These fantastic chicken croquettes are crispy, breaded, deep-fried balls of chicken, onion, celery, and bell peppers in a smooth white cream sauce. They are crispy on the outside yet juicy and luscious on the inside.
These tasty croquettes are delicious with glazed carrots, creamed peas with pearl onions, and roasted asparagus. But there are at least two dozen more equally delicious sides to serve with them.
These crispy chicken croquettes are a delicious, crowd-pleasing dish perfect for any occasion. Learn how to make them in the comfort of your kitchen with this easy-to-follow recipe. You will be pleasantly surprised at how easy this recipe is and how delicious they turn out.
Key Ingredients Needed
See the complete list and quantities of ingredients below
- Chicken: cooked and finely diced. I like to use rotisserie chicken for this, but any cooked chicken will work.
- Vegetables: onion, red bell pepper, celery
- Seasonings: fresh parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper
- Breadcrumbs: I like to use Panko breadcrumbs, but you could use regular breadcrumbs or homemade.
How to make Chicken Croquettes
This is the nutshell version. Please see below for full recipe directions.
First, make the white sauce, which is very similar to a béchamel sauce, only thicker, and let it cool. Then, in a medium bowl, mix the ingredients for the croquettes, including the cooled white sauce. Cover and refrigerate the mixture for a bit.
Prepare your breading stations. Shape the mixture into balls and bread them.
Fry the balls in hot oil and move to paper towels to drain.
Preparation Tips
- The sauce will be pretty thick. That is a good thing, so the balls are easier to roll.
- Use a candy thermometer to help maintain the correct oil temperature. A heavy pot like a Dutch oven or stockpot will also help maintain the temperature.
- Using a spider strainer or slotted spoon, remove the fried balls from the oil and transfer them to paper towels to drain any excess grease and keep them crispy.
Serving Suggestions
- Garlic mashed potatoes
- Scalloped potatoes
- Buttered Egg Noodles
- Southern green beans
- French Fries
- Creamy coleslaw
- Garden salad
Frequently Asked Questions
Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees. Then, spritz the balls with cooking oil. Add the croquettes in a single layer, cooking for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Gently shake the basket a couple of times while cooking.
You can prepare the mixture a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to dunk, roll, and fry.
Chicken Croquettes
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 cup warm milk
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken
- 3 tablespoon finely chopped onion
- 3 tablespoon finely chopped red pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk in the flour cooking for 2 minutes while whisking continuously. Slowly whisk in the milk. Cook for 2 minutes or until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cool to room temperature. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
- In a medium bowl combine the chicken, onion, red pepper, celery, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and the cooled white sauce. Stir to combine, cover with wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl and add the breadcrumbs to another shallow bowl. Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop the chicken mixture out and roll into a ball. Dunk it in the eggs and then in breadcrumbs. Once again back in the eggs and into the breadcrumbs. Repeat until all the chicken mixture is rolled and breaded. Place each ball on a parchment covered baking sheet while you work.
- Heat 2 inches vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot to 325-350 degrees. Work in batches of 4-5 balls. Fry until golden brown; about 4-5 minutes, Drain on paper towels and for best results serve promptly.
Notes
- Chop everything very fine so the balls are easy to roll and fry. You want a little bit of everything in each bite.
- Use a candy thermometer to help maintain the correct oil temperature. A heavy pot like a Dutch oven or stockpot will also help maintain the temperature well.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. For best results, reheat in the air fryer at 350 degrees for about 3-5 minutes or on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes.
Nutrition
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Chenee
Oh my gosh these were heavenly! Crispy on the outside and so much flavor on the inside!
Beth Pierce
Thank you. Chenee!
Lauren
My mom used to buy frozen chicken croquettes for a quick dinner when we were kids and I loved them. I wanted to make them at home so gave t his recipe a try. Turned out great – much better flavor than the boxed ones of course!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Lauren! I am so happy that you liked them!
Tara
Oooh, such delicious little treats! The flavors were absolutely amazing! A new family favorite.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Tara! So glad that you liked the croquettes.
Elizabeth H Cumming
Can you form the recipe in to a patty and fry them on the stove or bake in the oven?
Beth Pierce
That would work for frying on the stovetop. It wil not work for baking.
Carol B54
These were soooo good! A big hit with my family. A few notes though:chicken mixture needs to be refrigerated longer than 30 minutes. The mixture was way too soft to roll & dip. I chilled it for almost an hour & that worked much better. I also chilled the formed & dipped croquettes while oil heated up & they held together very well. I don’t recommend leaving them on paper towels for an extended period of time as some stuck. Drain & then move them onto serving platter. I will be making them again soon!
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the tips, Carol! So glad that you liked the croquettes.