Sheet Pan Korean Popcorn Chicken.

Sheet Pan Korean Popcorn Chicken is a slightly healthier, much easier take on Korean-style fried chicken. Inspired by our travels to both LA and Seoul. Breaded, oven-baked, and finished with an addicting sweet and spicy Korean-inspired BBQ sauce made with Gochujang chile paste. This chicken is sure to be loved by all. Add broccoli to the mix and sprinkle with the yummiest toasted sesame CRUNCH. I love to serve with steamed rice for an easy dinner that’s different, delicious, colorful, and flavorful.

This is crazy, but it’s been six years since my family and I traveled to South Korea for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Some of you may not have followed back then, but it was such a special trip. I’m so grateful for those memories. And even more grateful that I was able to experience them with my family. I’d never miss watching my brother compete at the Olympics (here’s one of my recaps if you’re interested)!

It was so amazing and inspired a lot of new recipes. Some are more traditional, some are a mix of fusion-style recipes that mix American and Korean ingredients.

Ingredients

• Boneless chicken breasts 
• Egg 
• Finely crushed corn flakes 
• Grated parmesan 
• Salt and black pepper 
• fine sea salt
• Extra virgin olive oil 
• Broccoli florets 
• Spicy mayo (for all of the spicy lovers out there)

BBQ Sauce

• Tamari/ soy sauce 
• Honey 
• Gochujang sauce (korean chili paste)
• Rice vinegar 
• Fresh ginger 
• Garlic 
• Toasted sesame oil 
• Toasted sesame seeds 
• Chopped green onions 
• Chili flakes 

Kitchen Supplies

• Baking sheet 
• Shallow bowl 
• Small pot or saucepan 
• Medium bowl 
• Wire rack or cooling rack
• Meat thermometer to double check the internal temperature

And all of them are so delicious!

I made a lot of beef bowls, soups, and chicken dishes, but one of my favorite ideas has to be today’s popcorn chicken. Inspired by all the yummy Korean fried chicken, I wanted to take that idea and make it into more of a complete meal – but simpler and with less sweet sauce.

You’ll also like that the chicken and broccoli are made on a single sheet pan. Keeping clean-up pretty simple, gotta love that!

These are the details

Step 1: bread the chicken

Like my other breaded chicken recipes, I love to use cornflakes to coat each of the bite-sized chicken pieces. They give the chicken that perfect crunch. I use Nature’s Path, Organic Corn Flakes Cereal, which is naturally gluten-free and non-GMO. I order mine online, but Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s have good options, too.

Crunch up the cornflakes, or you can also just buy cornflake crumbs. Next, add parmesan cheese. I use the cheese in place of flour; it adds a salty flavor that melts over the chicken, becoming crispy as it bakes. It sounds a little different paired with these flavors, but I think it’s delicious.

Bake the chicken up with a side of broccoli. It takes maybe 20 minutes to cook.

Step 2: the sauce

While the chicken is baking, make the sauce. The sauce is the absolute heart of the recipe. It’s a sweet and spicy marinade, and probably my family’s favorite sauce of all time. The important ingredient here is Gochujang (Korean chili paste). It’s spicy with a little sweetness (just subtle sweetness notes), and it’s extremely flavorful.

Drizzle or toss the chicken with the sauce, then bake the sauce into the chicken. What happens is that the coating soaks up all the sauce. It really is so good.

Step 3: serve

These are so yummy with home-baked french fries, but personally, I love the crispy popcorn chicken bites along with rice. I do a simple sesame chili garlic crunch sprinkled on top to garnish, and occasionally chopped green onion, then the broccoli on the side.

This is the perfect dinner for everyone in the family! They’re all going to love this Korean fried chicken recipe.

Last thing, this chicken makes for a really fun appetizer too. You could even add a yum yum style sauce for dipping!

Looking for other busy weeknight-night recipes? Try these!

One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake

Crockpot Crispy Chicken Tinga Tacos with Avocado Jalapeño Crema

Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Salmon with Caesar Roasted Potatoes

One Skillet Cheesy Green Chile Chicken

Lastly, if you make this Sheet Pan Korean Popcorn Chicken, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!