Chicken Croquettes

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 it turns out. If you like this comfort food recipe, try crockpot chicken and gravy and chicken and noodles.

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

Chicken Croquettes

These traditional Chicken Croquettes are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside with pieces of chicken, onion, celery, and bell peppers in a smooth white sauce.   This easy recipe is as good as the one your grandma used to make.  

5 from 28 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main meal chicken

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 croquettes

Calories: 144kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

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

Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 221mg | Potassium: 148mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 299IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg

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