This traditional Puerto Rican recipe contains an intriguing combination of ingredients, but somehow everything gels together. In one bite, there is a tiny bit of each flavor: salty, sweet, and savory.
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 1 mins |
| Additional Time: | 2 hrs |
| Total Time: | 2 hrs 16 mins |
| Servings: | 12 |
| Yield: | 48 balls |
Ingredients
- 2 (12.5 fl oz) cans chunk chicken breast, drained and flaked
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
- 1 cup hot pepper sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot®)
- 1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix
- oil for frying
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup plain bread crumbs
Instructions
- Mix the chicken, green onions, Cheddar cheese, pepperjack cheese, hot sauce, and ranch dressing mix together in a bowl; form the mixture into 1-inch balls with a scoop. Place the balls on a large, flat dish; chill in refrigerator 2 to 3 hours.
- Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Gently press the balls into the flour to coat and shake off any excess. Dip into the beaten egg and then press into bread crumbs. Place the breaded chicken balls onto a plate while breading the rest; do not stack.
- Fry the breaded balls in the hot oil until slightly browned, about 1 minute.
- The nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of the breading ingredients. The actual amount of the breading consumed will vary. We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking. The exact amount will vary depending on cooking time and temperature, ingredient density, and the specific type of oil used.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 351 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 17 g |
| Cholesterol | 107 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 22 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Sodium | 1172 mg |
| Sugars | 1 g |
| Fat | 21 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
I only gave this 4 stars because I can’t stand canned chicken. I shredded a rotisserie chicken. Otherwise, I followed the recipe. These were a huge hit!
great recipe
I didn’t care for the canned chicken. I think if you use real chicken it would be great!
Followed recipe as written and my son loved them!! I used panko bread crumbs which gave a great crispy texture to the creamy filing. I did leave them in the fridge overnight to firm up.
Another hit and our annual fantasy football party! I used the canned chicken breast and followed the recipe. I did allow for additional time in the fridge prior to breading and then again before frying as I had tripled the recipe and the breading process took the longest. I used Panko crumbs for added crunch, It’s best to also use a small ice cream scooper for equal sized balls.
I made these for two different parties and they were a huge hit! I didn’t use as much hot sauce as recommended and added a little cream cheese. I served them with Uncle Dan’s Ranch and a side of hot sauce. I made a double batch and they were all gone! Great recipe!
I made these for a batchlorette party and everyone is raving about them. I ended up making them for the whole wedding. they are amazing and simple….
OMG! Thank You Thank You Thank You AllRecipes.com for this AWESOME IDEA. I rated it four out of five stars because I modified the recipe a bit & think my recipe IS/WAS THE BEST. Instead of canned chicken breast, I used a grocery store Rotisserie’s chicken & removed all the bones & FAT. Instead of using Frank’s Hot Sauce I used Crystal’s Buffalo Sauce. I also added a pinch of Garlic Powder! Yummy yummy.
It was good. I used 20oz of shredded grilled chicken. It needs about a 1/2 to 3/4 cup of melted butter for fat and flavor.
these are addicting!!! great recipe, so easy…
These were interesting. I liked them but felt they were missing something.
Fantastic. Everyone absolutely loved them.
These were Good! I did use boneless chicken breast for me is Just rather eat IT as Dip.flavor was Good no complaints with the recipe
These were a little salty for most of us but they were so good we ate them anyway. Found out the buffalo sauce and the ranch mix (I used Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch) contained tons of sodium so I think I will decrease one of them…probably the Ranch Mix. I used Panko bread crumbs as the balls would be traveling and I wanted them to stay crispy. I also used cream cheese as others suggested but I feel this was a waste of time and money. Can’t wait to make these again with the changes.
Mixed these up and let them sit overnight. We made half the recipe, and I did add a couple heaping tablespoons of cream cheese to the mix. We used panko crumbs for an extra crunch. And I used a fry pan with oil, not a deep fryer. They were awesome! I thought the sharp cheddar made them a bit ‘saltier’ but still awesome. We might try making patties and doing a sandwich sometime. This one is perfect if you love the hot buffalo flavor like we do.
Tasty, I used panko bread crumbs. The maintained their crispness even a room temp. They didn’t last long. I served them with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing. WINNER
I added a little bit of melted butter to help keep them stuck together better but my husband LOVED these!
Awesome!! The husband LOVED these…. they were spicy, yummy and perfect… will make them again and again and again! I let my daughter help and she has a great time making this with me!
Made this for a party we went to. Everyone loved it. Very unique and original. Had ranch and bleu cheese dressing to dip them in. Next time I make them I’m going to try adding cream cheese to the mix.
Very good-unique, but very good! I was pleasantly surprised after making these! I did add more buffalo sauce-we like things hot!!
The balls didn’t form together at all until I heated up the cheese and chicken mixture and then they worked great. i switched the ranch mix for onion soup mix bc my bf doesn’t like ranch then deep fried them. Be careful not to fry them too long because it doesn’t take long for them to get burned. But my bf still ate them and wanted me to make them again so I will definitely start making these more often-just less burnt!