Chicken Fries

Thin, crispy and oh-so-fun to eat, these chicken fries are a fun take on traditional chicken strips, perfect for nibbling on! Prepared with chicken breasts sliced into extra-thin strips, then seasoned with a delicious blend of spices, dipped into buttermilk and dusted in flour before a quick shallow fry, this chicken fries recipe is absolutely irresistible for kids of all ages!

Chicken strips that eat like fries

Ever since I was a kid, chicken strips have been a favorite “fast-food” style of finger food for me.

Perfect for plunging into a sauce or two (or three!), crispy chicken strips are a mouthwatering pick to satisfy that hankering for something a hot and crispy, in a couple of bites.

Because homemade snacks are what I turn to these days, made with real, fresh ingredients and no preservatives or fillers, these chicken fries are one of my favorite ways to indulge when that craving for crispy chicken comes calling.

Quick to prepare, these chicken fries are extra thin, crispy, super savory, and just delicious when dipped into ranch, honey mustard, or even BBQ sauce.

Honestly, they're a bit addictive, and completely irresistible to kids and adults alike!

My recipe for chicken fries

Making truly delicious, hot, juicy and crispy chicken strips from scratch is a bit of passion of mine...

Whether it's my viral coconut crunch chicken strips, my savory potato chip chicken strips, or my zesty tortilla crunch chicken strips, there's just something super fun and enticing to me about playing around with this classic, popular finger food, and giving it a twist with a unique coating or shape.

When it comes to these chicken fries, I combine the best of both French fries and chicken strips by making these extra thin and crispy, and easy to pick up, dip and nibble on!

They're easy to make, which is fantastic when that craving hits, as they require just a few skinless, boneless chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise to create extra thin cutlets. Those cutlets are then sliced into extra thin strips, then quickly marinated in buttermilk for added flavor.

I make use of an easy, classic flour dredge for this recipe, and the chicken gets tossed in a savory mixture of flour, salt, pepper, garlic, paprika and a kiss of cayenne (optional) to create that extra crispy and delicious coating for heading to the frying pan.

These chicken fries are mouthwatering with most any dipping sauce, and when I can't decide which sounds best to me, I use all three of my faves: ranch, honey mustard, and BBQ sauce!

Here's a glance at how I make my chicken fries recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I slice my chicken breasts into thinner cutlets (removing the tenderloins for another use), then slice those thinner cutlets into extra thin, fry-like strips.
2. I add the chicken into buttermilk seasoned with salt to marinate and tenderize, then prepare my flour in a large ziplock bag by adding the seasoning.
3. Next, I take batches of the marinated chicken fries, allow them to lightly drip off any excess buttermilk, and add them to the seasoned flour. I toss to coat the chicken well, then place the flour-coated chicken fries onto a platter to hold, repeating the process until all chicken fries are coated.
4. I heat my oil in a large skillet or pan (enough for shallow frying), then add a batch of my chicken fries into the oil to fry for roughly 2 minutes per side. I then allow the chicken fries to drain for a moment on paper towel, sprinkle with salt, and keep warm until all chicken fries are done.
5. To serve, I place the chicken fries whimsically in a parchment paper-lined large glass (or onto a platter), and enjoy with my favorite dipping sauce on the side.

Recipe

Chicken Fries

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These chicken fries are extra thin, extra crispy, and extra delicious, perfect for nibbling on or dipping into a favorite sauce!

Category: Appetizer
Cuisine: American

Yield: Serves 4

Nutrition info: 494 calories per serving

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3 teaspoons salt, divided use
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• Peanut oil for frying

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Preheat your oven to the “warm” setting, or 200 degrees. Then, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil to place the finished chicken fries on, to hold warm.
3. To prepare the chicken, first remove the tenderloin from each breast, and reserve for another use. Next, slice each breast lengthwise to create 8 thinner breast cutlets, then slice each of those cutlets, lengthwise, into very thin strips, about the thickness of a pencil.
4. When all the breasts are sliced, add the strips to a medium sized bowl and cover with the buttermilk and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Mix together to combine, and allow the chicken to marinate for about 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, to a large ziplock bag (jumbo size), add the flour, the remaining 2 ½ teaspoons salt, the paprika, pepper, granulated garlic and cayenne (optional), and toss with your fingers to combine the spices with the flour.
6. Then, take about one third of the chicken strips that are in the buttermilk, give them a gentle shake to drip off the excess buttermilk, and add them to the flour in the bag and toss them well to coat the strips.
7. Remove the strips from the flour, shake gently to remove any excess flour, and place the chicken fries onto a large platter or plate, keeping them as straight as possible. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
8. Then, add enough of the peanut oil into a large non-stick skillet or pan to come about a third of the way up the pan, enough to shallow fry the strips. Heat the oil on medium to medium-high, until it shimmers.
9. Next, begin laying a batch of the chicken fries into the hot oil, keeping them as straight as possible to prevent them from curling too much, taking care to not overcrowd the pan.
10. Fry the chicken fries for about 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown, then remove them from the oil and place them onto a paper towel for a moment to drain. Give a little sprinkle of salt while the chicken fries are still hot, then place those finished chicken fries onto the baking sheet and into the warm oven to keep them warm.
11. Repeat the process of frying more chicken fries, until all are fried.
12. To serve, place the chicken fries onto a large serving platter or whimsically into a large parchment paper-lined glass, and serve with your choice of dipping sauce or sauces.

Tips & Tidbits for my chicken fries recipe:

• Skinless, boneless chicken breasts: I opt for organic, skinless and boneless chicken breasts here, and simply slice each horizontally (or lengthwise) to create 8 thinner cutlets. If you can find packaged, extra-thin chicken breast cutlets at the market, you can opt for those, and then just proceed with slicing those into the extra-thin, long strips for the chicken fries.
• Buttermilk, for added flavor and tenderness: Whenever I make homemade chicken strips, I typically will marinate the chicken in buttermilk as it adds good flavor, plus, it acts as a tenderizing agent. The buttermilk also acts as a really fantastic “glue” to help the seasoned flour to adhere better.
• Dipping sauces for these chicken fries: These tasty chicken fries go well with pretty much any sauce you like, but some classic options are ranch, BBQ sauce, or honey mustard. Feel free you any of these, or even make things interesting by offering all three for extra flavor!

Craving more tasty appetizers like this one? Check out my Potato Chip Chicken Strips, my Tortilla Crunch Chicken Strips, my Coconut Crunch Chicken Strips, my Vietnamese Fried Chicken, or my Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings!

Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2012, and has been updated with even more love!