Paleo Ranch Chicken Poppers (Whole30)

These Paleo Ranch Chicken Poppers are juicy thanks to grated veggies, savory, and packed with flavor from homemade Ranch Seasoning. An easy low-carb snack or appetizer made with simple ingredients, you likely have on hand right now! Whole30 & low carb.

While I often bake meatballs, these chicken poppers are pan-seared to get that crisp golden crust.  They are still gonna see the inside of the oven though. In fact, I find searing, then baking makes them perfect! Crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside.

You can serve these paleo chicken poppers as they are, as a healthy savory appetizer, maybe with a homemade Ranch Dip! Or get creative and use them as a topping for a paleo bowl or salad.

How to make Ranch Chicken Popper:

Prep: Preheat your oven to 400°F/200°C and prep a parchment-lined baking sheet to leave on the counter.

Step 1 & 2 - Combine all the ingredients - except for the oil - in a mixing bowl. I find it easiest to mix this with my hands, so get in there.

Set a finger-bowl of water off to the side of your workstation or rub your hands with a bit of the olive oil to keep the mixture from sticking to your fingers (I don’t know why, but ground chicken is like glue). Start forming the mixture into little patties. I usually aim to get 12 out of this recipe, so they end up being just over 50 grams each - a bit less than ¼ cup.

Step 3 & 4 - Heat half of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil starts to shimmer, transfer your patties into the hot oil without crowding the pan - you’ll likely want to do this in two batches. We aren’t aiming to cook these all the way, just brown and sear both sides. This should take about 2 minutes a side. Add more oil as needed.

Step 5 - Once properly browned, transfer the patties to your prepared baking sheet. Put the patties into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. Ideally, you’ll have an internal temp thermometer handy and can take the patties out once they get to 165°F (74°C).

Pate and serve with your favorite ranch dipping sauce (here’s my recipe - you can leave out the avocado if you want!)

How to store and freeze chicken poppers

• Refrigerator Storage: Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• Freezer Storage: For freezing, place the cooked poppers onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Transfer to the freezer and freeze until solid.
• After they are frozen solid, remove them from the baking sheet and transfer them to a ziplock bag for long-term storage.
• Defrost in the fridge overnight or in the microwave.

Tips

• Make the poppers with ground turkey instead! Both are very interchangeable with one another in recipes! In most cases, ground turkey and ground chicken tend to cook similarly, but to ensure the poppers are cooked properly, use a meat thermometer to confirm the internal temperature is 165 degrees
• Thoroughly dry the spinach after defrosting. Don’t worry about squeezing it to death, you won’t damage it. It’s important to get as much of that water out as possible so it doesn’t throw off the ratios of your patty mixture.
• You want these to be even in size to ensure even cooking times. I find a standard-sized ice cream scooper works as the perfect measuring cup!
• You can use store-bought ranch seasoning but it might not be Whole30 / paleo-approved.

5 from 5 votes

Print

Paleo Whole30 Ranch Chicken Poppers

Course Appetizer, dinner, lunch, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword low carb chicken appetizer, paleo chicken poppers, Ranch chicken poppers

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 4 -6

Calories 272 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken /500g
• 4 oz frozen spinach defrosted and dried - /110 g
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• 2 tbsp minced pickled jalapeños leave out if you don’t like the heat
• 1 large egg
• 1 ½ Tbsp ranch seasoning or mix together ¼ tsp dried dill, ¼ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp garlic and 1 tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp sea salt + more to taste
• 2 tbsp avocado oil - or olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F/200°C and prep a parchment lined baking sheet to leave on the counter.

2. Combine all the ingredients - except for the oil - in a mixing bowl. I find it easiest to do this with my hands, so get in there.

3. Set a finger-bowl of water off to the side of your workstation or rub your hands with a bit of the olive oil to keep the mixture from sticking to your fingers (I don’t know why, but ground chicken is like glue). Start forming the mixture into little patties. I usually aim to get 12 out of this recipe, so they end up being just over 50 grams each - a bit less than ¼ cup.

4. Heat half of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil starts to shimmer, transfer your patties into the hot oil without crowding the pan - you’ll likely want to do this in two batches. We aren’t aiming to cook these all the way, just brown and sear both sides. This should take about 2 minutes a side. Add more oil as needed. Once properly browned, transfer the patties to your prepared baking sheet.

5. Put the patties into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. Ideally, you’ll have an internal temp thermometer handy, and can take the patties out once they get to 165°F (74°C).

6. Plate and serve with your favorite ranch dipping sauce (here’s my recipe - you can leave out the avocado if you want!)

Recipe Notes

• Make the poppers with ground turkey instead! Both are very interchangeable with one another in recipes!
• Thoroughly dry the spinach after defrosting. Don’t worry about squeezing it to death, you won’t damage it. It’s important to get as much of that water out as possible so it doesn’t throw off the ratios of your patty mixture.
• You want these to be even in size to ensure even cooking times. I find a standard-sized ice cream scooper works as the perfect measuring cup!
• You can use store-bought ranch seasoning but it might not be Whole30 / paleo approved.

Nutrition Facts

Paleo Whole30 Ranch Chicken Poppers

Amount Per Serving

Calories 272 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 138mg46%

Sodium 828mg36%

Potassium 775mg22%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 22g44%

Vitamin A 6137IU123%

Vitamin C 11mg13%

Calcium 56mg6%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

If you tried this easy paleo chicken poppers recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!

More Meatballs recipes:

• Asian Thai Coconut Meatballs Curry
• Dairy-free Swedish Meatballs
• Slow Cooker BBQ Meatballs
• Mozarella Stuffed Meatballs