These crispy and delicious chicken patties are a great way to use up leftover chicken. Making them is as easy as can be! Simply mix a few ingredients in your food processor, then fry the patties in olive oil.
Once a week, I bake a few chicken breasts. They're easy to make, affordable, and versatile. I can use them throughout the week in different recipes, and this is one of them. Crispy and golden, these chicken patties are a hit with kids and grownups. They are perfect for using up leftover chicken, and you can also make them with leftover turkey breast after Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
The complete list of ingredients and exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Cooked chicken breasts: You can also use rotisserie chicken if you'd like. Just make sure to remove the skin.
- Mayonnaise: Although optional, it does enhance the patties' flavor and texture and keeps them from becoming too dry.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, dried thyme, and cayenne pepper.
- Olive oil for frying: This is such a delicious oil. It's my absolute favorite oil to eat and cook with. But if you'd like to use an oil with a higher smoke point, you can use avocado oil instead.
Variations
- Use different spices. Good options include onion powder, smoked paprika, and dried oregano. You can add ½ teaspoon of each.
- Cook the patties in butter or ghee instead of olive oil. Cooking them in butter is especially good!
- Instead of mayonnaise, add sour cream or Dijon mustard to the mixture. I like mayonnaise best, but Dijon is also good.
- Instead of cooked chicken breast, you can use shredded rotisserie chicken, as long as you remove the skin. Its texture won't work in this recipe.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making these patties:
Mix cooked and cubed chicken breast with eggs, mayonnaise, and spices. I use my food processor. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into hot olive oil. Gently flatten them with the back of a spoon.
Fry the patties on both sides until golden and crispy. Serve immediately.
Here's a photo that shows what the patties look like on the inside:
Recipe Tip
Don't skimp on the oil! Not all of it will be absorbed into the patties, but when you add enough of it to the skillet, it helps the patties become browned and crispy. The photo below demonstrates how thick and substantial these patties are and also how wonderfully crispy:
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Scoop the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (use high-heat-resistant parchment), gently flatten and shape them, and then generously spray them with olive oil.
Bake the patties for 10-15 minutes per side in a 400°F oven, spraying them again after flipping them. However, I highly recommend frying them. When cooked in olive oil, they become wonderfully browned, crispy, and flavorful.
No. That's unnecessary. The patties hold up just fine without any added flour.
Not in this recipe. It was written for leftover cooked chicken. If you'd like to use ground chicken, you can use this recipe for turkey burgers and use chicken instead of turkey.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve these chicken patties as an entree with any side dish you like. They are very versatile. Or you could serve them in a sandwich made with 90-second bread or almond flour bread.
My teenage kids love dipping them in sriracha mayo. When they were younger, they liked to dip them in ketchup.
As for sides, I like to serve them with jicama fries or zucchini fries. They also go well with salads such as asparagus salad, creamy cucumber salad, or cauliflower potato salad.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days or freeze them for up to three months. When counting the four days, consider the time the cooked chicken had already spent in the fridge.
I like to eat the leftovers cold, with Dijon mustard, fresh-cut veggies, pickled red onions, and quick pickles. If you'd like to reheat them, do so gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
Crispy Chicken Patties
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken breasts - 10 ounces total, from 2 8-ounce raw breasts, cubed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Place the cooked chicken cubes, eggs, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne in your food processor's bowl. Process into a uniform mixture.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Drop the mixture into the hot oil, measuring ¼ cup per patty and fitting 4 patties into the skillet. Gently flatten them to ½-inch thick with the back of a spoon.
- Cook the patties until crispy and golden brown, 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer them to a plate and cover them with foil to keep them warm.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet and cook the remaining patties. Serve immediately.
Notes
- The patties absorb about 3 tablespoons of olive oil, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the skillet. This is reflected in the nutritional info.
- You can use rotisserie chicken instead of cooked chicken breast. Remove the skin first - its texture won't work in this recipe.
- You can cook the patties in butter or ghee instead of olive oil.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze them for up to three months. When counting the four days, consider the time the cooked chicken had already spent in the fridge.
- I like to eat the leftovers cold. If you'd like to reheat them, do so gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Megan says
I have a very picky senior eater. I make my own broth to keep sodium content as low as possible for homemade soups for her so I found this recipe when using your recipe for chicken broth. Without a dipping sauce the patties were delicious but I also made her Sriracha ranch for dipping and Sriracha mayo for me. Both were great with these. I also added 1/2 of a chopped red bell pepper (it needed to be used up). and really liked having the added vegetable in there for my picky senior mom!
Jake Bean says
Very good! The patties didn't quite hold up as I hoped but the flavor was there. Also - why does the recipe call for cubed chicken instead of just ground chicken? Seems like it could be simpler that way. Made it with a salad and garlic fingerling potatoes. Regardless very good and will be making again!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Jake,
Glad you liked it! I use cooked chicken because the first time I made this recipe, I wanted to use up leftover chicken in a way that would entice my young picky eater. It worked, and we liked these patties, so that's how I make them.
If using raw ground chicken, you would need to add a binder (I would use 1/4 cup of almond flour, but you can use breadcrumbs if you don't mind the carbs/gluten) and cook the patties until the chicken is cooked through, for about 5 minutes per side.
Marc S. says
Jake.... you were supposed to put the ingredients in a processor. They should have been all mixed up. It was very easy to form and cook that way. Not in cubes. Hope you will try again. It was delicious. 🙂
Allison says
Delicious! My family loves these patties with gochujang!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you like this recipe, Allison! Gochujang is delicious!
LuAnn says
These look amazingly delicious. I'm so excited to make these. My question is, if I don't have regular mayo, can I use miracle whip instead? TIA
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi LuAnn, yes, you can use Miracle Whip in this recipe. The nutrition info will change.
Allegra McWilliams says
Not really a comment as a question. Could you use canned chicken in this recipe as you used canned tuna with your tuna patties? Please let me know because I adore chicken dishes!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yes, you could, Allegra! Drain it thoroughly. You should have ten ounces of chicken after draining.
By the way, you can make the tuna patties recipe with canned chicken. 🙂