Chicken Rings

When you are in a mood for junk food, but don’t want to bother making a trip to a fast food restaurant, make these Chicken Rings! They are fun, delicious, and surprisingly easy to make. You may want to double the recipe, especially if you have kids to feed. They will be begging you to make them every week!

I guess fast-food inspired recipes should be as fast and simple to cook at home. In a sense, this recipe really is one of the easiest, involving NO chopping of veggies or herbs, unlike a lot of my other recipes. But that doesn’t mean, we are skimping on the flavor department. Simply mix together all of the meat mixture ingredients in a bowl. The hard part is pretty much done!

Transfer the chicken mixture into a piping bag and snip off the tip. The ring shape is what really gives this recipe a fun twist, so I wouldn’t skip this part, however, if you feel like it’s too much to deal with, just make any shape you want and call it whatever you want! As an avid baker, I always have these disposable piping bags on hand, so that is what I’m using here. You can also use a Ziploc bag (freezer ones are more sturdy and recommended) and achieve the same effect. Then carefully pipe the mixture into ring shapes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. I found that the perfect size is about 2 inches in diameter, so that’s what I’m aiming for here.

Now this is the part that is not so fast – put them in the freezer for about an hour or until they are firm enough to work with. Yes, it requires patience and some planning, but it is worth it, trust me. If you are planning ahead, you can prepare these rings to this point up to 1 to 2 weeks in advance and continue with the process when you are ready to cook them.

Once the rings are frozen and firm, we’ll give them a quick dip in flour, followed by a bath in beaten egg, and finally, a generous coating of panko bread crumbs. If the rings get too soft to work with, simply put them back in the freezer for a few minutes. Repeat until all rings are coated. 

Now we are finally ready for frying! In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches about 350°F. For my pan, I’m probably using about half a cup of oil, which is enough to coat the bottom with a ¼ inch or so layer of oil – making it perfect for shallow frying. Carefully place the breaded chicken rings into the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook the chicken rings for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the cooked chicken rings to a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil. 

And there you have it – homemade chicken rings that are way better than onion rings or anything you’ll find at a fast food joint. Serve them up with your favorite dipping sauce, and you’ve got yourself a snack that’s sure to satisfy any craving.

Sipping Suggestion: Your favorite Beer! … or You do You!

Chicken Rings

Recipe by sipandappCuisine: American

Servings

4

servings

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Ingredients

• Meat Mixture

• 8oz (or 1/2lb) Ground Chicken (8% fat)

• 1 tsp Hot Sauce of choice

• 1 tsp Garlic Powder

• 1 tsp Onion Powder

• ½ tsp Salt

• ½ tsp Black Pepper

• 1 tsp Yellow Mustard

• ¼ tsp Celery Salt

• 3 TBSP Bread Crumbs

• 1 Small Egg

• For Breading

• 1 Large Egg

• ⅓ Cup All Purpose Flour

• ¾ Cup Panko Bread Crumbs

• For Frying

• Oil for Shallow Frying (depending on the size of your frying pan, ½-1 cup of neutral oil such as Avocado, Canola, and Peanut)

Directions

• In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the meat mixture. Mix well until it looks well combined and pasty.
• Transfer the chicken mixture into the piping bag or Ziploc bag and snip off the tip or a corner.
• On a parchment-lined baking sheet, pipe the chicken mixture into ring shapes, approximately 2 inches in diameter.
• Freeze the rings for one hour or until they are firm enough to work with.
• In the meantime, prepare the breading station. In three separate shallow bowls, place the all-purpose flour, beaten egg, and panko bread crumbs.
• Dip each chicken ring into the flour, shaking off any excess. Then, dip the ring into the beaten egg, allowing any excess to drip off. Finally, coat the ring evenly with panko bread crumbs, pressing gently to adhere. Place the breaded chicken ring on a plate or tray. Repeat until all rings are coated. If the rings get too soft to work with, simply put them back in the freezer.
• In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350°F (175°C). Carefully place the breaded chicken rings into the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook the chicken rings for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and cooked through.
• Use tongs to transfer the cooked chicken rings to a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining chicken rings.
• Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.

Recipe Video