Chicken croquettes are crisp, golden, breaded patties with a creamy, savory filling of chopped cooked chicken bound in a thick white sauce. They are old-fashioned comfort food, crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle, and one of the best things to do with leftover chicken. The filling is chilled, shaped into patties, coated in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, and fried until browned. This small batch makes four croquettes, enough for two.
How to make chicken croquettes: Sauté onion in butter, stir in flour, salt and pepper, then add milk and cook until thick. Mix in finely chopped bread and chopped cooked chicken and refrigerate for one hour. Shape into four patties, dredge in flour, dip in beaten egg and coat with breadcrumbs. Fry in hot oil until browned on both sides, and 165°F in the center.
Why You’ll Love It
- A second life for leftover chicken. Half a pound is all it takes.
- Crisp outside, creamy inside. The contrast is the whole point.
- Pantry ingredients. Butter, flour, milk, bread and an egg.
- A small batch. Four patties for two people, with no waste.
- Old-fashioned comfort. A diner classic made at home.
Ingredient Notes
Cooked chicken breast. Half a pound, coarsely chopped. Leftover roast chicken or rotisserie chicken works well.
Butter and onion. Two tablespoons of butter and 1/4 cup of finely chopped onion start the filling.
All-purpose flour. An 1/8 cup thickens the sauce. More is needed for dredging.
Milk. Half a cup.
Salt and black pepper. A 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper.
White bread. Two slices, finely chopped. The bread soaks up the sauce and helps the patties hold together.
Egg and breadcrumbs. One beaten egg and enough breadcrumbs to coat the patties.
Vegetable oil. Enough to reach at least 1/2 inch deep in the skillet.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 slices white bread, finely chopped
- 1/2 pound cooked chicken breast, coarsely chopped
- All-purpose flour, for dredging
- 1 egg, beaten
- Breadcrumbs, for coating
- Vegetable oil, for frying
How to Make Chicken Croquettes
1. Cook the onion. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté until tender.
2. Thicken the filling. Add the 1/8 cup flour, salt and black pepper. Slowly add the milk and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.
3. Add chicken and chill. Remove from the heat and mix in the finely chopped bread and cooked chicken. Refrigerate for one hour.
4. Shape and coat. Shape the chilled mixture into four patties. Dredge each in additional flour, dip in beaten egg, then coat with breadcrumbs.
5. Fry and drain. Heat enough vegetable oil in a skillet to reach at least 1/2 inch deep. Fry the croquettes until browned, turning once. Check that the centers reach 165°F with a food thermometer, then drain on paper towels.
Do Chicken Croquettes Need to Chill Before Frying?
Yes. The hour in the refrigerator is what turns a warm, loose filling into something you can shape. Straight off the stove, the mixture is soft and sticky, more like a thick stew than a dough. It will not hold a patty shape, and it falls apart in the oil. Cold, the sauce firms up and the bread finishes soaking in, and the mixture can be pressed into patties that keep their shape.
Holding together comes down to three steps, in this order.
| Step | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Chill | Refrigerate the filling for one hour | The sauce sets and the mixture becomes firm enough to shape |
| Shape | Press the cold mixture into four even patties | Even patties cook at the same rate |
| Flour | Dredge each patty in flour | A dry surface for the egg to grip |
| Egg | Dip in beaten egg | The glue for the crumbs |
| Breadcrumbs | Coat all over, pressing gently | The crisp shell that seals in the filling |
Do not skip the flour. Egg slides off a bare, moist patty, and the crumbs go with it.
Keep the shaped patties in the refrigerator until the oil is hot. Cold croquettes hold their shape better when they hit the pan.
Tips for Success
How finely should I chop the chicken?
Small. Fine pieces pack together and make patties that are easier to form. Large chunks leave gaps where the patty can break.
How thick should the sauce be?
Very thick, almost a paste, before the chicken goes in. Keep stirring as the milk goes in so it does not lump or scorch.
How hot should the oil be?
Hot enough that a breadcrumb dropped in sizzles right away. Oil that is too cool makes greasy croquettes.
How do I turn them?
Once, gently, with a thin spatula, when the first side is browned. Too much handling cracks the crust.
How do I know they are done?
They are browned on both sides and the centers reach 165°F on a food thermometer.
How Long Does It Take?
About 150 minutes in all, and one hour of that is the filling chilling in the refrigerator. You may see croquettes listed at 90 minutes, but that leaves out the chill.
What Are the Ingredients in Chicken Croquettes?
Cooked chicken, a thick sauce of butter, onion, flour and milk, chopped bread to bind it, and a coating of flour, egg and breadcrumbs. They are fried in vegetable oil.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftover croquettes within two hours, in a shallow, covered container. They keep for three to four days in the refrigerator or three to four months in the freezer. Thaw them in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Reheat in the oven until crisp and 165°F in the center.
What to Serve With It
Croquettes are traditionally served with gravy or a creamy sauce, mashed potatoes and peas. If you have more cooked chicken to use, make the Ritz cracker chicken casserole or the chicken broccoli Alfredo pasta bake. For more chicken comfort food, try chicken and dumplings with biscuits, the slow cooker chicken pot pie, 4-ingredient slow cooker chicken or oven baked creamy chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do chicken croquettes need to chill before shaping and frying?
Yes. Chill the filling for one hour so it is firm enough to shape.
What are the ingredients in chicken croquettes?
Cooked chicken, butter, onion, flour, milk, bread, an egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.
How can a chicken patty taste better?
Start with well-seasoned chicken, cook the onion until tender, and fry until the crust is deeply golden.
How many croquettes does it make?
Four patties, which serves two.
Final Notes
I set up the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in three shallow dishes in a row before I take the filling out of the refrigerator. If you make them, leave a comment to tell me how they turned out or ask a question.
Chicken Croquettes
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup onion finely chopped
- 1/8 cup all-purpose flour for thickening the filling
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 slices white bread finely chopped
- 1/2 pound cooked chicken breast coarsely chopped
- all-purpose flour additional, for dredging
- 1 egg beaten
- breadcrumbs for coating
- vegetable oil enough to reach at least 1/2 inch deep in the skillet
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté until tender.
- Add the 1/8 cup flour, salt and black pepper. Slowly add the milk and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.
- Remove from the heat and mix in the finely chopped bread and cooked chicken. Refrigerate for one hour.
- Shape the chilled mixture into four patties. Dredge each in additional flour, dip in beaten egg, then coat with breadcrumbs.
- Heat enough vegetable oil in a skillet to reach at least 1/2 inch deep. Fry the croquettes until browned, turning once. Check that the centers reach 165°F with a food thermometer, then drain on paper towels.
Notes
Nutrition
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