Jordan Myrick
Ariana Losch
When you heat up the best frozen chicken patties, you should wind up something close to what youโd get at a fast food restaurant. They should be juicy, crispy, and well-seasonedโeven if they donโt quite have that fresh-from-the-deep-fryer quality. Fresh from the air fryer ainโt bad!
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How we prepared the frozen chicken patties for our taste test
Some chicken patty brands tell you their preferred heating method on the back of the bag. Since we have both an air fryer and an oven, we followed every brandโs recommended instructions, and then air fried the ones that didnโt specify. (Air frying is typically faster, and weโve got a lot of food to try every week, okay.) After tossing the obvious bummers, we took the chicken patties that ended up at the top of the pecking order, put them on some bread, and squirted some condiments on โem to find out how they taste in a makeshift sandwich. You canโt say we donโt take our work very seriously.
What we really looked for the in the best frozen chicken patties
The best chicken patties should be juicy, tender, savory without being a total salt bomb, and actually flavorful. That last one seems obvious, but unfortunately, a lot of frozen chicken pattiesโeven from the big brandsโtaste like wet cardboard. Crunchy breading with a little bit of grease and a satisfying crunch is an absolute must. For this update, we also included the best breaded frozen chicken breast filletsโbecause why not? If youโre here, you must be putting together some sort of quick-and-easy fried chicken sandwich at home. And let me tell you, there are some restaurant-quality breaded chicken fillets waiting for you in the freezer aisle. You donโt have to pull out the Shake โn Bake and fry up your own fillets to make an incredible chicken sandwich at home. (And if youโre looking for frozen chicken sandwiches you can toss in an air fryer and eat in under ten minutes, weโve got that, too.)
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- Good & Gather Chicken Breast Patties
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These Good & Gather chicken patties are most similar to a certain sandwich you can get from a certain $1 menu. The pressed, ground chicken round is very nostalgic. It crisps up nicely when you throw it in the oven or air fryer and you can easily create a fast food chicken sandwich dupe with the right bun, pickles, and mayo. If youโre trying to be healthier and save money but are craving fast food, cook up one of these for a DIY McChicken! โJordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Perdue Chicken Breast Patties
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Depending on where you shop, Perdueโs Chicken Breast Patties can be weirdly difficult to find, which is the only big con here. Otherwise, these classic chicken patties are pretty hard to fault. Theyโre big, juicy, and uniform, with a fresh chicken flavor thatโs pretty addictive. I had to resist eating these with ketchup like they were tenders. The best part is the delicate, crisp, almost panko-like breading. Itโs not panko, but it does have a flaky panko quality that lends a very satisfying crunch. If I can get on my soap box for a second: I really think Perdue gets slept on as a chicken brand. They typically offer fresh, refrigerated versions of all their breaded chicken products (tenders, nuggets, even breaded chicken cutlets), and unlike bigger brands like Tyson, Iโve never had qualms with their chicken quality. Iโm proud of you, Perdue. Keep on cluckinโ on (and making some of the best frozen chicken patties). โAriana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Pavillions
- Impossible Spicy Chicken Patties
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I lived off vegan chicken patties for years, and Iโm not ashamed to admit it. (My struggle meal: a vegan chicken patty topped with avocado and an over-easy egg, served on sourdough bread like an open-faced sandwich. Someone diagnose me.) Thatโs because vegan chicken patties occupy a liminal space where both the flavor and texture naturally mimic that of a ground chicken pattyโฆ minus the guilt of eating meat, I guess. Impossible Spicy Chicken Patties do this exceptionally well. They have a crispy, crunchy, ever-so-lightly greasy breading with a great kick of heat that doesnโt overwhelm the savory chicken flavor. Most vegan chicken patties are made pretty thin and small, but these are the perfect patty size. We love most Impossible products; itโs not surprising these were the best vegan chicken patties we tried. (But hey, honorary mention to Boca chicken patties, which could have landed me a feature on My Strange Addiction circa 2021.) โAriana Losch
- Bell & Evans Chicken Patties
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Bell & Evans makes some of our favorite frozen chicken tenders, which have a restaurant-quality white meat chicken flavor that tastes very โclean.โ If that sounds strange to you, we promise itโs a good thingโlikely due to the fact that their chicken is always air chilled. You can taste the difference in their chicken patties, too. Theyโre incredibly juicy and a little greasy in the best way. The patties are pretty thick, while the breading is on the thinner side, which can be a pro or con depending on your preference. I personally wish they had a little more breading. That would help give them a little more crunch once theyโve been smushed in a sandwich. Still, these are some of the best frozen chicken patties out there for meat quality alone. โAriana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Kroger
- Applegate Naturals Organic Chicken Patties
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These frozen chicken patties cook up juicy! The moistness makes them actually taste like real, good-quality meat. This is like a chicken patty from the actual menu and not the $1 menu. Youโd pay full price for this chicken patty and not feel bad about it. It doesnโt have mayonnaise. Instead, it has aioli. The bun has that fancy dust on it. That kind of sandwich! If youโre looking to make an elevated chicken sandwich at home, this is one of the best frozen chicken patties you can buy. โJordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Gelsons
- Just Bare Lightly Breaded Spicy Chicken Breast Fillets
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I could write sonnets about these flaky, tender, juicy, deliciously greasy chicken breast fillets. That peppery, crisp, crunchy breading? To die for. The way every bite has a slight kick of heat at the end? Totally addictive, with a muted spice that doesn’t take away from the deep savory flavor of the chicken. But all you really need to know is how these taste pretty identical to CFAโs spicy chicken sandwiches, sans the controversy. (With the instant heartburn, though. Youโve been warned.) โAriana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Sprouts
- Kirkland Signature Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Fillets
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After the juicy flavor explosion of Just Bare, I really didnโt think another brand of breaded chicken fillets could compete. And while I wouldnโt say Kirkland is better than Just Bare, itโs a pretty perfect product thatโs slightly different in key ways. These are not as greasy and extra-fried tasting as Just Bare, but they have an impeccable chicken flavor that (like Bell & Evans) tastes clean and high-quality. The breading is thin, delicate, salty, and flavorful without a strong spice. If you donโt want your fried chicken sandwich to taste like a CFA dupe, consider Kirkland the best frozen breaded chicken breast fillets to stock up on. And make some room in the freezer, folks. The bag is huge. โAriana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Costco
- John Soules Foods Chicken Patties
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These are the best frozen chicken patties we tried because they are the most flavorful chicken patties we tried. They are so peppery and well-seasoned. Despite the fact that this is a patty intended for sandwiches (and would be great prepared that way), it tastes good enough to put it on a plate as a main and surround it with sides. Pair one of these frozen chicken patties with some microwaveable mac and cheese and a salad kit and youโll have a quick and delicious weeknight dinner. โJordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Albertsons
Best Fast Food Dupe
Best Breading
Best Vegan Chicken Patties
Best Chicken
Best Juicy
Best Chick-fil-A Dupe
Best Breaded Chicken Breast Fillet
Best of the Best
Other frozen chicken patties we tried: Foster Farms, Tyson Frozen Chicken Patties, Tyson Frozen Spicy Chicken Patties, Great Value, Yummy Chicken Breast Patties, Boca Chicken Patties, Banquet MEGA Spicy Crispy Chicken Filets, Banquet MEGA Original Crispy Chicken Filets
Gwynedd Stuart
Danny Palumbo
Justine Sterling
