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
How would you suggest reheating leftover patties the next day?
The air fryer is our favorite method, please check this part in the recipe “How to Reheat Chicken Patties”
These are FABULOUS….I just made them and even though I didn’t have lemon zest I did add some lemon juice. I was looking for an appetizer for a dinner party, so I’ll make these small and they will be a hit with my family. I made a spicy sauce to dip them in and they were delicious!!! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Kathy! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Great recipe, and so easy! I added some leftover mashed potatoes as well and the patties turn out fabulous. Two thumbs up!
Hi Yin, thank you for your good comments and feedback. Great to know that you enjoyed this recipe!
What can I put on your chicken patties, my family likes some kind of sauce, but I’m not sure what to use other then a gravy.
Hi Joyce, our readers love it with this Aioli Sauce. You could use Avocado Ranch or plain ranch.
We love making these in our house. They are so yummy with just a squeeze of lemon. We do brunch on Sunday’s and decided to use them in a Benedict today. They were extra delicious with the hollandaise.
That sounds delicious and perfect! Thanks for sharing, I’m happy that you enjoyed this recipe!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe it looks delicious l can’t wait to make them. I was wondering if I could substitute almond flour instead of all purpose flour ?
Hi Diane, while I haven’t tested this, one of our readers mentioned almond flour works.
Thank you for the recipe. Not to be one of those people that makes a dozen changes to a recipe so that it ends up being a completely different dish we did make a change. Since we were using a left over smoked/barbecued chicken we decided to use pepper jack instead of mozzarella and omitted the dill. They turned out really well.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Yes 👍😍 Excellent recipe. Easy to prepare. Delicious. Enjoyed by 2yo to grandparents.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
These look wonderful. I have a husband who hates cheese, any cheese. What would you suggest I do implace of the cheese.
Hi Glenna, I have not tried using something else to advise. The cheese helps hold everything together so I’m not sure how it would turn out without it.
I would add mashed potatoes instead, but you may have to make some adjustments, like adding another egg. Perhaps dip your patty in egg before coating with the bread crumbs.
Natasha, just made these chicken cakes. Can they be forzen? and can they be reheated in the conventional oven?
Hi Gail, to be honest, I haven’t tested this by freezing it to advise. If you do experiment I would love to know how you like that.
I made these last night. Followed recipe except I shredded the rotisserie chicken in my food processor and subbed fresh parsley for cilantro (what I had in my garden). These were AMAZING!! Served w/your avocado corn salad and asparagus. Wow! Definitely will make again and again! Thx!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Karen!
These chicken patties were AMAZING! My littles weren’t big fans, but I think it was the dill. Next time I might play around with a different flavor for them, but I absolutely LOVED them! So quick and easy, as well. Natasha, I am a huge fan of all of your recipes. Thank you for all that you do!
It’s my pleasure, Sandra. You can try a different version next time for your kids. I hope they love it too!
OMG! These are fabulous! I used 4 smallish boneless thighs which I cooked in the crockpot the night before. Chopped rather then shredded. So flavorful! Next time, more dill and lemon zest. There will be no more wasted leftover roasted chicken. These will make great sandwiches too.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Sue! Thank you for the wonderful review!
I made these a few months ago and froze some after breading. Just pulled some out and decided to experiment with air frying. I reheated them (from frozen) @ 400 degrees for 8-10 min. Turned out amazing. So glad I froze them for myself 🙂 Hope this helps someone!
Hi Genya, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for your review.
Can these be made in the air fryer instead of a skillet?
Hello Nicole, 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.
Hello!
Do you think this recipe would work in my Kalorik air fryer? Your recipe/videos always look amazing. Thank you for sharing your talent.
Hello Sue, 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.
I’ve made these twice. Love them! Can I freeze the leftovers and how would I reheat them.
Great to hear that, Roseann. I haven’t tested this by freezing it to advise but others have tried it and it worked according to them. If you experiment, I would love to know how you like that.
185cals include one chicken cake? Or how many?
Thanks
Hi Ana, that is per serving or per patty
Thanks, but how many cakes is the serving? Or how many grams?
Thanks
Hi Ana, this recipe makes 14 cakes. I didn’t measure how much each weighs. Each patty is a serving.
I haven’t made this yet but I really enjoy your recipes. I was trying to find the link for the pot your using in this video and I was unsuccessful. Can you please send it to me. It’s about that time for me to replace my pots and pans
Hi Sherry, we used this large non-stick skillet.
Natasha these were delicious! I had two large breasts I had cooked and wanted something brilliant and new. These were that and more – crispy outside and tender inside.
I love your tip to use the KitchenAid mixer to shred the chicken. Worked like a charm.
I’m so glad that was helpful, Miki! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.