Description
These Cheetos Chicken Strips are crispy, crunchy, and dangerously delicious! Coated in fiery Flamin’ Hot or classic cheesy Cheetos, they deliver bold flavor and serious crunch in every bite. Perfect for game day snacking or a fun dinner twist—serve them with cool blue cheese dressing and celery sticks for the ultimate combo. #CheetosChicken #CrunchyChickenStrips #GameDayEats #FlaminHotFun
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
- 2 cups buttermilk
Dredging Station
- 6 whole eggs
- ½ cup cream or milk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
Crispy Coating
- 2 (8.5-ounce) bags Cheetos® Crunchy (plain or Flamin’ Hot), crushed finely
For Frying
- Canola oil
To Serve
- Blue cheese dressing
- Celery sticks
Instructions
Prep the Chicken
- Cut chicken breasts into uniform strips.
- Place in a bowl or zip-top bag and cover with buttermilk. Let soak for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight in the fridge).
Set Up Dredging Station
- In one bowl, whisk together eggs and cream (or milk).
- In another bowl, mix flour, kosher salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and white pepper.
- In a food processor or sealed bag, crush Cheetos into fine crumbs. Place in a separate bowl.
Bread the Chicken
- Remove chicken from buttermilk. Dip each strip into the seasoned flour, then into the egg mixture, and finally coat thoroughly in crushed Cheetos.
Fry the Strips
- Heat about 2 inches of canola oil in a deep fryer or large skillet to 350°F (175°C).
- Fry chicken strips in batches, turning as needed, for 4–6 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through (internal temp 165°F).
- Drain on a paper towel–lined plate.
Serve
- Serve hot with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks on the side for the perfect bite.
Notes
- Use Flamin’ Hot Cheetos for a spicy kick or original for classic cheesy crunch.
- For extra-crispy strips, double-dip: flour → egg → flour again → egg → Cheetos.
- Air fryer method: Cook at 375°F for 12–14 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Try ranch or spicy mayo as alternate dips!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 3–4 strips)
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 690mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 165mg