Chicken popcorn are small, bite-sized pieces of chicken that have been breaded and deep fried. These are much smaller than chicken nuggets, and make for a wonderful snack alongside burgers.
We picked five popular brands of frozen chicken popcorn available easily in India. We chose Meatzza as one of the best chicken popcorn brands in India. They are the tastiest, juiciest and most crunchy bite sized chicken popcorn amongst all the brands we tested.
Did you know that chicken popcorn was first test-marketed in the United States?
Table of Contents
Quick Comparison of Frozen Popcorn Chicken Brands
A quick glance at the brands we tested and their rating awarded after testing –
| Brand | Mishry Rating | Buy Now |
| Meatzza | 4 | Add to cart |
| ITC MasterChef | 3.5 | Add to cart |
| Keventer | 3 | Add to cart |
| Venky’s | 3 | Add to cart |
| Godrej Yummiez | 2 | Add to cart |
Our Review Factors
What were we looking for? We were looking for bite-sized, juicy, well-seasoned chicken popcorn with a significant crunch.
To test all the frozen chicken popcorn brands, we set the following parameters –
1. Flavor
The seasoning and the flavor of chicken were the top aspects we checked under taste. Any undesirable aftertaste?
2. Texture
Following questions were answered under this category –
- How juicy and meaty is the chicken filling?
- Is the outer casing crunchy and crisp?
- How is the casing to filling ratio?
3. Others
Ingredients
What are the main ingredients used to make these chicken popcorn? Do the brands mention the percentage of chicken meat used? We noted down the use of additives and preservatives.
Price
Are the brands of chicken popcorn priced competitively?
We also checked the packaging and shelf life of the product.
Chicken Popcorn Brands – Detailed Review
How did we review these? Our review process was a fairly simple one. We deep fried all the chicken popcorn in regular refined oil. We did this because all the brands do not offer baking/air frying as an alternative to deep frying.
We blind-tasted all the samples twice – once hot and then again after they had cooled down a little bit. This helped us determine the texture of the popcorn better.
More popcorn reviews – Best microwave butter popcorn | Pani puri flavored popcorn
All the details about the brands we reviewed, along with their pros and cons are listed below –
1. Meatzza Chicken Popcorn – Mishry Top Pick
Meatzza’s Chicken Popcorn are bite-sized, evenly cooked chicken popcorn that come in a resealable pouch packaging.
The popcorn has a prominent garlic flavor, balanced seasoning and a low spice level. This leaves ample room for you to pair it with a number of sauces and condiments.
Texture wise, the chicken meat is super juicy and the outer covering is crisp. The breading is thin, making the casing-filling ratio perfect.
Product details
A 500 gm pack is priced at Rs 335/- and has a shelf life of 12 months. You can cook these using three methods – deep frying, microwave, and in a convection oven.
The ingredient list includes boneless chicken meat, water, bread crumb, refined palm oil, potato flakes, cornstarch, batter, textured soy protein, seasoning, iodized salt, spices and condiments, wheat fiber, and isolated soy protein. It contains preservatives, acidity regulators, stabilizers, and sequestrants. It contains added flavor (onion and garlic) too.
100 grams of these popcorn provide 231 Kcal of energy and 11.98 grams of protein.
- Even in shape and size.
- Bite-sized.
- Crunchy exterior.
- Juiciest filling.
- Best tasting amongst all the brands.
- Perfect casing to filling ratio.
- Has a resealable pack.
- This is the only brand that doesn’t mention the percentage of chicken meat.
You can never have enough finger food at a social gathering. Now, can you? We recommend these crunchy chicken popcorn that are juicy on the inside.
2. ITC Master Chef Chicken Popcorn
ITC Master Chef’s Chicken Popcorn took the longest to cook, almost 8 minutes before they turned golden brown. These are definitely bigger and not bite-sized, and are very uneven to look at.
What we liked – We liked the meaty, juicy chicken bites with balanced seasoning. No masala or spices are prominent in these, making it ideal to be paired up with different sauces. We liked the crisp outer covering and the crunchy bite.
Product details
A 500 gram pack is priced at Rs 285/- and has a shelf life of 12 months. These can be cooked using four methods – air frying, deep frying, shallow frying and baking.
The main ingredients used include chicken (58.4%), water, breadcrumbs, refined palm oil, batter, soy granules, soy protein isolate, iodized salt, and mixed spices.
It contains dextrose, sequestrants, and stabilizers. This has no added preservatives.
100 grams of these popcorn provide 226 Kcal of energy and 13 grams of protein.
3. Venky’s Chicken Pop
Venky’s Chicken Popcorn did not win because it is more bready than meaty. The filling to casing ratio is off. Even though these are fairly tasty and have a crisp outer covering, the juicy, meaty filling was much lower in comparison.
Product details
A 300 gram pack is priced at Rs 200/- and has a shelf life of 10 months. These can be made using just 1 method – deep frying. The chicken meat percentage is 48%. 100 grams of these popcorn provide 224 Kcal of energy and 10.4 grams of protein.
4. Keventer Chicken Pop
Keventer Chicken Popcorn is the largest and most spiciest of all. Even if these are juicy and have a desirable chicken-casing ratio, the extreme pepper heat shuts down detection of any other flavor. We liked the texture of the chicken pops – inside and outside.
Product details
A 400 gram pack is priced at Rs 260/- and has a shelf life of 12 months. These can be made using the deep frying method only. The chicken meat percentage is 43%. 100 grams of these popcorn provide 231 Kcal of energy and 15.2 grams of protein.
5. Godrej Yummiez Chicken Popcorn
Godrej Yummiez Chicken Popcorn did not win because it isn’t juicy. Even though this has one of the highest chicken meat percentages, the flavor isn’t as meaty as our winner. There are undertones of soy and lemon with a faint garlic and pepper flavor.
We liked these are crunchy on the outside, have a fairly decent casing-filling ratio and are bite-sized (smallest in size).
Product details
A 400 gram pack is priced at Rs 265/- and has a shelf life of 12 months. These can be made using three methods – deep frying, air frying and shallow frying. The chicken meat percentage is 58%. 100 grams of these popcorn provide 234 Kcal of energy and 15.5 grams of protein.
Our Top Picks & Recommendations
Why did we choose Meatzza Chicken Popcorn as our Top Pick?
Meatzza’s Chicken Popcorn is our Top Pick because these are the juiciest and tastiest with a crunchy outer covering. In addition to that it has the most balanced filling to casing ratio. The seasoning is on-point and leaves room to be paired with a number of dips and sauces. These bite-sized snacks would be superb at kiddy parties, as a side with burgers and sandwiches or as a standalone game-night treat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some interesting FAQs on chicken popcorn brands.
1. Is it healthy to eat frozen chicken popcorn?
It is best to consume these in moderation. Nothing comes close to freshly made meals and we always recommend consuming frozen foods in limited quantities.
2. How long should we keep the chicken popcorn after opening the seal?
The shelf lives vary between 10-12 months. It is best to keep them frozen at -18 degree Celsius and consume before their best before date. Do not use it if these have been thawed and refrozen.
3. Do these frozen popcorn chicken have additives?
Yes. All the brands we tested have some or other form of additives – stabilizers, sequestrants, preservatives, acidity regulators and anti caking agents.
4. Are these chicken popcorn boneless?
Yes, chicken popcorn is made using boneless chicken meat.
5. What can I serve these chicken popcorn with?
Chicken popcorn can be served with a number of sauces like – ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, mayonnaise, or any hot sauce of your choice. These can be had as a standalone snack or be paired as a side with burgers and sandwiches.
Final Verdict
In conclusion, we chose Meatzza Chicken Popcorn as our Top Pick because it’s the tastiest and juiciest with a crisp outer covering. From the seasoning to the texture of the chicken meat, this is the best amongst all the five brands we tested.
Which is your favorite chicken-based frozen food? Let us know in the comment section below.
Our reviews are unbiased and all samples used during the reviews were paid for by us. Read our entire ethics statement here.
