We love this Whole30 Copycat Chicken Fries version of a Burger King classic. Chicken fries are chicken nuggets, but in a long skinny easy to hold and dip “fry” shape! They are so fun and a fantastic dinner or appetizer.

Why We Love These Whole30 Copycat Chicken Fries

First, they are Whole30, Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, with an egg-free option! They are a great fit for so many different dietary needs. Second, they are kid-friendly and perfect for getting protein into kids of any age ; ). 

Plus, they include a hack to avoid having to roll and hand bread every “fry”. I just can’t with tedious repetitive kitchen tasks like hand breading when trying to make large batches for my family. For these, we freeze the ground chicken then cut it with a knife into strips or “fries.” Having them slightly frozen also allows you to toss them with the breading or egg altogether instead of one at a time. This time-saving hack gives you more time to go do one of the other hundred things on your to-do list!

Tips and Tricks

• There are three ways to cook these Whole30 Copycat Chicken Fries. You can cook them in the oven, on the stove, or in the air fryer. I recommend the oven if you are double or triple-batching like us. But, cooking them in shallow oil on the stove helps them get the crispiest.
• Plus, these freeze great – so double batch and let your kids pull them out as needed. After cooking, freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months. We love reheating them in the air fryer.
• We prefer the flavor of using ground chicken for these. However, ground turkey works well too, if that is more accessible to you. A family win all around!

Make it a Meal

Here is what we love pairing these Whole30 Copycat Chicken Fries with to make it a complete family-favorite meal! All of these options are also Whole30 compatible.

• Dipping sauces:
  • Date Mustard – a Whole30 “Honey” Mustard
  • Raising Canes Sauce – A pepper fry sauce that has quickly become one of our family’s “must-have” sauces!
  • Ranch – A Whole30 remake of the classic. Thick and creamy!
• Sides
  • Breaded Potato Wedges
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Curly Fries
  • Garlic Fries
  • Broccoli Salad
  • Kale Salad

Ingredients

• Ground chicken – I find this most affordable at Walmart, but it’s available at most grocery stores. See the note in the “Tips and Tricks” if you want to use ground turkey instead. Can’t find ground chicken near you? Here’s a blog post on how to make it yourself in a food processor. 
• Salt – Just regular old table salt here!
• Granulated garlic or garlic powder – I get mine in bulk at Sam’s Club or Winco. I prefer the texture of granulated over powder but both work!
• Granulated onion or onion powder – Same as above.

• Potato, tapioca, or arrowroot powder/starch/flour – Any of these will work in this recipe, as all of these flours are pretty interchangeable in a breading. (This is not true for baking or thickening sauces.) Pick whichever one is accessible to you! I can find tapioca starch in the bulk bins at Winco. You can also find Tapioca Flour easily on Amazon here. Amazon also has Potato Starch and Arrowroot Powder. I recommend getting whatever one you will use up in other recipes.
• Paprika – I get mine in bulk at Sam’s Club or Winco.
• Garlic Salt – If you are on a Whole30, just make sure your garlic salt doesn’t have any form of sugar like dextrose. The garlic salt grinder from Trader Joe’s is a great Whole30 option.
• Pepper – Traditional black ground pepper.

Whole30 Copycat Chicken Fries

Autumn @wholefoodfor7

A Burger King Copycat that is Whole30, Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, with egg-free options! Oven, air fryer, or stove.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Freeze Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 large eggs see notes for egg-free
• 1 cup tapioca, arrowroot, or potato starch/flour/powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• Cooking oil spray if baking or air frying, high heat cooking oil (like coconut oil or avocado oil) if cooking on the stove

Instructions

 

• Combine ground chicken, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder in a medium bowl. Use a spatula, meat masher, or just your hands to mix it well.
• Line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper. Spread the chicken mixture evenly onto the bottom of the pan. Freeze for 1 hour or until solid to the touch.
• Just before removing chicken from the freezer, in a large reusable bag or bowl, whisk the 2 eggs together. In another large reusable bag or bowl, combine the flour, paprika, garlic salt, and pepper.
• Remove chicken mixture from freezer after 1 hour and cut with a sharp knife in half down the middle and then into skinny "fry" shaped strips. Put back in freezer for at least 1+ hour, until they are frozen solid and can be breaded and cooked without losing shape.
• If cooking in the oven, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper and a cooling rack if you have one.
• Toss the chicken fries with the dry breading mixture. Shake off excess and then toss with the egg mixture. Drain the excess (I do this in a colander over the sink) and then toss one more time with the breading.
• OVEN: Spray the baking rack, if using, generously with cooking oil. Lay chicken fries onto the baking rack. Spray chicken fries generously with cooking oil. Bake for 15 minutes. If you aren't using a baking rack, flip halfway through cooking time.
• STOVE: Heat a shallow amount of high heat cooking oil (I prefer coconut oil) over medium high heat in a large skillet pan. Once hot, add the fries in a single layer. This may require multiple batches. Cook until golden on each side, about 4 minutes per side. Repeat with all chicken fries.
• AIR FRYER: Spread out in a single layer in your air fryer basket. This may require multiple batches. Spray generously with cooking oil. Air fry for 4 minutes per side, spray again with oil after flipping. Repeat as needed with remaining chicken fries.
• Chicken fries store well in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

EGG-FREE OPTION: Use 1/2 cup full fat canned coconut milk instead of the eggs for breading. 

See blog post above for answers to ingredient questions, our favorite sauces to dip these in, and how to make it a meal with delicious Whole30 sides!

Keyword budget-friendly, dairy-free, easy, egg-free, gluten-free, kid-friendly, main dish, nut-free, paleo, snack, whole30