Feast on this super crunchy, crispy, and addictive savoury snack! Enjoy this air-fried crispy Taiwanese Popcorn Turkey. It will be your best friend tonight!
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I first discovered these deeply savoury, highly addictive, bite-sized, snack back when I was in University. It was the best thing since sliced bread! My friends and I shared much laughter, so many tears with these late-night snacks.
How to Make the BEST Crispy Taiwanese Fried Turkey?
Want to know how to make this normally deep-fried salty, crispy chicken healthier? Using a 3.5L Chefman TurboFry Air Fryer to cut down on oil and grease goes a long way. Plus using dark turkey meat helps reduce fat and produces fewer calories than other, fattier meat choices.
For more information and recipe ideas, visit THINK TURKEYTM to learn more
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Air Fry
Instead of deep-frying these little bite-sized pieces of turkey in potato starch until crispy, we swapped out the deep fry wok for an air fryer.
Cooking with an air fryer like the Chefman TurboFry Air Fryer is an easy, healthy alternative to deep-frying because it requires just one tablespoon of oil instead of submerging the food in oil! It deep fries food by circulating hot air while producing a similar taste and texture!
We like using the Chefman TurboFry Air Fryer because it has a large 3.5-litre capacity. It is quiet and easy to clean! The basket and tray are top-rack dishwasher safe. I love that the air fryer tray that separates the saturated oil from the food.
Taiwanese fried chicken is deep-fried twice: first at a low temperature to cook through the meat, and the second at high heat to push out the excess oil, and to create the crunch!
What Gives Taiwanese Fried Turkey It’s Distinctive Flavor?.
Five Spice Powder 五香粉: is a crucial ingredient in this infamous Chinese recipe. It consists of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel.
It is available at most Asian supermarkets and on Amazon.
Some people find five spice powder too powerful and like to substitute with galangal sand ginger powder 沙薑粉. I must have some five spice powder in my seasoning to keep the flavour profile authentic!
Potato Starch: Coating your turkey with potato starch makes all the difference when it comes to making the crispiest fried turkey! It is a night and day compared to using plain old flour! Potato starch has a bit more grit and, when deep-fried, creates little balls of crunchiness. It is lighter, yet crispier and crunchier!
Marinade: Ensure you marinate your turkey at least 2 hours before cooking. If possible, marinate overnight in the refrigerator! Use a mixture of dark soy, light soy sauce, shaoxing wine, sugar, five spice powder, white parts of green onions, ginger, and minced garlic for that pop of umami and depth of flavour.
Thai Basil: Always garnish your Taiwanese deep-fried poultry with deep-fried Thai basil. It is aromatic and has a sweet bitter taste. Break a few leaves apart and sprinkle it on your fried turkey along with white pepper and sugar. Remember to air fry or deep fry Thai Basils at low heat.
White Pepper: The last finishing touch to your salty, crispy fried turkey is a sprinkle of white pepper and white sugar after it has been air fried. Toss your fried turkey with this mixture to create a sharper taste.
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PrintTHE BEST CRISPY TAIWANESE FRIED TURKEY 鹹酥火雞
THE BEST CRISPY TAIWANESE FRIED TURKEY 鹹酥火雞
Feast on this super crunchy, lightly crispy, and addictive savoury snack! Snack on this air-fried crispy Taiwanese Popcorn Turkey. Make it your best friend tonight!
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 1 bowl 1x
- Category: appetizer, snack
- Method: Air Fry
- Cuisine: Chinese, Taiwanese
Ingredients
- 500g turkey thigh, (skin removed optional)
- 200g potato starch
- 1 bunch thai basil
- 2 tbsp white pepper powder
- 2 tbsp white sugar
Marinade
- 2 tbsp dark soy
- 1 tbsp light soy
- 2 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp five spice powder
- 3 stems white parts of green onions
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 2 inch thumb ginger
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
Preparing the Turkey
- Cut down your turkey thighs into bite-size pieces approximately 2 inches lengthwise with a heavy knife.
- In a blender or a personal sized Vitamix and blend all the marinade ingredients.
- Marinade your turkey pieces for 20 minutes - preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
- Remove the marinated turkey from the refrigerator and coat the turkey with potato starch. The excess marinade will create little balls of crunchiness when deep-fried.
Air Fryer Method:
- Spray the tray and the turkey with some oil. We use a simple oil spray mister bottle.
- Place the coated turkey pieces in the air fryer tray/basket with ¼-inch space between each piece.
- First Fry: Set the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 15 minutes. Flip halfway through and lightly spray the turkey with more oil.
- Remove air fryer tray/basket and let cool for 5 minutes, then air fry a second time.
- Second Fry: Set the temperature to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the air fryer basket and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Toss and garnish with white pepper, sugar, and air fried Thai basil.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Air Fried Thai Basil:
- Spray the tray and the Thai Basil leaves with some oil.
- Place the Thai Basil leaves in the air fryer tray/basket.
- Set temperature to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 10 minutes. Check halfway to see if it has dried.
- Do not overcook, or it will turn brown.
Notes
- You can substitute five spice powder with galangal sand ginger powder 沙薑粉 for a milder taste.
- If you don't have potato starch, you can also use corn starch but it won't be as crispy.
- Taiwanese fried chicken is deep-fried twice: first at a low temperature to cook through the meat, and the second at high heat to push out the excess oil, and create that crispy crunch!
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories:
- Sugar:
- Sodium:
- Fat:
- Saturated Fat:
- Trans Fat:
- Carbohydrates:
- Fiber:
- Protein:
- Cholesterol:
Keywords: Chinese, Taiwanese, THE BEST CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN, DEEP FRIED RECIPE, TAIWANESE FRIED TURKEY, 鹹酥火雞, 鹹酥雞, 台灣, 深夜好朋友, 自製, turkey recipes, chinese recipes, appetizer, snacks, air fryer, air fry, deep fried, 外酥肉嫩, 台灣夜市美食
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Katie says
Love this air fryer recipe! super easy to make and turned out so delicious!
★★★★★
Nancy says
THanks Katie ! It tastes great with cauliflower too!