The main aim of this study was to investigate the influence of different coating materials, either alone or in combination, on fat uptake that occurred during deep-frying of minced chicken meat-balls. the data obtained showed that coatings made from whey protein isolate, carrageenan or starch all reduced the relative variation in fat-uptake and gave better results in this respect than a coating of breadcrumbs or a non-coated control. There was no effect of any coating material, or combination of materials, on the texture of the product or its density. All samples were found to be acceptable by a trained sensory panel, although there were small differences in sensory scores between some of the coating treatments that were statistically significant (P > 0.05). --Key words: coating materials, fat uptake, minced chicken meat-balls, deep-fat frying--