Chicken Fries

Content… What’s Inside? Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage Instructions FAQs What to Serve More Fun Chicken Recipes to Try Conclusion Watch How to Make It

What’s Inside Chicken Fries?

A lot of recipes call for ground chicken or ask you to grind chicken in a food processor and then mix it with seasonings before breading and frying, but I take a simpler route. The only thing inside my chicken fries is sliced strips of the breast. It’s so much easier this way, and don’t worry, you’ll still get plenty of flavor from the seasonings and breading. IMO, you just can beat a beautifully fried strip of chicken breast, and if it ain’t broke, why fix it? 🤭

Recipe Ingredients

1. Chicken Breast – About a pound and a half of chicken breast is enough to feed my family. Definitely stick with chicken breast or breast tenderloins for this recipe since they cut into the perfect fry shape.
2. Buttermilk – The key marinating ingredient, which we’ll complement with some seasonings and hot sauce if you’re in the mood for some heat.
3. Seasonings – The breading in this recipe is loaded with seasonings, so get your spice rack ready. You’ll need garlic and onion powder, plenty of dried herbs, paprika, white pepper, bouillon powder, and some S&P.
4. Eggs – Eggs bind the breading to the chicken strips making it crisp up evenly. 
5. Breading – Our crispy fry-like exterior is thanks to two main ingredients: all-purpose flour and Panko breadcrumbs. 😋

How to Make Chicken Fries

Prep the Chicken

• Slice the chicken breasts up into strips about a ⅓-inch wide.
• Make the Marinade – Pour the buttermilk into a bowl. Add salt, pepper, hot sauce, bouillon powder, onion powder, and garlic powder.
• Marinate – Next, add the chicken strips to the bowl of buttermilk, making sure to coat them well. Let the chicken strips marinate for about an hour in the refrigerator.
• Make Breading – Whisk the flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, herbs, cayenne pepper, white pepper, salt, and bouillon powder in a large bowl.
• Bread the Chicken – Then, remove the marinated chicken from the buttermilk. Evenly coat the chicken fries in the flour mixture, then the eggs, and finally, toss them in the panko breadcrumbs for an even coat.

Fry Them Up

• Heat Oil – In a heavy-bottom pot, heat frying oil to 350℉/177℉ and fry the chicken in batches for 3-4 minutes each. Don’t overcrowd the pan.
• Drain – Place on paper towels to soak up excess oil.
• Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Recipe Variations

1. Seasoning Swap – Get creative with your seasonings. You can add your favorite seasoning mix to the breading. Try ranch seasoning, homemade taco seasoning, or zaatar seasoning for other flavorful takes. 
2. Non-Fried Fries – Make baked chicken fries by arranging the breaded strips on a baking sheet and spraying them with a light coating of oil. Bake them for about 15 minutes at 375℉/190℃ in a preheated oven or air-fryer. Flip your delicious fries over halfway through the baking time. Yum!
3. Buffalo Chicken Fries – Coat your chicken fries in Buffalo sauce and sprinkle a spoonful of crumbled blue cheese on top for a spicy and tangy twist.
4. Parmesan Garlic Chicken Fries – Toss your fries in a parmesan cheese and garlic powder mix for a savory and flavorful snack.
5. BBQ Chicken Fries – Drizzle them with your favorite BBQ sauce and top with crispy bacon bits for a sweet and tangy combination.
6. Loaded Chicken Fries – Top your chicken fries with shredded cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, green onions, and sour cream for a delicious nacho alternative.

Tips and Tricks

1. Definitely use a heavy-bottomed skillet or pan if you can. Heavy-bottomed pans help the oil heat consistently and maintain the right temperature, which is ideal for frying anything, really. 
2. Use the right kind of oil. Oils with neutral flavors and a high smoke point, like vegetable or canola, are ideal. Peanut oil would also be good. The high smoke point is because nobody wants a grease fire in the kitchen when trying to fry up something delicious.
3. Lay your chicken strips in the pan carefully. Set them down in a straight line so they are in the shape of fries when cooked. Also, don’t overcrowd the pan, which will cool off your oil and make your fries less crispy. 😢 

Make-Ahead Instructions

These are best served fresh, so the best way to make them ahead is to marinate and bread the chicken fries the night before you want to make them. Store the breaded strips in an airtight container in the fridge overnight, and then take them out to fry them when you’re ready to eat!

Serving and Storage Instructions

Serve these chicken fries hot and fresh! Let the oil drain off for a minute or two before serving them with plenty of dipping sauces.

Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat by arranging them on a baking sheet in a 350℉/177℃ oven until heated through. (You can also microwave them, they just won’t be as crunchy.)

FAQs

What Goes With Chicken Fries

All the sauces! Try chicken fries with ketchup, homemade mayo, or mustard BBQ sauce. You can also turn this into a buffalo chicken fries recipe by serving the fries drizzled with your favorite buffalo sauce. 

If you’re making a meal out of these chicken fries, skip the silverware and serve them alongside sweet potato fries and corn on the cob to make the whole meal hand-held. 😆

More Fun Chicken Recipes to Try

1. Chicken Suya
2. Fried Chicken Wings
3. Chicken Tinga
4. Quesadilla
5. Chicken and Waffles

Conclusion

And that’s a wrap for this one, my friend. If you’d like more flavor-packed, family-friendly meals, head over to Instagram or Facebook and give me a follow. I’ll be looking for you! 

Watch How to Make It

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