Popcorn chicken is super fun, crispy, and bite-sized—so it’s perfect with a variety of sides! Whether you're making it for dinner, game day, or a party. Popcorn chicken can even be made in the air fryer in less than 15 minutes!
However, traditional frying methods can be a bit heavy, leaving us searching for a lighter alternative without sacrificing flavor or that satisfying crunch. Enter the air fryer, a kitchen gadget that has revolutionized home cooking.
This blog post will guide you through making mouth-watering air fryer popcorn chicken, a recipe that promises all the flavor of your fast-food favorite with fewer calories and less guilt.
I recently discovered that Tyson chicken has popcorn chicken and the calorie count on them isn't very bad either. You can have 9 pieces of chicken (30z) for only 4 smart points. How cool is that?
So you know what I did? I smothered my Bang Bang sauce on them and called it a day. You won't need any ranch to dip these popcorn chicken in!
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Why You Will Like this Recipe
Serving: Let the popcorn chicken pieces cool slightly before serving. They're fantastic on their own, dipped in your favorite sauce, or as a topping for salads.
Sauces: Try the popcorn chicken dipped in honey mustard, barbecue, sweet and sour, or a creamy garlic aioli. For a complete meal, pair the chicken with some fresh vegetable sticks, a light salad, or even wrap them in lettuce cups for a low-carb option. I chose to use a bang bang sauce for this.
Perfect for any occasion! Whether you're hosting a game day, looking for a fun family meal, or simply craving something crunchy, this air fryer popcorn chicken will satisfy your needs with less fat and fewer calories.
Ingredients needed for Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken
- Tyson Popcorn Chicken (4 oz chicken, 5 sp)
- Fat free mayo (2 sp)
- Sweet chili sauce (1 sp)
- Sriracha sauce (1 sp)
- 8 smart points
How to Make Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken
Preheat the Air Fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for about 3 minutes. This step helps to start the cooking process with high heat, ensuring a crispy texture.
Make Marinade: In a bowl, combine the chicken pieces with mayo, sweet chili sauce, , and sriracha sauce. Mix well to ensure all pieces are coated.
Cook the Chicken: Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Place the coated chicken pieces in the basket in a single layer, making sure they aren't touching (cook in batches if necessary).
Spray the tops of the chicken lightly with cooking spray. Cook for about 10 minutes, then flip the pieces over, spray lightly again, and cook for another 5-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the coating is golden and crispy.
Suggested Servings
- Air Fryer Frozen French Fries – Always a win! Regular or sweet potato fries both work great.
- Air Fryer Cajun Tater Tots – Crispy, snackable, and kid-approved.
- Air Fryer Frozen Onion Rings Alexia – Add a little crunch and flavor variety.
- Air Fryer Garlic Bread– Adds a bold, buttery touch.
Recipe FAQS
Yes! Most frozen popcorn chicken turns out perfectly crispy in the air fryer. Just cook at 375–400°F for 8–12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
It’s not required, but preheating for 3–5 minutes can help the chicken cook more evenly and get extra crispy.
When you compare air-fried food to deep-fried food it is much healthier because there is hardly any oil used at all. The only oil I use is from my Pam cooking spray
🧡 Loved this recipe? Check out my Johnsonville Bratwursts in Air Fryer , Homemade Chicken Sausage Patties, or Chicken Sausage in Air Fryer
If you tried this Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken or other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries
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Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 18 min
- Total Time: 23 min
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Easy
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Super easy bang bang popcorn chicken
Ingredients
- 1 4 oz servings of Tyson Popcorn Chicken (4 oz chicken, 5 sp)
- 3 tablespoons fat free mayo (2 sp)
- 2 tablespoons of sweet chili sauce (1 sp)
- 1 tablespoon of Sriracha sauce (1 sp)
- 8 smart points
Instructions
- Bake popcorn chicken according to package instructions.
- In a large bowl mix the mayo, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha sauce. Set aside.
- Once the chicken is done cooking, place the chicken in the bowl with the sauce and toss the chicken until it's all coated in the sauce.
Notes
myWW points: Blue Points: 8; Green Points: 8; Purple Points: 8
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 422
- Sugar: 17
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 23
- Protein: 19
Gibbs says
When I enter this into the smart points app I am coming up with 13 smart points per serving using lite mayo. Am I doing something wrong?
Beth Siciliano says
Made this the other day and it was yummy! However I do want to point out that the Smart Points are not calculated correctly. You only get about 4 to 5 pieces for 3 oz which is 4 points. Nine (9) pieces comes out to about 6.5 oz which is 8-9 points depending on weight. Add the bang bang sauce per your recipe and it adds 2 more points. So for 9 pieces it was 10 points, not 6 points as you listed.
Jenna says
You can find any sweet chili sauce in the Asian section.
Stef Garton says
What kind of sweet chili sauce did you use? This sounds amazing!