust softens quickly | Steam trapped underneath, or seasoned too late | Drain on a rack rather than paper, and season while the chicken is hot |
| Too strong a five spice flavor | Easy to overdo | Stick to the amounts in the recipe card – five spice gets stronger as it cooks |
Deep Fried Vs Air Fryer
If deep frying is putting you off trying this recipe, I am thrilled to report that the air fried version of Taiwan popcorn chicken is VERY GOOD.
| Differences | Deep fried | Air fryer |
|---|---|---|
| Crunch | Craggy and shattering | Crisp, a little smoother |
| Oil | Enough to deep fry | About 1 tablespoon |
| Time | About 4-5 minutes | About 18 minutes, in batches |
| Best for | Parties and the full night market experience | Weeknights and less mess |
