Small Popcorn chicken KFC How many pieces

But the Daily Star reports experts are outraged by the number of calories and the high level of salt in the treat.

One bucket on its own contains 1,220 calories - over half the 2,000 allowance for women recommended by the NHS, and almost half the 2,500 calories a day recommended for men.

It also contains 7.16g of salt - more than the maximum 6g (about one teaspoon) of salt the NHS says adults and children aged 11 and over should eat each day.

For younger children, the maximum amount of daily salt is even less at 5g for seven- to ten-year-olds, 3g for four- to six-year-olds, 2g for one- to three-year-olds, and less than 1g for babies under one.

Recommended daily allowances

HERE'S the maximum amounts the NHS recommends you eat each day:

Calories: 

• Adult man - 2,500
• Adult woman - 2,000
• Children - less than the above. Visit NHS.uk for more information

Salt:

• 11 years and over – 6g salt (2.4g sodium)
• Seven to ten years – 5g salt (2g sodium)
• Four to six years – 3g salt (1.2g sodium)
• One to three years – 2g salt (0.8g sodium)
• Babies under one - less than 1g

Saturated fat:

• Adult man: 30g
• Adult woman: 20g
• Children: Less than the above. Visit NHS.uk for more information

Paul Evans, of charity the British Obesity Society, said: "KFC is basically serving up obesity in a bucket and slowly killing its customers in the process."

Clare Thornton-Wood, a dietitian and spokeswoman for trade body the British Dietetic Association, added: "If you ate even half the bucket that would be over 25 per cent of an adult female's daily calorie limit in one sitting and even more of a child's."

But Ms Thornton-Wood did concede that the bucket's fat content is "relatively low in comparison to other fast foods".

It contains 6.56g of saturated fat compared to the 30g maximum men should eat no more of each day under UK health guidelines. The daily limit for women is 20g.

KFC's online nutritional information does, however, point out that the 80-piece bucket is designed to be shared among four people.

Per person, this would equate to 305 calories, 1.64g of salt, and 1.79g of saturated fat in 20 pieces bite-size chicken pieces.

A KFC spokesperson told The Sun: "We're all about sharing at KFC and our new 80-piece Popcorn Sharing Bucket is no different. It's made to be enjoyed by four or more people."

The fast-food chain also sells a large popcorn chicken costing £4.29 containing 465 calories, a regular for £3.29 containing 285 calories, and a small for £1.99 containing 135 calories.

The Sun has contacted the British Obesity Society and the British Dietetic Association.

If that hasn't put you off, you can use KFC's online restaurant finder to locate your nearest branch.

KFC has around 900 stores in the UK.

To save on cash, we spoke to one savvy shopper who revealed how she makes her own KFC popcorn chicken pizza using Lidl and B&M ingredients and it costs £14 less than the real thing.

We also spoke to one money saving mum who slashes the price of McDonald’s and KFC by making her own "fakeaways".

Some of the links below are affiliate links, so we may receive a commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Check our Disclosure in the Privacy Policy for more info.

How To Make Homemade Popcorn Chicken KFC Style

Crispy KFC style popcorn chicken that’s tender, delicious and just so easy to make. These small bite-sized pieces of chicken are full of flavour and can be baked in the oven or fried.

-

Making KFC style popcorn chicken is so simple! Diced chicken is marinated in buttermilk and coated in seasoned flour before being fried to perfection.

They’re perfectly juicy and tender on the inside whilst being super crispy on the outside. These small popcorn chicken pieces taste so good, especially when dipped into ketchup or any sort of dipping sauce.

I love to have them as a snack when I’m feeling peckish or feeling for some KFC (without wanting to leave the house). It makes a great appetiser, party food idea and even a chicken filling for wraps.

You’re going to love every part of this recipe, find out how to make homemade popcorn chicken below.

How To Prep The Chicken

You’ll need to cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces to give you the small popcorn chicken shape.

I brought chicken breast that was already diced into small chunks. I did have to cut a couple pieces as they were on the larger side. It’s best to get each piece of chicken roughly the same size, so that they’ll cook for the same amount of time.

Buttermilk Popcorn Chicken (The Marinade)

Once the chicken has been diced, it’s left to marinade in a mixture made from salt, black pepper and buttermilk.

This makes the popcorn chicken tender, juicy and so flavoursome; it really makes a big difference! You don’t have to marinate the chicken if you’re short for time but I highly recommend you do!

Why Marinate Popcorn Chicken In Buttermilk?

Buttermilk is a good ingredient for marinating chicken, as it’s slightly acidic it tenderises the chicken.

This makes the chicken soft, less chewy, moist and so succulent. Buttermilk is often the secret ingredient to many southern fried chicken recipes; it adds a slight sour taste to the chicken.

How Long To Marinate Popcorn Chicken

I marinated the chicken for at least 2 hours for best results. During this time the flavours are absorbed from the buttermilk and the chicken is tenderised.

If you haven’t got too much time, you can marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes to an hour in the fridge.

Buttermilk Substitutes For Chicken

If you don’t have buttermilk, you can easily make your own homemade version. Simply mix together 230ml of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

Mix together and leave to sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then proceed to marinate the chicken.

You could also mix 200ml of yoghurt with 5 tbsp of milk, this is also a great buttermilk substitute.

Watch How To Make It

What Ingredients Are In KFC Popcorn Chicken?

To make this KFC style popcorn chicken also known as chicken pops or popping chicken, you’ll need the few ingredients below:

• Chicken Breast: I used diced chicken breast from my local supermarket. You can use other cuts of chicken like boneless chicken thighs, just make sure they’re cut into small bite-sized pieces.

• Buttermilk Marinate: A mixture of buttermilk, salt and black pepper is used to marinate the diced chicken for at least 1 to 2 hours.

• Seasoning: Salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano and cayenne pepper are added to season the dry mix.

• Dry Mix: A mixture of cornflour, plain flour and seasonings are mixed together to make the dry mix.

Cornflour: When mixing cornflour with plain flour it helps to prevent the development of gluten. This makes the flour coating crisper when fried.

Spicy Popcorn Chicken

This spicy popcorn chicken recipe is made with KFC style seasonings. Cayenne pepper is a little bit spicy and adds a bit of heat to this dish.

To make this recipe even more spicy, you can increase the amount of cayenne pepper used. If you want it really hot, use a chilli powder with a higher heat level.

How To Make Easy KFC Style Popcorn Chicken

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to make KFC style popcorn chicken with this easy and simple recipe. Full recipe instructions are on the recipe card at the bottom.

Step One:

Dice the chicken into small even bite-sized pieces. Then pour buttermilk into the bowl followed by salt and pepper and mix together.

Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours.

Step Two:

In a bowl add plain flour, cornflour, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano and cayenne pepper. Mix together until evenly distributed.

Step Three:

Take a piece of chicken and generously coat it in the flour mixture, make sure all areas of the chicken are coated in the flour. Do this to all the chicken pieces.

Step Four:

Add 2 inches of oil to your pan (depending on pan size) and heat on a medium to high heat. Fry the chicken in small batches of 3 to 4 pieces at a time for around 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown.

Stir the chicken around occasionally, so that they don’t stick together.

TIP: To see if the oil is hot enough for frying, add a little bit of batter into the oil. If it starts to sizzle instantly then the oil is ready.

Step Five:

Place the cooked chicken over paper towels to drain excess oil. Continue to cook all the chicken pieces, then enjoy!

How many pieces are in a small Popcorn Chicken?

How many pieces of chicken are in Popcorn Chicken?

How many pieces of Popcorn Chicken are in a medium?

What is a serving of KFC Popcorn Chicken?