These Keto Cheesy Chicken Poppers made with a cheese breading are perfect dunked into ketchup or piled on top of a salad.
These Keto Cheesy Chicken Poppers are like perfect bite-sized nuggets of happiness that you can dunk in ketchup. They remind me a lot of a cheesy version of the happy meals that I ate as a kid minus the hot wheels toy or miniature beanie baby (side note – who had a massive collection of beanie babies growing up that you KNEW were going to be worth $$$ one day?).
Just because these are reminiscent of my childhood doesn’t mean they are not perfectly suitable for an adult. This recipe really is for everybody, even the pickiest of eaters. What makes it so perfect for everyone? It’s the 3 C’s – Chicken-y, Cheesy, and Crunchy.
To add a cheesy element to the poppers I blended coconut flour and Moon Cheese together. Moon Cheese has always been one of my favorite snacks. This was the first time I didn’t just pop the crunchy little morsels straight into my mouth, and used them in a recipe.
I totally felt like a Chopped contestant because I transformed one of the mystery ingredients, ha. Anyways, I’ve consumed my fair share of cheese (and cheese flavored) snack products in my day and these are hard to beat by any metric.
About 7-8 years, and 80 lbs ago, it was not unusual for me to sit down with a box of Cheez-Its (not a single serving 100 calorie pack…the whole box) and down the entire thing while binging The Office on Netflix. I especially loved the hot and spicy ones, but not the heartburn that would ensue afterward.
Just for comparison’s sake, I’ve listed the ingredients to a regular box of Cheez-Its below:
Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Vitamin B1 [Thiamin Mononitrate], Vitamin B2 [Riboflavin], Folic Acid), Vegetable Oil (Soybean and Palm Oil with Tertiary Butylhodroquineione1 for Freshness), Cheese Made with Skim Milk (Skim Milk, Whey Protein, Salt, Cheese Cultures, Enzymes, Annatto Extract Color), And 2% or Less of Salt, Paprika, Yeast, Paprika Extract Color, Soy Lecithin.
Now the list of ingredients for Cheddar Moon Cheese:
Cheddar Cheese [Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes, Annatto (Vegetable Color).
The difference is astounding from both the taste and health perspective. When it comes to food sometimes simpler is better. That’s why I enjoy supporting (and eating) products like Moon Cheese. I’m super excited to try the new sriracha flavor, but I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for no heartburn!
I’m not a chemist (Although I did teach middle school chemistry for a while), So I had to Google what Tertiary Butylhodroquineione or TBHQ actually was. Quick rule of thumb, if you have to Google or can’t pronounce the ingredients in your food… Find something else to eat.
Moon Cheese is available nationwide at stores including Publix and Target. You can use their store locator to find a store near you!
Check out these other delicious recipes using Moon Cheese:
Keto Cheesy Chicken Poppers
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken breast cut into 2″ cubes
- 2 bags Moon Cheese I used one cheddar and one gouda
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 egg beaten
- 1/2 cup refined coconut oil for frying
Instructions
- Blend the Moon Cheese and the coconut flour together until fine. Place in a shallow bowl and beat the egg in a separate bowl.
- Heat the oil in a 10.5″ cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
- Dip the chicken into the egg then dredge through the cheese mixture letting the excess fall off. Place in the hot oil and fry 3-4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Repeat with remaining chicken making sure not to overcrowd the skillet.
Sounds wonderful, I need to find moon cheese.
Is Ketchup keto friendly?
This is unsweetened ketchup pictured here, we use Primal Kitchen.
Can I use an air fryer?
Possibly? We’ve never used one so we can’t say for sure.