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.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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
Made these (with a twist) and they were a hit! We’re GF so I modified GF flour and bread crumbs. Added some extra seasoning and homemade mayo. So yummy!! Will be making again!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Megan! Thank you for sharing that wonderful review with me.
These look great but I’m wondering how they would turn out in the air fryer.
Hi Sandi, it should work fine in the air fryer or the oven as well. Hi Iris, 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.I recommend also checking out the comments section below the recipe if others have shared their experience using an air fryer.
Natasha….these are absolutely delicious, as many of your recipes .
I’m so happy to hear that, Dawn! Thank you for that wonderful review!
I made this recipe today. I loved it!!
I’m happy to hear that! Thank you for your great feedback, Liz.
These were really good! I added a teaspoon of garlic powder and I used a couple shakes of dried dill because I didn’t have fresh but they still turned out great!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Krista! Thank you for the wonderful review!
So delish
I used parsley instead of dill . Added a dash of cayenne pepper.
With a side of remoulade sauce. So freaking delish .
Hi Nicky, I’m glad you loved this recipe. Thanks for sharing some of the ingredients that you used as substitutes!
You said info on the skillet was in the notes. Can’t find it. I have always used Meyer Commercial. Can’t find that brand and your skillet looks similar. Help.
Hi Barbara, it’s in the notes of our Youtube video, but you can also find it linked in step #4 of the recipe “Place a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.” You can also find the skillet in our Amazon Shop Here.
I had to share what happened when I went to make these…classic situation thinking you have everything….Mayo was expired, thought I would do a homemade, version, egg was too cold didn’t work. Realized I had pesto and a bit of half and half, used that in place of dill and Mayo. We are also gluten free so we used almond flour. We also though we had gluten free bread crumbs but didn’t. We had rice Chex that are gf. Actually tuned out great! I didn’t do the lemon but will next time as I do like a lemon with pesto.
I did not intend to modify much but sensed up doing so and turned out delicious! Can’t wait to make this version next time
Jenna
Oh no but I’m glad that you were able to make use of what you have and you were able to use gluten-free ingredients too. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I’m making these today. Can I freeze them?
Hi Wendy, I haven’t tested this by freezing it to advise. If you do experiment I would love to know how you like that.
If baking the oven instead of frying how long would you bake them for and what temperature?
Thanks
Hi Sandy, 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.
These are easy to form and fry, look good cooked, and have good texture. But the big problem then is: they don’t taste like chicken. They taste like mayonnaise. What a waste! Where I come from we prefer fresh flavours, not things out of bottles. I notice some posters have suggested substitutes like yoghurt or sour cream, but they don’t understand cooking, because those are too thin. I would try avocado, or puréed peas. If by chance they overcame the chicken flavour, at least it would be by clean fresh foods, not something out of a bottle.
Hi Sue, I’ve never tasted the mayo strongly in this recipe and it should incorporate well in the chicken unless you used an alternative type of mayo with a stronger flavor? Also, I think there’s room to experiment with a substitution. If you experiment, please let me know how it goes.
I like to sub in plain yogurt. If this interests you, Greek yogurt is not thin at all, as all of the whey is extracted from it. I use it frequently. I make homemade Greek yogurt and Mayo and either works well in this recipe.
I love all your recipes and I print them. I’m going to have to get another filing cabinet. Oh well. 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀
Thank you for sharing that lovely comment with me. I’m happy you’re enjoying our recipes.
These were a HUGE hit! We paired it with a thinned out version of your Garlic Aioli Dip that we used as a salad dressing. Absolutely delicious!!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Hi Natasha – Love all your recipes. Quick question as I don’t see it already asked…. I have some canned chicken (bought during the start of the pandemic) that I want to figure out a use – do you think if I strained all the liquid really well, that this could be a substitute? Just trying to find a use for these cans! I know that it wouldn’t be as good as rotisserie chicken, but I want them out of my pantry 😉
Hi Jody, I haven’t tried this with canned chicken but I imagine that will work. Here is what one of our readers wrote: “These are great alternative to chicken nuggets! I’ve used canned chicken before and it turns out absolutely fantastic. Great served with barbecue sauce, ketchup or whatever sauce the kiddos currently love.”
Can I make this in the air fryer? And if so, what temperature and how much time? Thanks in advance.
Hi Iris, 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.
Last night’s family dinner(11 – doubled the quantities), made with the avocado ranch dressing. Both =’d big success. Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this over the weekend and everyone loved them. I shredded the chicken in the food processor as that was easier for me. I hope you did not mind, but I added some extra spices – coriander powder, paprika, cumin and then some green chillis.
Adding the salt and lemon on top as soon as they are made. Really, gives them extra bit of taste.
I will definitely, be making these again. They are so easy to make.
Hello Hanna, of course, I don’t mind. Feel free to change the recipe up a bit according to your preference. Thank you for your awesome feedback and review!
I love all of your recipes and theyre so easy to make
Thank you for that wonderful compliment!
Made this tonight and it was a hit! Thank you very much for this wonderful recipe. My not-so-little-one wants to take it to school for lunch tomorrow.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Loved it. It was a hit with the whole family. I look forward to trying it using other herbs and seasonings as well. I think this is a great recipe. My son ate the patties on bread and wants me to make them a little on the spicy side for him which will be easy to do. I wish I would have found this recipe when my kids were little. Loved it, it is getting added to my recipe box!
I forgot to put a 5 star rating
I’m so happy you both enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!