Ranch Chicken Poppers are a very delicious way to sneak in more veggies! These healthy meatballs are ready in under 30 minutes, and once you pop you can’t stop. Naturally Whole30, paleo, and low carb, serve ’em with your favorite ranch dressing or dipping sauce.
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Some might call these meatballs, and while that’s technically accurate it’s also super boring. So we’re gonna call ’em poppers. Because once you pop one into your mouth, I promise you won’t won’t to stop!
Seasoned with ranch and packed with veggies, these chicken poppers are super duper clean and addictively delicious. They’re perfect for a Whole30 dinner, a low carb snack option, and even a freezer stash for emergency meals.
How to Make Chicken Ranch Poppers
Ranch chicken poppers are ready in about 30 minutes using a very short list of whole food ingredients. They’re pan seared for a crisp golden crust, then finished in the oven. Serve them on their own as an appetizer or over greens for a yummy Whole30 dinner salad. Be sure to dunk or drizzle generously with ranch dressing.
- Make a small (or large!) batch of ranch seasoning; you can also use a store-bought blend if you prefer. I used this ranch seasoning blend from Gimme Some Oven. I didn’t include the buttermilk powder because I wanted to keep these Whole30 and paleo, but you can certainly include it.
- Then prepare the spinach. Defrost the spinach by placing into a fine mesh sieve and running under cool water. Squeeze out the excess water between in your hands in small batches – you want to get it pretty dry.
- Combine a pound of ground chicken with the defrosted spinach, shredded carrots, a whole egg, ranch seasoning, and a dash of kosher salt.
- Mix until thoroughly combined with a wood spoon – the very mixture is very wet, so I don’t recommend using your hands.
- Portion the mixture into 2-ounce patties. A standard sized ice cream scooper is the perfect measuring cup! Lightly coat your hands with olive oil for mess-free patty forming.
- Brown the patties in a bit of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat – about 2 minutes per side.
- Place the browned patties onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Transfer to a 400°F oven and bake until the internal temperature reaches 165°F using an instant read thermometer – about 8 minutes.
- Serve with your favorite ranch dipping sauce. If you’re paleo, Whole30, or dairy free, you’ll love our Whole30 ranch dressing.
Tips for Making This Recipe Perfectly
- Thoroughly dry the spinach after defrosting.
- Rub your hands with a bit of olive oil before forming the patties – this will prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands too much.
- Check the internal temperature using an instant read thermometer to be sure the chicken is cooked to 165°F.
How to Freeze Chicken Poppers
- Place the cooked patties onto a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer. Transfer to the freezer and “flash freeze” until solid – about an hour.
- Remove the frozen poppers from the baking sheet and transfer to a ziplock bag for long-term storage; be sure to press the air out before sealing to avoid freezer burn. They’ll last in the freezer for about 2 months.
- Defrost in the fridge overnight or in the microwave; lightly pan sear in a skillet over medium high heat with a splash of oil.
More Meatball and Popper Recipes
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- Ginger Scallion Pork Poppers
- Lebanese Beef Kofta Spiced Meatballs
- Whole30 Italian Style Meatballs
- Baked Turkey Meatballs with Sweet Onion Gravy
Did you make these Ranch Chicken Poppers? I’d love to know how they turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Recipe
Ranch Chicken Poppers
Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin RecipeRanch chicken poppers are ready in about 30 minutes using a very short list of whole food ingredients. They're pan seared for a crisp golden crust, then finished in the oven. Serve them on their own as an appetizer or over greens for a yummy Whole30 dinner salad. Be sure to dunk or drizzle generously with ranch dressing.
Servings : 4
Calories: 279
Recommended Equipment
- 10" Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 4 oz frozen spinach, defrosted and dried
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp ranch seasoning, see below
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Combine the ground chicken, spinach, carrots, egg, ranch seasoning and salt in a large bowl. Mix until combined.
- Form into 12 two-ounce patties (about a quarter cup, measured with a standard sized ice cream scooper).
- Heat a 10” skillet over medium high heat. Add one tablespoon olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Brown the patties in batches until golden brown, 2 minutes per side, adding more oil as needed. Place the browned patties onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Transfer to a 400°F oven and bake until the internal temperature reaches 165°F using an instant read thermometer, 8 minutes.
- Serve with Whole30 ranch dipping sauce (or your favorite ranch dressing).
Notes
- I like this ranch seasoning blend from Gimme Some Oven. For Whole30 and paleo, omit the buttermilk powder.
- Rub your hands with a bit of olive oil before forming the patties – this will prevent the mixture from sticking too much.
- Place the cooked patties onto a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer. Transfer to the freezer and “flash freeze” until solid – about an hour.
- Remove the frozen poppers from the baking sheet and transfer to a ziplock bag for long-term storage; be sure to press the air out before sealing to avoid freezer burn. They’ll last in the freezer for about 2 months.
- Defrost in the fridge overnight or in the microwave; lightly pan sear in a skillet over medium high heat with a splash of oil.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 3poppers, Calories: 279kcal (14%), Carbohydrates: 2g (1%), Protein: 23g (46%), Fat: 19g (29%), Saturated Fat: 5g (25%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 132mg (44%), Sodium: 483mg (20%), Potassium: 220mg (6%), Fiber: 3g (12%), Sugar: 1g (1%), Vitamin A: 251% (251%), Vitamin C: 9% (9%), Calcium: 36% (36%), Iron: 11% (11%)
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