If your kids like the idea of poppers, but aren’t into very spicy things, this is a fun, yum, family-friendly alternative. It’s also completely make-ahead friendly. Just leave the chicken frozen on a baking sheet and pop in the oven. Make the sauce ahead and simply warm up, then toss everything together. You can also serve the sauce separately as a dip ifyou’re concerned about very-picky eaters.
Asian Poppers
1 ½ lb chicken cutlets, cut into nuggets
½ cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups seasoned panko crumbs (I used onion n’ garlic)
Sesame seeds and scallions, for garnish
Rice, for serving, optional
Sauce:
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
⅓ cup honey
⅓ cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
½ cup orange or pineapple juice
1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp water
Preheat oven to 425⁰F.
Add flour and chicken to a Ziploc bag and shake to combine.
Whisk eggs in a bowl. Add chicken, shaking off excess flour before adding to eggs.
Coat chicken nuggets in panko crumbs and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chicken can be frozen at this point.
Spray chicken with cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes. (Depending on if chicken is frozen and how big you cut your nuggets.)
Prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan, heat sesame oil. Add garlic and saute for a couple minutes, until garlic is fragrant. Add honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and juice and whisk to combine. Bring a boil and stir in cornstarch mixture. Cook until sauce thickens.
Toss sauce with chicken and top with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve over rice.
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