So what if these on-again-off-again snacks aren’t on the menu when your cravings hit? We’ve got you covered with this recipe you can make at home.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 40 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 32 fries |
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray, for spraying the baking dish
- 6 cups crispy cheese puffs, such as Cheetos®
- 1 pound all white meat ground chicken
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder or crumbled cube
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
- Add the cheese puffs to a food processor and grind to fine crumbs.
- In a large bowl, mix the ground chicken, chicken bouillon, garlic powder, paprika, 1/4 cup of the cheese puff crumbs, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper with your hands until combined. Press the chicken mixture into the baking dish, creating an even layer. Bake until the chicken is cooked, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly, then turn out onto a cutting board and cut into 4-by-1/2-inch sticks.
- Meanwhile, fill a heavy skillet or a Dutch oven halfway with oil. Heat over medium-high heat until a deep-frying thermometer registers 350 degrees F.
- Put the flour, eggs and remaining cheese puff crumbs in separate shallow dishes. Season the flour with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Dip each chicken stick first in the flour, then in the egg, then in the crumbs.
- Add the sticks to the hot oil a few at a time, making sure not to overcrowd. Fry, turning frequently, until crispy, about 1 minute. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate. Serve warm with ranch dressing.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 32 servings |
| Calories | 93 |
| Total Fat | 7 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Cholesterol | 31 mg |
| Sodium | 73 mg |
Reviews
I’ve never even had the original ones and wasn’t really interested. But I kind of liked the idea of them.
All along the way making them, I kept thinking, there is no way this is going to turn out well. No way they’re not going be dry. No way that the breading is going to stick when I fry them. I even accidentally bought Cheese Puffs, not regular Cheetos. Ugh. Otherwise I followed the recipe to a tee with the addition of a little cayenne pepper.
And to my surprise, these exceeded every expectation I had. Definitely a keeper. So if you’re on the fence like I was, give it a shot, even if you only like the idea of it like I did. Now I need to find the originals.
This is a keeper for sure they came out good and perfect and there so easy to make.