Description
Crispy, baked chicken poppers coated in a tangy buffalo ranch sauce, designed as a mess-free, kid-approved lunch option that is easy to meal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 600g)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (e.g., Frank’s RedHot)
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons blue cheese dressing (optional)
Instructions
- Trim excess fat from chicken breasts and cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Place chicken in a large bowl, pour buttermilk over it, and add garlic powder and onion powder. Toss to coat, cover, and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (up to 4 hours).
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and pepper.
- Remove chicken from buttermilk, letting excess drip off, then drop into the flour mixture. Toss to coat, pressing flour into chicken to create a thick, shaggy coating.
- Arrange coated chicken pieces on the baking sheet, ensuring they are not touching.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then flip the pieces over.
- While chicken bakes, whisk together buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, melted butter, and blue cheese (if using) in a small bowl.
- Remove chicken from oven, pour sauce over hot chicken, and toss gently to coat.
- Return to oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes to set the sauce and crisp the coating.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before packing or serving.
Notes
Do not overcrowd the pan to ensure crispiness. Let the poppers cool completely before packing to prevent sogginess from steam. For a gluten-free version, swap all-purpose flour for cornstarch or a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. For dairy-free, use olive oil instead of butter and dairy-free ranch/buttermilk alternatives.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Approximately 1.5 to
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 28
Keywords: chicken poppers, buffalo chicken, ranch chicken, back to school lunch, meal prep, baked chicken, kid-friendly lunch, gluten-free option