Chicken Poutine

5 from 8 votes

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Chicken poutine is crispy fries smothered in gravy with shredded chicken and cheese curds. This poutine recipe makes the best comfort food!

plate of chicken poutine


Poutine is a classic comfort food recipe, originating in Canada. Some people simply call it what it is; fries with gravy, but there are other ingredients as well.

An authentic poutine recipe typically calls for duck confit, which is expensive, and not very kid friendly.

Chicken poutine

For this reason, I like to make it using slow cooked, seasoned shredded chicken. Using chicken makes it kid-friendly and just as delicious as the duck version. Plus, using chicken legs makes it a budget-friendly meal, too!

plate of candian fries with gravy

Ingredient notes and substitutions

The basic components to make chicken poutine are shown below. To see the full list of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

  • Russet potatoes – Homemade French fries aren’t difficult to make and they will really elevate the flavor of the dish. You could even make this poutine recipe using baked potato wedges. If you would rather use a package of frozen French fries, you certainly can.
  • Chicken legs – You’ll be slow roasting the chicken, which takes about 3 hours. If you’re in a hurry, shredded rotisserie chicken is a good substitute. You’ll need about 3 cups of cooked chicken.
  • Poutine gravy – The gravy is flavorful and made with simple ingredients; all-purpose flour, butter, chicken stock, salt and pepper.
  • White cheddar cheese curds – Depending on where you live, it may be difficult to find fresh cheese curds. If you’re unable to find them, you can use mozzarella cheese sticks cut into bite sized pieces.
chicken legs cooking in liquid next to plate of seasonings for the chicken

Poutine recipe video

Watch the video in the recipe card at the bottom of this post! You’ll see me making chicken poutine from start to finish.

plate of chicken poutine

How to make chicken poutine

  1. Season and roast the chicken. It can take up to three hours to roast chicken legs, so be sure you have enough time to do so. Or, you can make the chicken ahead of time. After cooking, it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  2. Clean and slice the potatoes. For the best results, you’ll want to cut the potatoes into long, thin slices. Peeling the potatoes is optional. To prevent the uncooked fries from turning brown, submerge them in a large container filled with cold water.
  3. Make the poutine gravy. The best time to do this is while the chicken is roasting in the oven.
  4. Shred the chicken. You can discard any chicken bones or skin,
  5. Cook the French fries.
photo collage shows how to make poutine recipe

Is poutine a meal or an appetizer?

The answer is BOTH! Vegetarian poutine is a fantastic party appetizer, but adding meat makes this dish hearty enough for a family dinner.

Other comfort food recipes

If you like this chicken poutine, be sure to check out these other comfort food recipes as well:

forkful of chicken poutine above plate

This post, first published on Kevin Is Cooking Sept. 6, 2017, was last updated with new content on Jan. 12, 2022.

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plate of chicken poutine

Chicken Poutine + Video

5 from 8 votes
Chicken poutine is crispy fries smothered in gravy with shredded chicken and cheese curds. This poutine recipe makes the best comfort food!
Servings: 4 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 4 large russet potatoes skin-on, washed and dried

Chicken Confit:

  • 2 pounds chicken legs
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 2 shallots
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 orange (See Note 1)
  • 20 black peppercorns
  • fresh sprigs of rosemary sage and thyme (See Note 2)
  • 1 quart vegetable oil (or enough to cover)

Gravy:

Assembly:

  • 8 oz cheese curds (See Note 3)
  • 1/4 cup parsley chopped

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 250°F. In a 13×9” baking dish add the chicken pieces and arrange garlic cloves, shallots, cinnamon, orange peel, black peppercorns, rosemary, sage and thyme over chicken. Pour vegetable oil over to cover chicken pieces and cover with aluminum foil to seal. Cook in the oven for 3 1/2 hours.
  • Allow chicken to cool and discard the skin and bones, shred the chicken. Strain oil and discard remaining solids. Reserve oil to fry potatoes in.
  • In a large skillet melt the butter over medium high heat. Add flour and cook, stirring until smooth, for about 2 minutes. Whisk in the chicken stock and add a sprig or two each of rosemary, sage and thyme tied with kitchen string. Stir often for 5 minutes, gravy with thicken. Remove herb bundle and discard. Add the shredded chicken and stir to mix. Pour into a bowl and keep warm.
  • Clean skillet and add the reserved oil. Bring oil temperature to 375°F. Drain the potatoes, dry thoroughly with paper towels. Work in batches if needed and add potatoes. Fry to golden brown, carefully turning with tongs, until tender and slightly crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and salt to taste.
  • On a large platter or individual plates, divide french fries, top with cheese curds and pour heated chicken and gravy over all. Top with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Video

Notes

  1. I use a vegetable peeler and get about 4 long strips of just the orange zest. Be careful not to get the white pith of the orange.
  2. I buy small bunches of fresh herbs and use it all. See video.
  3. If cheese curds are hard to find ask your dairy grocer or use a handful of shredded mozzarella cheese as a substitute.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 868kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 210mg | Sodium: 832mg | Potassium: 1542mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 775IU | Vitamin C: 37.7mg | Calcium: 503mg | Iron: 3.9mg

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Course: Dinners
Cuisine: Melting Pot
Have You Made This Recipe? Let Me Know on InstagramTag @keviniscooking or tag me #keviniscooking!
titled image: ultimate chicken poutine

Kevin

Whether in the kitchen or on the grill, you’ll find me cooking American favorites with a love for BBQ, Mexican and Tex Mex. I’m passionate about making tasty food because life’s too short to be bland!

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35 Comments

  1. The recipe states, Pour vegetable oil over to cover chicken pieces. How much oil is this? Are the chicken pieces bathing in oil?

    1. Hi Jennifer. I updated the recipe card to state 1 quart, but as seen in the video as well as noted in Step 1 instructions “cover with oil”. You may need more or less depending on size of chicken and everything in the pan making the chicken confit. That same oil gets cooled and solids removed then you will be frying the potato fries in it as well. Hope this helps.

      1. Thankyou for your message. I have it in the oven now and I thought since I don’t have home-made chicken broth, instead of putting oil with the chicken in the oven I put 3cups of boiling water. And then I will strain the liquid and use that for my gravy.

        Hope it works!

        Thankyou for a lovely recipe!
        Cathy

  2. 5 stars
    It was a great experience of making chicken…I had not done anything related to cooking before. This helps me a lot to learn to cook…I suggest all to use this recipe…and still, if you are unable to cook food in this COVID transmission, you can order it online WHO has said that Food delivery service Covid-19’s time is the safest That’s why we provide take out near me for more restaurant for Dishpal’s Through Food Delivery Service to more frequent restaurant owners.

  3. 5 stars
    Chicken Poutine – incredible! For those who like a little lower calorie count, use a crock pot turkey breast cooked in an envelope of Lipton Onion Soup and use your air fryer for the fries. But who’s counting calories for comfort food?! Delicious! Thank you, Kevin!