Chicken Fritters (With Leftover Chicken)
on Jan 02, 2024, Updated Jan 26, 2024
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These chicken fritters are a great way to repurpose some leftover chicken! Everything comes together in one bowl and in under 20 minutes, you’ll have a filling, high-iron meal ready to serve!
I’m a big fan of rotisserie chickens for a simple weekday dinner option, but no one in our house is a big fan of the white meat. We love that moist and juicy dark meat, and oftentimes, the white meat can taste a little dry. These chicken fritters come out moist and juicy every time and will be your new favorite way to repurpose any leftover chicken! The secret ingredient here is the cream cheese which adds moisture and flavor to help combat that dryness!
If you’re looking for more ways to use up any leftover chicken, be sure to try out these mini chicken pot pies, chicken salad rollups, and broccoli and cheese chicken pinwheels as well!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need to make these chicken fritters:
- Shredded Chicken: I like to use leftover rotisserie chicken breast, but any type of leftover chicken will work.
- Egg: Used as a binder to help hold these fritters together.
- Cream Cheese: Adds moisture to the fritters to help prevent them from being too dry.
- Mozzarella Cheese: For added flavor.
- Flour: Used to help the fritters maintain their shape and hold together.
- Salt: Optional ingredient for added flavor. Salt can be omitted if serving to a young baby.
- Oil/Butter: To cook the fritters.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Ingredient Substitutions & Additions
- Eggs: For an egg-free version, substitute the egg with a flax egg by mixing one tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal with three tablespoons of water and letting it sit in the fridge for 15 minutes to set and thicken. You may also swap it with a liquid egg replacer like the brand Just Egg.
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour for these fritters, but any type of flour may be used.
- Cheeses: The cream cheese and mozzarella may be replaced with dairy-free cream cheese (like the brand Kite Hill) and dairy-free shredded cheese.
- Spices: Feel free to add in other spices like paprika, onion powder, and/or garlic powder for added flavor.
Step By Step Instructions
STEP 1: Add the chicken to a bowl and use a pair of kitchen scissors or a knife to chop it up into small pieces (Images 1 & 2). You should have about 1.5 cups of chicken once it is chopped.
STEP 2: Add the cream cheese, mozzarella, egg, flour, and salt (if using) to the bowl with the chicken (Image 3). Mix well until combined (Image 4).
STEP 3: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil or butter on a frying pan on medium-low heat.
STEP 4: Scoop out heaping tablespoon-sized portions onto the pan and press down on the portions with the back of a spoon or a spatula to shape the portions into small fritters (Image 5).
STEP 5: Cook the fritters until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes per side (Image 6). Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. The fritters should be slightly crisp on the outside and soft and tender on the inside.
Storage Instructions
Once cooled, store the chicken fritters in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To freeze, place the cooled fritters in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag with parchment paper lined between each one and freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat on high in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or until warmed through.
Tips For Success
- I find that kitchen scissors are the easiest way to quickly chop up leftover chicken. I like to leave in some chunks for texture, but you can chop them up more if you prefer fewer chunks in the fritters.
- Make sure to watch the fritters closely and flip them as soon as they start getting a golden color. Since the chicken is pre-cooked, they cook pretty quickly.
- Feel free to add in extra spices for added flavor!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! I usually use white meat since it tends to be drier and less preferred over dark meat, but dark meat can be used as well. You can also use a mixture of white and dark meat.
These fritters would work similarly with leftover turkey. You can also try out these green bean fritters, carrot fritters, and sweet potato fritters for some veggie-based fritter options!
These fritters are soft-textured and perfect for babies and toddlers. They are lightly crisp on the outside and soft and tender on the inside.
These fritters pair well with your favorite dip like ketchup or ranch!
Other Fritter Recipes You’ll Love
Green Bean Fritters
Apple Fritters (Fritters For Babies)
Carrot Fritters
Cheesy Zucchini Fritters (Or Bites!)
If you tried these Chicken Fritters please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below! I love hearing from you!
Chicken Fritters (With Leftover Chicken)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups leftover shredded chicken breast, 9 oz in weight
- 2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt, optional
Instructions
- Add the chicken to a bowl and use a pair of kitchen scissors or a knife to chop it up into small pieces. You should have about 1.5 cups of chicken once it is chopped.
- Add the cream cheese, mozzarella, egg, flour, and salt (if using) to the bowl with the chicken. Mix well until combined.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil or butter on a frying pan on medium-low heat.
- Scoop out heaping tablespoon-sized portions onto the pan and press down on the portions with the back of a spoon or a spatula to shape the portions into small fritters.
- Cook the fritters until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. The fritters should be slightly crisp on the outside and soft and tender on the inside.
Notes
- I find that kitchen scissors are the easiest way to quickly chop up leftover chicken. I like to leave in some chunks for texture, but you can chop them up more if you prefer fewer chunks in the fritters.
- Make sure to watch the fritters closely and flip them as soon as they start getting a golden color. Since the chicken is pre-cooked, they cook pretty quickly.
- Feel free to add in extra spices for added flavor!
Big hit with my little guy! Will definitely be making again! So easy! Thanks!
I’m so glad to hear that your little one enjoyed them!😊
Super easy to mix it up with this recipe!
I added fresh parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, and should have added another egg – they were a bit dry, maybe I overcooked them(?) I used a mixture of light and dark meat. Maybe I will add some lemon juice next time to brighten it up
What a great flexible recipe! My kiddos are probably older than you are, but this caught my eye as I was trying to figure out how to use up leftover rotisserie chicken breasts. I TOTALLY changed it, doubling, and adding fresh thyme, sorrel, lots of minced garlic, and fresh ground black and white pepper, plus cayenne, and honestly I don’t remember what all else! Used some fresh mozzarella along with the regular, added some nutritional yeast…like I said, it’s flexible! We had some Ken’s honey mustard we used as a dip. So delicious! Just as you described – crisp on the outside and tender and moist inside. I drained them on a rack instead of paper towels to keep them nice and crisp. THANK YOU! This recipe needs more attention – it’s a keeper!
We made this recipe today and it is a hit! I used seasoned salt in place of salt. They were fantastic and I can see myself trying different seasonings and dips with this recipe, it seems very versatile. Thanks for a great recipe.
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, Annette!😊
Sooooo tasty! I didn’t have cream cheese so instead I mixed sour cream with a leftover of Boursin, it worked like a charm. Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed them, Caroline! And thank you for sharing your tip about the sour cream swap!😊
okay! just made these for my kiddos. My son rarely eats meat and went outside to tell daddy that I “made these really yummy things.”
I didn’t have cream cheese or mozzarella so subbed cottage cheese and Gouda. I added some cut up broccoli and made it with 2x bob red mill egg replacer for my egg allergy son. (I know a lot of changes, but hope they help others who may not have all the ingredients on hand or allergies!) thanks for this amazing recipe, I cannot wait to try all the other fritters!
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed these fritters, Bree! And thank you so much for taking the time to share your detailed swaps, I’m sure that info will be so helpful to other readers!😊
I’ve had bad luck with fritters in the past so I added an extra egg and another tbsp of cream cheese and they turned out perfect! My toddler loves them. Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed them Kaitlyn! Thank you for sharing that feedback!😊
Thank you for that recipe! My whole family loved it ❤️ Next time I will try adding some some veggies to the chicken 🙂
I’m so glad to hear that you all enjoyed these fritters!😊
Hi Lily, is there a substitute for cream cheese, or would the dish still be good if I don’t have cream cheese in the fridge?
Hi Kaitlin! The cream cheese is pretty important for flavor so if you don’t have it on hand, I’d suggest swapping it out with a different type of cheese. It also helps with binding, so I wouldn’t omit some type of cheese altogether. I hope that helps!😊