Copycat Cheetos Chicken Fries

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Yield: 32 fries
  • Total: 40 min
  • Active: 30 min
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.
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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

Directions

Special equipment:
a deep-frying thermometer
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Add the cheese puffs to a food processor and grind to fine crumbs.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.

Let's Get Cooking!

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Jon

I've never even had the original ones and wasn't really interested. But I kind of liked the idea of them.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.

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