Fry Box Recipe

Prep bacon and chicken

Place diced bacon in a cold skillet and cook over medium heat until crisp, about 6–8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Pat chicken thighs dry and cut into 1–1.5 inch pieces.

Batter and fry

In a bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Stir buttermilk into the dry mix to form a thick batter (add a splash more buttermilk if too stiff). Heat vegetable oil in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven to 350°F (175°C). Dip chicken pieces into the batter, allowing excess to drip off, and carefully lower into hot oil. Fry in batches until golden brown and cooked through, 5–7 minutes per batch depending on piece size. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towels to drain.

Toss with sauces and bacon

While chicken is hot, toss it in a bowl with BBQ sauce and ranch dressing until evenly coated. Sprinkle the crispy diced bacon over the sauced chicken and gently toss to combine. Hold warm.

Prep chicken

Cut chicken breasts into strips (about 1/2-inch thick). Pat dry and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Batter and fry

Whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Stir in buttermilk to make a thick batter. Heat oil to 350°F (175°C). Dredge or dip chicken strips in the batter and fry in batches until crisp and cooked through, about 4–6 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.

Make buffalo sauce and toss

In a small saucepan, warm the hot sauce and butter over low heat, stirring until butter melts and sauce is smooth. Toss the fried chicken strips in the warm buffalo sauce until evenly coated. Drizzle or toss with ranch dressing just before serving so some pieces have creamy ranch contrast.

Sear shrimp

Pat shrimp dry and season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add shrimp in a single layer and sear 1–2 minutes per side until pink and just opaque. Remove shrimp to a plate.

Make lemon garlic sauce

Reduce heat to medium, add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and minced garlic; cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not brown. Add lemon juice and the reserved shrimp, toss to coat and warm through for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in chopped parsley. Keep warm.

Prepare steak and shrimp

Season sliced steak with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Pat shrimp dry and season lightly with remaining salt and pepper.

Cook steak

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add steak slices in a single layer and sear 1–2 minutes per side until browned but still tender (cook slightly less for very tender strips). Remove steak to a plate.

Cook shrimp

In the same skillet add shrimp and cook 1–2 minutes per side until just opaque. Remove and set aside with the steak.

Make honey garlic sauce

Lower heat to medium and add minced garlic, cook 20–30 seconds. Add honey, soy sauce, and rice vinegar; stir to combine. Mix cornstarch with water to make a slurry and add to the pan, stirring until sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Return steak and shrimp to the pan and toss to coat in the glossy sauce. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Cook fries

Cook frozen fries according to package directions — either deep-fry at 350°F (175°C) until golden and crisp (about 3–5 minutes), or bake/air-fry per package instructions until hot and crisp. Season with 1 tsp salt immediately after cooking.

Assemble Fry Box

Divide the hot fries into four equal portions on a large tray or into four individual boxes. Top each portion with one of the prepared proteins: 1) BBQ Bacon Ranch Chicken, 2) Buffalo Ranch Chicken, 3) Lemon Garlic Shrimp, 4) Honey Garlic Shrimp and Steak (split the steak and shrimp mixture across the portion). Garnish each portion with chopped green onions if using. Serve immediately while hot.