Chicken fries are a variant of chicken nuggets in the shape of French fries. These are also called chicken strips, chicken fillets or chicken tenders.
They are most popularly sold by the restaurant chains like –
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Burger King –Chicken fries
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KFC, Canada – They serve a plain and a cheese filled variant.
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Chicken lickin’s chicken fries
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Tyson’s chicken fries
It is a breaded, deep fried product which has a juicy texture inside.
History
The technology for making chicken fries or chicken nuggets was invented by Robert C. Baker in the 1950's when he was a part of Cornell University. The first company to make such a product was McDonalds which made chicken McNuggets in 1979. The technology allowed to make this product in various shapes.
Ingredients and Preparation
Commercially available chicken fries are made using a specialy technology which uses meat slurry that has been flash frozen. It is not possible to make it at home. Chicken breasts are generally used to make such snacks. It is seasoned or marinated. Then breaded and deep fried.
Serving
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It is most commonly served with ketchup or chilli sauce.
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It can also be served with dipping sauces like honey mustard sauce, BBQ sauce or cheese dips.
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It is often ordered as a side dish along with sandwiches and burgers.
Popular Variations
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Chicken fries are available in many shapes.
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Cheese filled chicken fries are made by KFC in canada. It has a liquid cheese filling in the centre.
Health and Nutrition Facts
Serving size - Burger king 9 pieces (157 g)
Calories - 470 cal, Fat - 31 g, Saturated fat - 6 g, Trans fat - 0 g, Protein - 19 g, Sodium - 1350 mg, Carbohydrates - 29 g
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Commercially available chicken fries are very high in calories and fat. Nealy 60% of the calories are contributed from fat. It qualifies as a junk food and is considered unhealthy.
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It contains high amount of saturated fat which increases the risks of blockages in heart and other cardiovascular diseases. Such brands mention that they contain zero transfat but recent studies deny this claim.
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It contains high amount of lean protein as the technology used to make such fries separates the fat from the protein.
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Healthier variants can be made by using alternate methods of cooking. Baking is one of the healthiest cooking techniques. It uses minimum fat.
Oven-baked chicken fries
Serving size - 9 pieces (157 g)
Calories - 150 cal, Fat - 3.5 g, Saturated fat - 0.5 g, Sodium - 300 mg, Protein - 20 g
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Baked chicken fries can be made easily by breading chicken pieces, spraying cooking spray and baking it.
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The calorific value of the appetizer is reduced to less than half. The fat content is also thereby reduced.