Chicken Fritters (3 flavors – cheesy, Italian, and curried)

These chicken fritters and so flavorful and juicy. They are made with diced chicken, flour, egg, and spices/veggies. I love chicken fritters – they are a great alternative to breaded chicken cutlets. I couldn’t decide on just one flavor, so I came up with 3! I have a recipe for cheesy chicken fritters (with Swiss cheese, chives, and spices), Italian-inspired fritters which are my favorite (with sun-dried tomatoes, basil and lemon zest), and curried fritters (with curry powder, cremini mushrooms, and bell pepper). All three are so good!

What are chicken fritters?

Chicken fritters are made with diced boneless and skinless chicken breast combined with flour, eggs, spices, and/or vegetables. The batter is then pan-fried until golden.

Below you will find information about the ingredients and how to prepare the recipe. For the measurements and detailed instructions scroll down to the printable recipe card.

1. Italian-inspired chicken fritters

These are my favorite kind of chicken fritters! They are just bursting with flavor. Chicken breast meat is seasoned with fresh basil, sun-dried tomatoes, and grated lemon zest. It really doesn’t get better than this. You’ll love them!

Instead of fresh basil, you can add 1 ts of dried basil and a small handful of spinach.

Here you can find all my sun-dried tomato recipes.

How to make them:

STEP 1: Prepare the ingredients: Cut 1 pound (450g) chicken breast (2 large chicken breasts) into small 1/2 inch (1 cm) cubes. Chop very finely a small handful of fresh basil leaves and 6 sun-dried tomatoes (you should have a 1/4 cup of finely chopped tomatoes), grate 1/2 of a lemon, and grate the Parmesan cheese (you should have 1/2 cup = 45g) on the small holes of a box grater.

STEP 2: Mix all the ingredients: In a big bowl, mix all the ingredients together (the prepared ingredients + 1 large egg and 4 Tbsp of flour). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

STEP 3: Cook the fritters: Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium or medium-high heat (the pan should be well heated). Scoop a heaping tablespoon of the batter per fritter onto skillet, flatten into about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick rounds. Cook for about 2 minutes on one side (or until golden brown), then about one minute on the other, or until the chicken is cooked through and fritters are browned on both sides. Repeat with the remaining batter.

More cooking tips are at the end of the post.

2. Cheesy chicken fritters

These chicken cakes are more neutrally flavored. I combined chicken breast meat with chives, mayo, Swiss cheese, and spices.

You can experiment with other types of cheese and seasonings. You could add for example cheddar cheese and cajun seasoning.

How to make them:

STEP 1: Prepare the ingredients: Cut 1 lb (450g) chicken breast (2 large chicken breasts) into small 1/2 inch (1 cm) cubes. Finely chop chives (you should have about 3 Tbsp), grate Swiss cheese on the big holes of a box grater (you should have 1/2 cup of grated cheese, which is 2 oz/60g).

STEP 2: Mix all the ingredients: In a big bowl, stir all the ingredients together (the prepared ingredients + 1 large egg, 1 Tbsp of mayo, 3 Tbsp of flour, and the spices: 1/2 ts of each: paprika, garlic powder, and dried basil). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

STEP 3: Cook the fritters: Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium or medium-high heat (the pan should be well heated). Scoop a heaping tablespoon of the batter per fritter onto skillet, flatten into about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick rounds. Cook for about 2 minutes on one side (or until golden brown), then about one minute on the other, or until the chicken is cooked through and fritters are browned on both sides. Repeat with the remaining batter.

More cooking tips are at the end of the post.

3. Curried chicken fritters

These chicken patties are spiced with curry powder, red bell pepper, and cremini mushrooms. They taste amazing!

Curry powder: I used Western-style mild curry powder. Depending on the brand, the intensity of the curry powder may vary, so adjust the amount to your liking. If you’re not sure, you can always add a little less, cook one fritter and taste. Then you can add more curry powder to the batter.

How to make them:

STEP 1: Prepare the ingredients: Cut 1 pound (450g) chicken breast (2 large chicken breasts) into small 1/2 inch (1 cm) cubes, 1/3 of large red bell pepper into ¼ inch (½ cm) cubes, finely chop 3 1/2 ounces (100g) of cremini mushrooms (really small cubes).

STEP 2: Mix all the ingredients: In a big bowl, stir all the ingredients together (the prepared ingredients + 1 large egg + 3 1/2 teaspoons of mild curry powder, and 3 Tbsp of flour). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

STEP 3: How to cook chicken fritters: Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium or medium-high heat (the pan should be well heated). Scoop a heaping tablespoon of the batter per fritter onto skillet, flatten into about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick rounds. Cook for about 2 minutes on one side (or until golden brown), then about one minute on the other, or until the chicken is cooked through and fritters are browned on both sides. Repeat with the remaining batter.

More cooking tips are at the end of the post.

What to serve with chicken fritters

• I usually serve them for dinner, for example with these sour cream mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, and cucumber salad.
• Simple cucumber salad recipe: Slice 1/2 of greenhouse cucumber and mix with 2 Tbsp of plain yogurt and 1 pressed clove garlic. Season with a small amount of lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
• You can also serve them as an appetizer, with a dipping sauce. In this post (whole roasted trout) you’ll find the recipe for a simple herb garlic yogurt dip, that I also like to serve with fish.

Storage

Store the fritters in the fridge for up to 3 days. Place them in a tightly covered container or wrap in plastic foil.

How to reheat them:

• Chicken fritters reheat very well, but won’t be crispy. Just cook them over low heat with just a little bit of oil until warm.
• Alternatively, you can steam them, either in a steamer or if you don’t have one, you can steam them using splash guard (like in this recipe for sweet steamed buns). Place a splash guard over a pot filled with boiling water. Cover with a second pot and steam until warm (it will take only a minute or so!).
• Bake them in an oven preheated to 325°F / 160°C until warm.

General tips for cooking all types of fritters

• Well-heated pan – Add oil to the pan and wait until it is very well heated. If the oil and pan are not well heated the patties will soak up the fat and stick to the pan.
• How much oil to add: I like to add 2-3 Tbsp of oil to the pan, which is about 1/4 of the height of the fritters. I don’t like to add more oil, although if you add more, the fritters will be more crispy.
• Space them out – it will be easier to flip them over and they will brown more easily.
• Cook them over medium or medium-high heat. This can be different, depending on what kind of stovetop and pan you’re using. Don’t cook them over high heat – they will brown quickly but they can fall apart while you’re flipping them.
• What kind of frying pan is best: For curried fritters, a stainless steel pan is sufficient, but for the Italian and cheesy fritters (both kids contain cheese) I recommend a non-stick pan, as cheese tends to stick to the pan. I personally like my pancake pan best – it has low rims so it’s really easy to flip the fritters but any non-stick pan will work.
• What kind of fat to use for cooking fritters: use a high-smoking point vegetable oil (like canola or sunflower oil, this is a type of oil that can be heated to a high temperature) or clarified butter (a special kind of butter that can be used for frying, you can easily make it at home in 5 minutes!).
• When to flip the fritters: It’s important to cook the fritters longer on the first side and only briefly on the other side. Flip them over only when they are nicely golden and more than half-cooked, otherwise, they may fall apart while flipping.
• Don’t make very thick fritters – they will be browned on the outside but raw in the middle. If that’s the case, you can finish them in the oven, until they are cooked through.

Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!