Use pantry style ingredients to make this easy Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken, simple to make gluten-free too!
If you enjoyed these Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Nuggets or Air Fryer Barbecue Chicken Nuggets, you will really love this Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken.
It’s basically a simple way to make chicken nuggets in the air fryer.

How do you make Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken into a gluten-free version?
The only thing needed to make this gluten-free is a simple swap of flour, use a gluten-free all-purpose flour that is a 1:1 flour. I prefer Better Batter Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour, but you can use any that you prefer.

That should be the only swap needed, but as always check all ingredients before using them.
Tips for Making Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken:

This best served right out of the air fryer, it may take a few different batches to get it all done. It’s also best to really coat this well with a cooking spray of your choice.
Personally, I prefer Olive Oil Cooking Spray; however, you can use a higher smoke point oil like grapeseed or coconut.

It’s best to check the chicken about halfway through the cooking time and flip it if needed or just shake the basket a bit.
At that point, I like to coat it again with spray so that it isn’t floury, any spot you see a floury texture, add a little bit of olive oil cooking spray and it will make it crispy.

Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken is one of the easiest recipes to make and it’s all made with pantry style ingredients, so there are no extra additives or mystery ingredients, it’s all in your pantry and fridge with real ingredients.

Be sure to do each step to get the coating on the chicken properly, it is a bit of a process but it’s totally worth it. Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken is wonderful paired with Air Fryer Tater Tots for a simple, quick meal!

Enjoy!

Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken
Ingredients
- 1-2 Pounds Chicken Breast Cut into 1-Inch Pieces
- 1/2 Cup Gluten-Free or Regular All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 2 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 Tsp Paprika
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1/2 Tsp Pepper
- 1/4 Cup Buttermilk
- 2 Large Eggs
- Olive Oil
Instructions
- In a medium-size bowl, marinate the chicken in buttermilk and set aside.
- Combine in a separate medium-size bowl, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and flour.
- In a small bowl, whisk the eggs.
- In another small bowl, add the cornstarch.
- Remove the chicken from the buttermilk, shaking off the excess milk.
- Roll chicken in the cornstarch.
- Dip chicken in the egg wash.
- Finally, add the chicken to the flour mixture and shake off the excess.
- Lightly coat the air fryer with a cooking spray of your choice, we prefer olive oil.
- Set the air fryer to 390*F and place the chicken evenly in the basket.
- Cook for 5-10 minutes, depending on your air fryer it can vary. It needs to reach an internal temp of at least 165*F.
- It works best to shake the chicken or turn it halfway through the cooking time and coat it with additional olive oil.
- Serve.
Notes
Nutrition

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