Bacon Ranch Chicken Poppers (Paleo, Whole 30, AIP)
These bacon ranch chicken poppers are a savory and flavorful option for the perfect snack or an easy meal! They’re gluten-free, dairy-free paleo, whole30, and AIP.
Bacon Ranch Chicken Poppers
I’ve seen so many folks share how much they love the sweet potato chicken popper, that I wanted to make a variation that’s even more flavorful, savory and delicious… and that’s how these bacon ranch chicken poppers were born! These are made with shredded bacon and an AIP ranch seasoning that’s dairy-free, and are insanely easy to make.
So now, you’ve got veggies, healthy fat, protein, and that amazing ranch flavor all in one little nugget, all while staying paleo, Whole30 and AIP! The ultimate healthy chicken nugget!
The Ingredients for Bacon Ranch Chicken Poppers
- Ground Chicken: You can buy chicken pre-ground, or simply grind up chicken breast yourself in a food processor. You can also sub ground turkey if you prefer.
- Shredded Carrots: You can shred them in a food processor or buy them pre-shredded.
- Bacon
- Coconut Oil
- Coconut Flour: This binds the poppers together.
- Dried Parsley
- Dried Chives
- Garlic Powder
- Dried Dill
- Onion Powder
- Sea Salt
How to make Bacon Ranch Chicken Poppers
- Prepare Ingredients: Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment Add the shredded carrots to a food processor along with the bacon and blend on high. You want both the carrots and the bacon to be very finely shredded. Remove the carrots and bacon from the food processor and add to a mixing bowl.
- Make Poppers: Stir in the raw ground chicken (or turkey), seasoning, coconut oil, and flour and thoroughly combine. Roll the mixture into small poppers and slightly flatten them (you’ll have 25-30 poppers).
- Bake & Serve: Bake for 30-35 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Place them under the broiler for 5 minutes to a crisp before serving if desired. Serve warm with compliant ranch dressing and enjoy!
How do you eat these bacon ranch chicken poppers?
Like I said with the sweet potato chicken poppers, these bacon ranch poppers don’t just have to be game day food! Here’s just a few of the many ways can use them as…
- They’re basically healthy chicken nuggets for kiddos & picky eaters
- They’re great to stash in the freezer for emergency dinners
- Perfect to bring along for a work lunch
- Amazing for a creative breakfast
- Great to serve alongside some compliant ranch and sliced veggies for a party or movie night snack
Can you use turkey instead?
Yes! Ground turkey is a great option to use in these poppers.
Can you leave out the bacon?
You can, no problem.
Can you use pre-shredded carrot?
I find it best to still pulse pre-shredded carrots in the food processor to make them even finer.
Can you use other flours or oils?
You can use avocado oil or olive oil. You can use cassava flour or almond flour, if tolerated.
You’ll also love…
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps
- Sweet Potato Chicken Poppers
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
Bacon Ranch Chicken Poppers (Paleo, Whole 30, AIP)
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Ingredients
- 1 lb raw ground chicken, or turkey
- 2 cups raw shredded carrots
- 3 slices raw bacon, sugar-free for whole30
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 2 tbsp dried parsley
- 2 tsp dried chives
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper, omit for AIP
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment
- Add the shredded carrots to a food processor along with the bacon and blend on high. You want both the carrots and the bacon to be very finely shredded. Remove the carrots and bacon from the food processor and add to a mixing bowl
- Stir in the raw ground chicken (or turkey), seasoning, coconut oil, and flour and thoroughly combine
- Roll the mixture into small poppers and slightly flatten them (you’ll have 25-30 poppers)
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Place them under the broiler for 5 minutes to a crisp before serving if desired,
- Serve warm with compliant ranch dressing and enjoy!
Notes
This post originally appeared on Unbound Wellness in 2017 and was updated and republished in 2021.
Recipe by Michelle, Unbound Wellness. Photos by Eat Love Eats
These are a staple in my SCD kids diet. I use them as chicken nuggets, meatballs, salad toppers, etc. always have them in my freezer ready to go. Thanks for a great recipe!
So glad you and your family are loving them!!
Hi these looking great, I’m new to AIP dirt and starving for something that I can snack on, question – do you share the ranch dip recipe? I can’t find it anywhere
For an AIP ranch, I recommend the ranch in this recipe: https://unboundwellness.com/bacon-ranch-sweet-potato-salad/
Where is the link to the ranch recipe?
For an AIP ranch recipe, I like to use this: https://unboundwellness.com/bacon-ranch-sweet-potato-salad/
I really enjoyed the recipe, next time I might add a few more spices and possibly sub avocado oil for the coconut oil. My husband is not a fan of coconut. I loved them. Michelle thank you for all the time and effort you have put into this sight. It is a game changer for those of us with autoimmune diseases. I’ve tried many more of your recipes and will continue to. Thank you again.
Warm regards
Vickie Randgaard
Thank you so much!!
I made this into a loaf instead. Substituting turkey bacon for pork bacon and layering it in a loaf pan. I added mushrooms and chopped spinach. Using my hands, squishing the mixture together and adding it on top of the turkey bacon. I baked at 350 for 40 minutes and it came out super moist and tender!
yum, so glad you enjoyed!!
These were good. Next time I’d cut back on the onion powder and garlic powder a bit. I guess that’s what makes the ranch flavor though. I’m going to try all of the others. It seems to be a good base to mess with. I just decided to wing it and double the recipe, one pound of ground chicken and one pound of ground organ meat (from a Turkey). I also forgot the coconut oil. They still worked out fine. Good way to incorporate organ meat if that’s on your to-do list. They freeze really well too.
thank you!!
Delicious! My whole family loves these – even the picky eater.
So glad to hear that!
so gooooddd! I did a 1/3 cup ground up pork rinds instead of the coconut flour and it was so delish. mine also only needed to cook 25 mins (I have a tiny oven.) will definitely be making again!
So glad you enjoyed!
I’ve been on the search for a chicken nugget substitute since all the frozen kinds were filled with so many unnecessary ingredients. These were the perfect replacement. My kids LOVED these and have been begging me to make them again. I had them pitch in with the mixing and rolling – so much fun to assemble it together. Thanks for a great recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that your whole family loves them!!
Oh my gosh,these are amazing and just great for an alternative. The flavor is wonderful, I used fresh parsley because I didn’t have dried parsley and it was amazing!
We made this and loved it! We made one batch with bacon and one without, and both were very good. For our poppers, we used ground turkey and added one extra ingredient – quite a bunch of chopped up green onions. Everyone liked them! Thank you for this great recipe!
How do you make the dip that goes with it?
I would recommend a ranch dip, which you can make with my recipe or if you tolerate it, use Primal Kitchen’s ranch.
How long can these be kept in the fridge for?
I do 3-4 days
Can I still use sweet potatoes instead off carrots ? Also what about the can chicken can you use that?
Thanks
Yes, sweet potato works!! Canned chicken wouldn’t work as it needs to be raw to bind… like meatballs!
These were simple and delicious. Made a double batch so we could them as an appetizer that I could enjoy when guests came over and then I had them for breakfast during the week. I was so sad when they were gone.