Everyone loves these Chicken Patties, even the pickiest eaters! They are crisp on the outside with a juicy, cheesy center and it’s a genius way to use leftover Rotisserie Chicken.
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Chicken Patties Video Tutorial:
We love making these anytime we have leftover chicken and no one would ever guess you used leftovers. The chicken becomes super tender and tasty when combined with the batter and the panko crust seals in the moist center.
Years ago, we shared our favorite Cheesy Chicken Fritters recipe and it was an instant hit. So many of you let me know that it works just as well with cooked chicken so we tested it and loved it, then this Chicken Patties recipe was born. So, thank you for making this recipe happen!
Ingredients for Chicken Cakes:
Chicken cakes are super easy to make. All you need is a rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken meat, a simple batter, mozzarella cheese, and Panko bread crumbs (or use whatever bread crumbs you have on hand). The lemon zest and dill seem insignificant, but they completely transform these chicken patties.
Can I Substitute the Chicken?
- Canned Chicken – make sure to drain well and use (3) 12.5-oz cans of chicken.
- Raw Chicken – If you want to use raw diced chicken or even ground chicken, check out our chicken fritters recipe.
The Easiest Way to Shred Chicken:
There are three basic ways to shred the chicken: by hand, with 2 forks and our favorite is to use a stand mixer.
To shred chicken with a stand mixer: This method works best if your chicken is still warm. Break chicken breasts in half and mix on low speed with the paddle attachment until chicken is shredded. Be careful not overmix since it takes seconds to shred. Try this method for Pulled Pork or Crockpot Pulled Chicken.
Can I Make Chicken Patties Ahead?
You can make these ahead up to any point in the process, even to bread them then refrigerate for a couple of days until ready to saute.
The USDA recommends refrigerating cooked chicken or leftovers up to 4 days so it depends on how long your leftover chicken has been in the refrigerator. I cook half of the batch on the first day and sautee a fresh batch a couple of days later.
How to Reheat Chicken Patties:
The air fryer is our favorite method since it makes the crust crisp again. The microwave is our least favorite method because the crust softens but the patties will taste great even microwaved. This is one of the few chicken recipes that we still enjoy reheated in the microwave.
- Air Fryer – you can re-crisp chicken patties in the air fryer at 350˚F for 4 minutes, flipping halfway
- Skillet – place on a dry non-stick skillet over medium heat and sautee until crisp and just warmed through
- Microwave – microwave 30 seconds at a time, or just until the center is warmed through.
How to Serve Chicken Patties:
Just like our salmon cakes, shrimp cakes, and classic crab cakes, we love serving these as appetizers or a light lunch. Here are some creative ways to serve a chicken patty:
- Chicken sliders – make a chicken sandwich or sliders on Hawaiian sweet rolls
- With a sauce – like the lemon aioli dip that we used for Crisp Zucchini Bites. You could use Avocado Ranch or plain ranch.
- Main Course – serve chicken patties as the main protein with mashed potatoes and a fresh salad.
More Leftover Chicken Recipes:
We love to repurpose leftovers and make easy meals out of them. We especially love recipes that make the chicken taste even better like these Chicken Patties. Here are more creative ways to use leftover chicken:
- Chicken Fried Rice – a family favorite easy dinner
- Avocado Chicken Salad – our most popular salad of all time
- Chicken Bacon Avocado Sandwiches – a restaurant copycat with secret sauce
- Chicken Enchiladas – shred leftover chicken for easy enchiladas
- Chicken Wild Rice Soup – using pre-cooked chicken is just as good
- Chicken Noodle Soup – our easiest family-friendly soup
Chicken Patties (Easy Chicken Cakes) Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded chicken, from 2 large chicken breasts, (16 oz by weight)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped (or 1 Tbsp parsley)
- 3/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp lemon zest, plus lemon wedges to serve
- 1 1/3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 Tbsp olive oil to saute, divided
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together: 2 eggs, 1/3 cup mayo, 1/3 cup flour, 3 Tbsp dill, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp lemon zest.
- Add in shredded chicken and 1 1/3 cups shredded mozzarella then stir until chicken is well coated in batter.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture at least 30 minutes (this will help with forming patties). Use a trigger release ice cream scoop to divide into 12-15 cakes then form into 1/2-inch thick patties. Dip both sides in Panko crumbs.
- Place a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and half of the chicken patties. Sauté for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown, adding more oil as needed. Repeat with remaining patties.
- As soon as patties are off the heat, sprinkle with salt and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the patties. Serve warm.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Can you freeze these and then reheat them for later
Hi Tela, I haven’t tested this by freezing it to advise. If you experiment, I would love to know how you like that.
I have made this recipe multiple times and always make extra for freezing. They have always reheated beautifully for us. I like to reheat them in the oven at 350 F for 10-15 minutes or my kids will throw a few in the microwave for a minute then flip and do an addition 30 seconds to 1 minute.
They freeze well.
I don’t have a fresh lemon for zest,only juice. Can I add that to the chicken mixture? Love all your recipes! Have you published any cookbooks.
Hi, we don’t have any cookbooks out yet, but it is on our list. Thank you for the request. You could add a dash of juice, but I would just squeeze on some fresh lemon juice at the end.
Hi, any substitute for the eggs?
Hi Dana, I haven’t tested any substitutions for eggs.
Hi Natasha,
Can I start this recipe from raw chicken breasts? As in how would I cook the chicken breasts so they are ready for this recipe?
Thank you!
Hi Katlyn, I would just cook them on a skillet in some oil with salt and pepper until they are cooked through.
Made these yesterday using up some left over chicken and had two of them with a salad and they were really nice. I actually made 4 so I left the other two to go cold and they tasted even better cold, really scrumptious.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I cooked this for dinner today and it’s really good! A great big Thumbs Up to you, Natasha! Your recipes are always amazing!
One question, if I mix 4 1/2 cup shredded chicken instead of 4, there is not much batter left to hold all the chicken together. What can I do to slightly increase the batter?
Hi Cheryl, it would be best to increase all of the batter proportionally, but if it’s just a little dry, you can add a little more mayo or a little more egg to moisten it up.
Wife and I tried these and thought they were delicious. When we make them again we’d like to increase the flavor a little with additional spices. What would you suggest?
Hi Phil, I would just add more of the existing spices.
You are amazing. Where did you learn how to cook all those great foods? I very much love your presentations.
Thank you
Thank you, Claire. I learned it from my family members as I came from a family of fantastic cooks! I’m glad you’re enjoying my recipes!
I was looking for the recipe for the dipping sauce but couldn’t find it.
Hi Don, are you looking for this Aioli Sauce?
Made them exactly as stated. They were a little tasteless. Couldn’t taste mozzarella Should have used some sharp cheddar. Plus more spices. I bought a rotisserie chicken just to make these. Wont do that again but for leftover Turkey I’ll do it with more spices
Thank you for sharing that feedback with us, Virginia! I’m curious if anything else was substituted! This recipe got rave reviews over flavor.
My very picky husband really liked these! I used parsley instead of dill because I had it on hand. I had it with cauliflower rice and air fryer sweet potato fries for him😊 Thanks for another great recipe Natasha!
Hello Kayley, that’s so great to hear. Thank you for sharing that with us, parsley is a great option too!
Making chicken patties can you air fry instead of frying them in oil for the first time?
Can you pre make and freeze when needed?
Thank you-
Mary
Hi Mary, it should work fine in the air fryer or the oven as well. We always make them on the skillet, so I don’t have exact baking times. If you experiment, please let me know how it goes. Also, when baking, I would suggest spraying lightly with cooking spray to get a golden crust. To be honest, I haven’t tested this by freezing it to advise. If you experiment, I would love to know how you like that.
I made these chicken patties yesterday and they are delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
I froze some for a later time. My husband really enjoyed them too!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve been following you for a while now and I tried this recipe with the leftover turkey tonight and it was a hit! My husband, who won’t even eat anything with mayo in it, couldn’t stop raving. Thanks for sharing! Tomorrow is chicken tetrazzini!
Fantastic! I am so happy to hear that, Jenny. Thank you for sharing!
Your recipes are so darn dependable, I know if you make it, it’s gonna be good ;-). And this was no different. Made them tonight with my measly little rotisserie chicken. Just adjusted everything accordingly and they were great. And I love having another good recipe for left over chicken. Thanks Natasha! Happy Holidays!
That is so nice of you, Eva. Thank you for trusting my recipes. I hope you enjoyed last weekend!
I have a question…is the chicken cooked previous to making these. Your chicken fritters are made with raw chicken, but here, you do not specify at all.
Hi Patricia, we made this using meat from a cooked rotisserie chicken. I recommend reading through our recipe notes, but the video explains it well also.
I do not usually do comments, but made these chicken patties tonight for my “picky picky” husband. WE LOVED THEM. Off the chain Natasha!! Only made 1/2 recipe but turned out EXCELLENT. Yummers. So happy to have a new food to fix!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
These sound really good. Can I substute dried dill? If so, how much? Ty!
Hi Kim, that should work, or you can omit the dill or sub with very finely chopped parsley. I would use 1/4 of the amount or less if using dried dill.
I have a “no mayo anywhere” family. What can I use as a substitute?
Hi Liana, I have only made this using mayo, and searching through the comments I don’t see any substitution suggestion. I imagine yogurt may be an option but without testing it I can not advise.
Can I substitute the dill for something else? Not a fan.
Hi Cleo, you can omit it or add a little finely chopped parsley.
TRY KRAFT MIRACAL WHIP. IT IS ALITTLE SWEETER THAN MAYO
Thanks for the tip!
You may try sour cream.
Maybe try sour cream? It will affect the taste a bit. Or to take it in a totally different direction, you could do a buffalo sauce.
Hi Natasha, can I substitute chicken for turkey breast ?
Hi Anya, absolutely! This would work great with leftover turkey meat.