Trisha Yearwood’s Easy Popcorn Chicken Is a Sweet and Spicy Super Bowl Snack

The celebrity chef has many chicken recipes but Trisha’s Yearwood’s popcorn chicken has game day, or any day for that matter, written all over it. Sweet, spicy, snackable, and easy to make. Check, check, check, check. Yearwood’s popcorn chicken ticks practically all the Super Bowl snack boxes. 

Trisha’s Yearwood starts by frying the chicken

Featured in the “Backyard Movie Party” episode of Food Network’s Trisha’s Southern Kitchen, Yearwood’s popcorn chicken starts with what else besides chicken. 

The Grammy winner-turned-cooking show host cuts chicken tenders into large chunks. Then, with a move that means fewer dishes, Yearwood puts paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne in a large resealable plastic bag. She puts the chicken in the bag and shakes it until every piece is coated.

Next Yearwood sets a bowl of flour on the counter next to another bowl containing a buttermilk-egg mixture. When a big pot of oil has reached 350 degrees Fahrenheit she dredges the chicken in the flour followed by the buttermilk-egg mixture. 

Then she carefully puts the chicken in the hot oil to fry. After about four minutes she removes the chicken to let it drain on a paper towel-lined tray. Yearwood continues the process until all the chicken’s golden brown.  

The ‘Trisha’s Southern Kitchen’ host serves popcorn chicken with honey sriracha mayonnaise sauce

Now for the dipping sauce. Yearwood’s popcorn chicken is paired with doctored-up mayonnaise. While it doesn’t sound like much reviewers love it (more on that later). 

The country singer puts four ingredients — honey, sriracha, mayonnaise, and salt — in a bowl.

After a quick stir, the dipping sauce is done. That’s all there is to it. It’s really that simple. 

The only thing Yearwood might do after that is give it a taste and add a little more salt if needed. Finally, before serving she might drizzle additional sriracha on top. 

Reviewers love Yearwood’s popcorn chicken 

Yearwood’s popcorn chicken has been reviewed a modest 13 times at the time of writing. However, the recipe averages five stars. 

Reviewers say the chicken’s a hit but it’s the honey mayonnaise sriracha dipping sauce that puts it’s over the top. 

“​​Oh my gosh! Talk about yummy, that dip set this off! Five stars is what I’m talking about,” a reviewer said. Another described the dipping sauce as “even better than the chicken.”

“My family and I enjoyed this so much,” wrote someone else. “This is truly a delicious recipe. I couldn’t cook them fast enough. One batch was gone before the next was out of the grease.” 

“This is so addicting!” wrote another before noting that the popcorn chicken tastes “fabulous” with the “touch of heat from the sriracha.”

Bonus, making them a day ahead is perfectly fine. At least, according to one reviewer who did exactly that with good results. They noted the chicken holds up well even when it’s not served fresh out of the fryer.

“These were so delicious! Stayed juicy, and still tasted great the next day even after being in [the] fridge,” they said. “Now that’s saying a lot!”