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Crispy Popcorn Chicken Gua Bao (Taiwanese Night Market Style)
Crispy Popcorn Chicken Gua Bao (Taiwanese Night Market Style)
Classic DishGua Bao
Prep: 20 min • Cook: 25 min. A lively street-food twist on the classic Taiwanese gua bao: bite-sized, five-spice battered popcorn chicken is fried until super-crispy, tucked into warm steamed bao buns with quick-pickled cucumbers, fragrant Thai basil and a zippy chili-mayo for sweet, spicy and herbal contrast — fast, crunchy and crowd-pleasing for weeknight dinners or party platters.
- Preparation time
- 20 min
- Cooking time
- 25 min
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 8
Instructions
Prep
- 1Pat chicken pieces dry and place in a bowl.
- 2Add soy sauce, rice wine, egg, minced garlic, grated ginger, five-spice powder, salt and white pepper; mix to coat evenly and marinate 10–15 minutes.
- 3While chicken marinates, halve and thinly slice the cucumber for quick-pickling and separate basil leaves from stems.
Pickle
- 1In a bowl combine 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp salt; stir until dissolved.
- 2Add sliced cucumber, toss to coat, and let sit at least 10 minutes until slightly softened and tangy.
Breading & fry
- 1In a shallow bowl whisk together cornstarch, flour and baking powder; set aside.
- 2Heat oil in a deep pot to 175°C (350°F) or medium-high heat; test with a small breadcrumb to ensure a steady sizzle.
- 3Working in batches, dredge marinated chicken pieces in the dry mix, pressing lightly to adhere a good coating.
- 4Fry chicken in batches for 3–4 minutes until golden brown and cooked through; do not overcrowd the pot.
- 5Transfer fried chicken to a wire rack or paper towel-lined tray to drain excess oil; keep warm in a low oven if needed.
Sauce
- 1Stir together mayonnaise and sriracha to taste until smooth; adjust heat level with more or less sriracha.
Assemble
- 1Warm or steam bao buns briefly until soft and slightly pillowy (about 3–4 minutes).
- 2Open each bun, spread about 1 tsp chili-mayo inside, add 3–4 pieces of popcorn chicken, a few pickled cucumber slices and 3–4 basil leaves.
- 3Serve immediately while the chicken is hot and the buns are steamy, with extra chili-mayo on the side.
Nutrition Information
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 25 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 450 kcal |
| Protein | 25 g |
| Fat | 28 g |
| Carbs | 25 g |
Tips
- Marinate chicken at least 10 minutes; longer (30–60) deepens flavor without making meat mushy.
- Maintain oil temperature between 170–180°C; too low makes greasy chicken, too high burns coating.
- Assemble gua bao just before serving to keep buns soft and chicken crispy for best texture contrast.
