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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.
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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!
Sheet Pan Korean Popcorn Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch cubes
- 1 egg
- 3 cups finely crushed corn flakes
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
- salt and black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- spicy mayo, for serving, (optional, see notes)
Gochujang BBQ Sauce
- 1/2 cup tamari/soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1-2 tablespoons Gochujang , (Korean chili paste)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 3 tablespoons chopped green onions
- chili flakes
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or rub with oil.2. Dump the cornflake crumbs, parmesan, and pepper into a shallow bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, then add the chicken and toss well to coat.3. Dredge the chicken through the crumbs, covering fully. Arrange the chicken to one side of the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Add the broccoli to the other side. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.4. In a small saucepan, combine the tamari/soy sauce, honey, Gochujang (Korean chili paste), rice vinegar, ginger, 2 cloves garlic, sesame oil, and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened into a glaze.5. Remove the broccoli from the sheet pan. Pour the sauce over the chicken and toss the chicken up in the sauce. Bake another 5 minutes, until the sauce is baked onto the chicken.6. In a bowl, mix the sesame seeds, green onions, 1 clove of garlic, chili flakes, and a tiny pinch of salt. Serve the chicken, broccoli, and sauce with the sesame crunch mix. I love this over rice, but it's also great with french fries!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Made this last night and followed the recipe exactly. It was fantastic! Thank you! I can’t wait to eat the leftovers, but how would you recommend reheating it to keep the chicken relatively crispy?
Hey Emily,
Thanks so much for making this recipe!! So glad it turned out well for you! I would ever with foil and reheat in the oven. I hope this helps! xT
Loved by all the family. I did sub cornflakes for breadcrumbs as I forgot to buy them. Also made veggie version using tofu for the family vegetarians. Perfect easy quick and tasty after a busy day.
Hi Gemma,
Love this!! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed and that it also worked well using tofu! Have a great Tuesday! xT
Hi Tieghan. I made this for dinner last night and wowza!!!! It’s so delicious and all the flavors work so well together. We love it! Definitely going to be on rotation in our house! I also think you can just make that chicken as boneless chicken wings it’s so delish. Thanks again!
Thanks so much Jody!! So glad to hear this recipe was a hit! Hope you have a great week! xT
Due to food sensitivities I can’t have gochujang…is there a substitute you’d recommend?
Hi Elizabeth,
Are you able to use sriracha? Otherwise I would just omit it. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I’ve made 4 sheet pan meals in a row now and every single one is amazing! Please keep them coming hehe
Hi Chris,
So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! Xx
I shopped excitedly for all the ingredients only to realize that I need broccoli. Next time I will read everything before rushing out! Looks so good!!
I hope you love the recipe, Karen!!
We really loved this. However no way we could have fit it all on one pan. Next time I will take the chicken down to 1.5lb or 1.25lb.
Thanks so much for trying this recipe Kristin! Glad to hear it was enjoyed:) xT
So good!! My whole family, including my small children, absolutely loved it. My 6 year old said, “what a wonderful dinner!” Thank you Tieghan!!
Yay!! Love to hear this Kafi:) Thanks so much for making this recipe and your message! Have a great week! xT
Looks fab 👏👏👏 thank you. The chilli paste for the spicy mayo what is that. I am in UK just wondering what to look for…thanks
Thanks so much Nina! You will want to use something like Sriracha for that chili paste. I hope you love this recipe! Xx
Would love to make this for a family dinner, but my mom cannot handle any spice. Is there something else I can try to sub for the gochujang or just omit it?
Hi Melissa,
I would just skip it or use a very small amount:) I hope you love this dish! Xx
This dish is absolutely delish just like Tiguan suggests with rice and broccoli! I am eating it right now and LOVE it. Thank you!
Tieghan*
Tieghan* lol!!
Thanks so much Jean!! So glad to hear this dish turned out well for you:) Have a great Sunday! xT
The chicken looks like it has skin. Does it?
Hi Linda,
I used skinless chicken for this recipe:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! Xx
Amazing. Whole family devoured! Thank you Tieghan!
Thanks so much Audrey!! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you! Have a great Friday! Xx
Hi! Looking forward to making this! I was also curious about what is that yellow/orange sauce it looks good would like to add it.
Her yum yum sauce recipe is here https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/chicken-yum-yum-rice-bowls/
Hi there,
That sauce is the spicy mayo listed in the notes section of the recipe:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi there, I can’t wait to make this recipe, it looks great! Can you let me know how much broccoli you suggest to use? It’s not listed in the ingredients.
A little confused. The picture shows a yellow sauce and I don’t see that anywhere in the recipe. Also, not sure about the Parmesan cheese in a Korean dish?
She says in the post that the parm is not traditional but that it’s adds a nice touch. I think of her recipes as “inspired” and not always authentic. She mentions using “yum yum sauce” as a dipping sauce, but also give the ingredients for the spicy mayo dipping sauce. Hope this helps.
Hi Jan,
That sauce is not yellow:) It’s the spicy mayo listed in the notes section. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi there,
You can add 3 cups of broccoli as a side dish to this chicken:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Step 3 mentions broccoli – doesn’t sound like a side dish as it is included in the recipe. Is that a mistake?
No mistake, you can use 3 cups of broccoli:)
For all my fellow vegetarians – many of tieghans meat recipes are adaptable using tofu. Our favorites are her korean fried shrimp bowls and crockpot butter chicken. Easy! I’ll try this next. Thanks!
Thanks so much Lori!! Love that you are able to adapt the recipes to your liking! xT
Looks tasty! Thoughts on putting this is in the air fryer?
Thanks Jennifer! I bet the air fryer would work well for you! I hope you love this recipe! xT
How come the sauce won’t thicken?
Hi Ashley,
Sorry to hear you are having issues with the sauce thickening. I need some more info….at what step is this becoming an issue? Sounds like it just needs to simmer longer. I hope this helps! xx
I had the same problem. When I think about it, there’s no way 2 tsp of honey will thicken that much liquid without cornstarch or something.
You could add a cornstarch slurry, but you might just need to simmer a bit longer:)