Copycat Long John Silver’s Chicken Planks
I am updating this old blog post for my copycat Long John Silver’s chicken planks recipe. In 2018 when I original wrote this recipe, I had it to serve four people and the first ingredient in my recipe was TWO POUNDS OF CHICKEN. For four people?! The seasonings also needed to be updated so today (October 16, 2026) we updated the recipe.
This tastes exactly like the real deal to me. Side note: these are best eaten right after cooking, but you can reheat them in a preheated air fryer at 375 for 3 to 5 minutes to reheat and crisp. The rest of this blog post will remain where it was in August 2018. Enjoy!
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I was so excited to leave work on time yesterday – it’s been a while! I knew I had chicken breasts I needed to use up, and my first thought was to make buffalo chicken bites. While these didn’t turn out anywhere near I thought they would in my head, what I ended up making was COPYCAT LONG JOHN SILVERS. Yes, I am shouting that because I love Long John Silvers and the closest one to me is 30 miles away. Not that I google that all that often, I just heard that from a friend. 😀
I wrote the recipe for one serving, since I thought I was just eating by myself, but Hannah and Jacob said they were in, so I wrote the recipe for 4 servings. A dip in seasoned corn starch, then a batter made with flour, seasonings and . . . seltzer water.
The first batch I made the chicken pieces a bit too big – I cut the rest of them in half after this batch.
When I took the first batch out of the fryer I screamed “these look like Long John Silvers chicken!!!!” I was so excited.
I thought Hannah would be all over these, but she told me “they taste too much like chicken.” Um, okay. She ate a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats. Jacob liked them though!
Because they were so crispy, I decided to put my dip on the side – a tablespoon of fat free ranch and some buffalo sauce – 0 points and only 10 calories. I ran this recipe through the recipe builder, and the chicken comes in at 6 points per serving. The fries were 3 points and I added an extra point for the oil, even though I know a whole teaspoon of oil didn’t get absorbed into the chicken.
Copycat Long John Silver's Chicken Planks
Crispy, golden brown chicken tenders with a light, crunchy batter, just like Long John Silver's! The secret is the cold seltzer water, which makes the batter perfectly airy and crispy.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 6 ounces seltzer water (any flavor, we used lemon lime)
- oil for frying (we used peanut oil)
Instructions
Heat the oil. Preheat a deep fryer or dutch oven with oil to 350F. If using a dutch oven, heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Use a thermometer to maintain the oil temperature at 350F.
Prepare the batter: Mix the cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper and flour together. Mix until combined. Stir in the seltzer while whisking until you have a smooth, thin batter. The consistency should be similar to pancake batter, but slightly thinner. Enough to coat the chicken but then enough to let the excess drip off before frying.
Coat the chicken. Working in batches, dip each piece in the batter, shaking off any excess.
Fry until golden. Carefully add the battered chicken to the hot oil, working in batches to avoid overcrowding. Fry for approximately 5-6 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165F.
Drain on a wire rack after removing from oil, and optional, but you can add flakey sea salt once the chicken is out of the fryer. Allow the oil to return to 350 degrees between batches.
Notes
If making in multiple batches, I recommend heating your oven to 250 degrees and placing a wire cooling rack on top of a baking sheet. As each batch of chicken finishes frying, transfer it to a wire rack and place it in the oven while you fry the remaining chicken. The wire rack allows air to circulate which prevents the bottom of the chicken from getting soggy.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 455Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 95mgSodium 385mgCarbohydrates 57gFiber 2gSugar 0gProtein 42g
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I promise to post my recipe for these mini quiches tomorrow. A skinny pie crust that only uses a tablespoon of butter between four crusts, filled with quick sauted veggies (I used mushrooms, shredded zucchini and roasted red peppers) with a cracked egg and seasonings. Each one is only 5 smart points and super filling. UPDATE! HERE IS THE LINK TO MY SKINNY PIE CRUST.
The Biz and Jenn show is back on the air! We met at Macy’s because it was hot and humid outside. By the time I got back to my office, I was already near 10k steps. There was music playing in the store, but not sure you can hear it on the video 😀
Lunch was another banh mi sandwich – so good and worth all 7 points. I toasted the bun and loved it better that way – the added crunch factor added to all the other flavors going on in that sandwich.
I had a couple struggles with my goals yesterday – one was getting in all the water. But I bought a container of peach black tea (made by Pure Leaf) and made unsweetened iced tea. Even though my water glass is on my desk, it was easy to get distracted and I kept reminding myself to drink up.
I had to drink two of that giant mason jar before I left work. Five minutes before I was leaving, I had 20 ounces left and chugged it all in 20 minutes. I drank the rest while I was at the gym.
My blood sugar was 70 when I left the office, so a banana was my train ride snack home.
Because I got home so early (6:30!) even after making dinner, and cleaning up, it was only 8:15, so I decided to hit up the gym. I was going to sit my butt on the couch and watch t.v., and thought “why don’t I get more steps in at the same time?”
40 minutes at a 9.5 incline! It was like walking up a hill for 40 minutes. I did 15 minute of upper body, then 10 minutes in the hydro massage lounge chair, and I was back home at 9:45.
I doubled my 10k goal yesterday! Whoop! Sadly, my Fitbit needed charging, so I charged it overnight and I forgot to put it on this morning.
Are you a goal setter?
I finished my day at 22 out of 23 points. 100 ounces of water. 20k steps. No wine. Just shots of vodka. Just kidding. I need lemonade with my vodka. In bed by 10:30. Slept like a baby. Until I woke up at 1:30 with a blood sugar of 56. Then I ate some grapes. And Roman found his way into my room and slept with me the rest of the night. He’s a snuggle buddy.
Happy Tuesday friends – make it a great day! And let me know if you make this recipe!! 😀
Hey Paula! Well, it helps that I don’t have to “check in” with a husband or little kids – so my time is all mine. Second, I rarely watch t.v. during the week – I usually binge watch my shows on Friday night.
On days I don’t have to work late, I am home by 6:30 – and don’t usually go to bed until 10:30 or 11:00 – (I wake up at 6:30). So that gives me at least four hours to cook, get the gym, even bake muffins!
You’re a Goddess! No TV 📺 is a good one. You have energy âš¡ of a much younger woman. Love 💘 your blog.
How the hell do you work the hours you do, commute as far as you do, cook from scratch most nights & get to the gym???? You have to share the secret because I really need help!
That makes me laugh, Hannah eating her bunches of oats when she doesn’t like something. Yay to all your steps Biz! You had a very productive day!
I know – thank God for honey bunches of oats! If Hannah could she’d just eat Asian food every single day – sadly her husband isn’t a big fan of Asian food. 😀