Mom’s famous chicken cakes or chicken croquettes, have to be my all-time favorite meal she made. Shredded chicken, mixed with spices, flour and butter, covered in Panko and lightly fried.
Chicken croquette
So here it is, probably my all time favorite recipe my mom has passed down to me…..drum roll please….CHICKEN CAKES!
I know, kinda sounds weird, but seriously, I love these things and so does everyone else I invite over for dinner. My kids LOVE them, my husband LOVES them, and of course I do too. It is a super simple recipe, just takes a little time to let the mixture chill before you crisp them up. If you have a larger family, like me (3 kids), I would recommend doubling the recipe.
How to Make Chicken Croquettes
One of the keys to this dish is making sure the chicken is shredded and chopped. You don’t want big hunks of chicken in the mixture. Feel free to use a rotisserie chicken instead of cooking your own. Typically, I boil my chicken until it is cooked and then shred and chop.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in flour. Add in milk and chicken broth. Stir until the mixture thickens. Cook for about 1 minute.
- Stir in parsley, lemon juice, onion flakes, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and paprika.
- Remove the saucepan from heat. Combine sauce with shredded chicken.
- Place the mixture in a container and put in the refrigerator until mixture has cooled. At least one hour.
- Form them into nice patties. Sometimes my husband will make them a little smaller for the kids so they can pick them up like a chicken nugget.
- Next, roll the chicken croquettes in Panko crumbs and then dip in egg mixture and then cover in more Panko crumbs.
- Fry in heated vegetable oil. Cook about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on each side.
What to Serve with Chicken Croquettes
There are many different things I serve along side these chicken cakes. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Loaded Ranch Mashed Potatoes
- Hash Brown Casserole
- Vegetable Casserole
- Corn Salad
Tips for Making The Best Chicken Croquettes
- Be sure to give the mixture time to chill. This helps in forming the croquette and the staying together when you fry them.
- Make sure not to over fry them. Golden brown is the color you are looking for.
- If you have leftovers, wrap them in foil and store in the refrigerator. When you are ready to reheat, place them in the oven at 400 for 5-10 minutes.
More Chicken Recipes
You might also enjoy this tasty Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken from Cakes Cottage.
Mom's famous Chicken Cakes
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dry onion flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups shredded and diced cooked chicken
- 2-3 cups panko crumbs
- 2 eggs beaten
Instructions
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Mix in flour.
- Add milk and chicken broth. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and bubbles.
- Cook for 1 minute.
- Add parsley, lemon juice, onion flakes, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and paprika.
- Remove pot from heat and stir in chicken. Mix until combined.
- Place mixture in a covered container and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
- Shape mixture into cakes, cover in panko crumbs.
- Dip cakes in beaten eggs and then cover in panko again.
- Fill large pan with 1/4 inch vegetable oil and heat over medium heat.
- Once oil is hot, place chicken cakes in oil and cook until brown. (about 3-4 minutes on each side)
- Remove cakes from oil and place on a paper towel to drain excess grease.
Can these chicken cakes be cooked in the air fryer ??
I think they would work in the air fryer. I haven’t tried them yet but it’s on my list to do. If you want to try, I would recommend using parchment paper. I would spray them with olive oil to help them brown and try cooking at 380 for 5 minutes, flip and cook 5 minutes more.