We Finally Figured Out How to Make Burger King Chicken Fries at Home

And they're so much better than the original.

copycat burger king chicken fries
Active Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
30 mins
Servings:
4
Yield:
16 chicken fries

Burger King Chicken Fries were the height of childhood fast food excitement. The brand recently brought them back, and in two new flavors, so we decided to finally crack the code on how to make them at home.

What Are Chicken Fries?

Chicken fries are essentially chicken nuggets in the shape of French fries, which maximizes the surface area for breading giving them a higher breading-to-chicken ratio. That larger surface are also means they get crispier than nuggets for the perfect chicken finger.

Tips for Making the Best Chicken Fries

  • Use chicken cutlets: Cutlets are the easiest way to get the thin strips you need here, but you can make it work with chicken breasts as well, there's just a little extra slicing required.
  • Keep one hand wet and one hand dry: While dredging the chicken, you'll have the most success if you use one hand for the wet ingredients and the other hand for dipping into the dry ingredients. Otherwise, you'll end up breading your fingers more than the chicken strips.
  • Run the breadcrumbs through the food processor: We love panko breadcrumbs because they're extra crispy, but their large size doesn't give this slender nuggets the best coating. We pulse them in the food processor to grind them down and bit to get an even, crispy coating on the chicken.
  • Keep an eye on the fry oil temperature: Using a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the fry oil while you cook is key! The temperature will drop when adding the chicken so you may need to turn the heat up or down to get all the pieces cooked perfectly.

Editorial contributions by Devon O'Brien

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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 4 servings

Chicken Fries

  • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs

  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper

  • 1 tsp ground mustard

  • 1/2 tsp paprika

  • 2 tsp kosher salt, divided

  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour

  • 2 large eggs

  • 2 tbsp water

  • 1 lb chicken cutlets

  • 4 cups vegetable oil

Special Sauce

  • 3 tbsp ketchup

  • 3 tbsp mayonnaise

  • 1 1/2 tbsp relish

Directions

  1. Gather all ingredients, and preheat oven to 200°F.

    all ingredients to make copycat burger king chicken fries

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  2. Pulse breadcrumbs in the bowl of a food processor until finely ground, about 10 times. Add cayenne, ground mustard, paprika, and 1 teaspoon of the salt; pulse once to combine.

    panko breadcrumbs and seasoning pulsed to combine in the bowl of a food processor.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  3. Transfer breadcrumb mixture to a large shallow dish. Place flour in a second dish.Stir together eggs and 2 tablespoons water in a third shallow dish. 

    an overhead view of three shallow dishes containing, breadcrumbs, flour, and egg wash respectively.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  4. Working in batches, dip chicken strips in flour, followed by egg wash, and then panko mixture, pressing to adhere. 

    dredging chicken strips in flour, egg wash, and coating in breadcrumbs

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  5. Pour oil into a large 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium to 350°F. While oil heats, make the Special Sauce: Stir together ketchup, mayonnaise, and hot dog relish in a small bowl. Set aside. 

    ketchup, mayonnaise, and hot dog relish mixed together in a small bowl.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  6. Working in batches of 3 to 4 strips, carefully place in hot oil, careful to not overcrowd the skillet; cook, until breading is golden brown and very crispy, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes total per batch, turning once halfway through. 

    chicken strips being cooked, until breading is golden brown and very crispy.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  7. Remove Chicken Fries from skillet, and place on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with a pinch of remaining 1 teaspoon salt.

    Chicken Fries placed on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkled with a pinch of salt.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  8. Place in preheated oven to keep warm while repeating frying process with remaining strips. (Adjust heat under skillet as needed to maintain oil temperature of 350°F while frying.) Transfer warm chicken strips to a serving platter, and serve immediately with the Special Sauce.

    Chicken Fries dipped in special sauce.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

913 Calories
48g Fat
77g Carbs
41g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 913
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 48g 62%
Saturated Fat 6g 32%
Cholesterol 229mg 76%
Sodium 1457mg 63%
Total Carbohydrate 77g 28%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 41g 81%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 167mg 13%
Iron 6mg 34%
Potassium 468mg 10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.