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    Home » Budget Strategies

    Crispy Chicken Patties (better than chicken nuggets!)

    Published: Oct 28, 2018 · Modified: Apr 10, 2023 by Jessica Fisher

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    Ready for a fun and flavorful dinner? Cook up a batch of fried Chicken Patties. Better than any chicken nuggets, they make a hearty main dish protein or a tasty filler for sandwiches.

    dinner spread of Chicken Patties with fixings this …

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    You know how some meals just seem more fun than others? One doesn’t look forward to an “experience” when served a bologna sandwich. Do you?

    But some meals, whether it’s their taste, texture, or general eating experience are more enjoyable and more fun than others. Fondue is fun. Pizza is fun. An all-you-can-eat taco bar is fun.

    Chicken Patties fall perfectly within the fun category.

    Chicken Patties for the Win!

    You know how I like to shop the clearance items at my local Ralphs. It’s not only one of my favorite hobbies, but it’s also the way that I score great deals on foods that I might not otherwise be able to squeeze into our grocery budget. This is just one way I save money on groceries without clipping a single coupon. 

    Believe it or not, ground chicken — which tastes amazingly different and fresher than ground turkey — is a fairly high-priced item. I’m not sure why this is since boneless, skinless chicken pieces are regularly so cheap. For whatever reason, ground chicken is typically about $6/pound at my store.

    So, when I found it marked down by 50% you can bet I snatched up all they had at that price — and have continued to do so for the last few months.

    Yes, you can make these chicken patties with ground beef, turkey, or pork, but I highly recommend making them with ground chicken at least once. Either way, you are in for a treat!

    What are chicken patties made of?

    • Ground chicken
    • Eggs
    • Whole wheat bread crumbs (but regular bread crumbs would work fine)
    • Green Onion
    • Dried dill
    • Salt
    • Black pepper
    • Paprika
    • Oil for frying

    Are chicken patties healthy?

    Some store bought versions might be filled with all sorts of weird ingredients, but this one is made with real ingredients. So I think it’s a pretty healthy recipe, especially when you use whole wheat bread crumbs.

    Ways to serve these chicken patties

    • Chicken Patties, succulent little morsels of chicken, bread crumbs, and seasonings are FUN to dip in homemade Tzatziki or BBQ sauce or Honey Mustard.
    • Chicken Patties are FUN to cram into pita bread sandwiches.
    • Chicken Patties are FUN tucked into slider bunss, like mini chicken nugget sandwiches.

    Don’t believe me? Just ask my children. Their eyes light up whenever I make these. There are never any leftover.

    Or you can make them yourself.

    Chicken Patties on white platter

    How do you make crispy chicken patties?

    These crispy fried chicken patties are made very similarly to meatballs or meatloaf. Add seasonings, bread crumbs, and beaten eggs to ground chicken. Form the mixture into patties and fry in a hot, oiled skillet.

    Since ground chicken is usually low in fat, much like ground turkey, it will crumble and fall apart without some binders to help it hold together. That’s what the bread crumbs and beaten egg do for these chicken patties.

    What is ground chicken?

    Ground chicken is just that, chicken meat that has been finely minced or ground, similar in texture to ground beef that you would buy at the grocery store.

    It’s usually sold next to the other chicken cuts, though you might also find it in the freezer section.

    Can you make your own ground chicken?

    If you can’t find ground chicken at a reasonable price — I recommend $3/pound or less for most of my cuts of meat — then you can grind your own chicken. You can do this in a food processor or a meat grinder. You can also grind chicken using a grinding attachment to your stand mixer.

    To grind chicken in a food processor, be sure that you cut the chicken into cubes and then lay it out on a tray that will fit in your freezer. Cold meat will help you achieve a better grind instead of mushing the chicken up into little bits. You don’t want the chicken to be rock-solid frozen, but definitely on the icy side.

    Work quickly, add your chicken to your food processor, filling it just a layer of chunks. Then pulse until you get the right consistency. Overblending will result in chicken paste. Work in batches to grind your own chicken.

    What should I do for leftovers? 

    Leftovers are rare in our house, but if you happen to have them then they will keep for 3-4 days in a refrigerator in an airtight container. 

    You can eat them cold (no shame in that) or reheat them gently in the microwave (at 50% power) covered.

    Chicken Patties on platter with salad and pita bread

    How to make this good and cheap:

    Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:

    • Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. For instance, when I see a great price on ground chicken or chicken breast, I’ll buy many packages and plan my meals around them. Doing this helped me to lower my grocery bill by a $100 a month!
    • Make your own ground chicken. This takes a little work, but can be a great way for you to save money and enjoy Chicken Patties more often.

    How I make this recipe easy:

    Having the right kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs. Here are the tools that I use for this recipe:

    • plastic cutting boards – I have blue boards for veggies and white boards for meat.
    • Ergo Chef chef’s knife – I’ve had my set for several years and they work well.
    • stainless steel mixing bowl – a good set should last you a lifetime.
    • silicone spatula – I love this two-sided spatula/spoon. It’s great for stirring and scraping. I bought it originally to flip crepes, but I’ve since bought more since it’s so handy.
    • large skillet with lid – I have two of these since I love this model so much.
    • cooking tongs – These are great for moving the chicken pieces in the pan.

    pita bread sandwich with Chicken Patties

    Chicken Patties on white platter

    Crispy Chicken Patties

    Ready for a fun and flavorful dinner? Cook up a batch of fried Chicken Patties. Better than any chicken nuggets, they make a hearty main dish protein or a tasty filler for sandwiches.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 279kcal
    Author: Jessica Fisher

    Ingredients

    • 2 lb ground chicken
    • 2 egg , beaten
    • 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
    • 3 green onion chopped for ½ cup
    • 1 teaspoon dried dill
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon paprika
    • oil for frying the patties

    Instructions

    • In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, eggs, bread crumbs, green onion, and spices and herbs. Mix just until well incorporated.
    • Divide the mixture into 8 portions for full size patties or 32 portions for small patties.
    • Place enough oil in a skillet to just cover the pan. Heat the oil until shimmering. Add 4 to 8 scoops, depending on their size, to the hot oil, spacing them evenly in the pan. 
    • Flatten the portions with the back of a spatula and cook on one side, about 3 to 6 minutes, depending on the size. Flip the patties, cover, and continue cooking until done, about 3-6 minutes more.
    • Remove the lid and raise the heat to crisp the bottoms, if needed.

    Notes

    Leftovers are rare in our house, but if you happen to have them then they will keep for 3-4 days in a refrigerator in an airtight container. 
    You can eat them cold (no shame in that) or reheat them gently in the microwave (at 50% power) covered.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 8.6g | Protein: 35.9g | Fat: 10.1g | Saturated Fat: 2.7g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 491mg | Potassium: 317mg | Fiber: 1.4g | Sugar: 1.4g | Calcium: 530mg | Iron: 0.4mg
    Tried this recipe?Tell us what you think! Your reviews help us develop better recipes and give newcomers the confidence to try your favorites. Scroll down to leave a starred comment.

    plate of crispy fried chicken patties

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lee

      May 10, 2024 at 12:39 pm

      Can you substitute can chicken for the ground chicken?

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        May 10, 2024 at 1:33 pm

        The ground chicken is uncooked, whereas canned chicken is cooked. I’m not sure it will substitute exactly, but it may be more like a salmon or tuna patty. It’s worth giving it a try! Let me know how it goes.

        Reply
    2. Katie

      August 01, 2021 at 11:59 am

      5 stars
      Yummy. Big hit in my family college and high school kids. Chicken nuggets are a staple around here and they loved this homemade version. I added chopped bell peppers— and made them super thin for crunch!! I love the idea if making a big batch to nibble on for days. Wondering how these would do cooked on the sir fryer? I’m going to try.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        August 01, 2021 at 1:31 pm

        Line the air fryer basket with a bit of parchment and that should work well. It’s been on my list to try.

        So glad you saw success! Thanks for leaving a review, Katie.

        Reply
    3. Kate

      November 26, 2020 at 6:43 pm

      5 stars
      My two year old said these are “so yummy”, and my extremely picky husband ate seconds. Personally, I think they’re missing something I can’t put my finger on (maybe some lemon zest or Worcester sauce?), but I’m not about to mess with anything they like that much.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        November 28, 2020 at 6:51 am

        Maybe pull off a bit of the mixture to play with next time. Your additions sound like good ones.

        Reply
    4. Anthony Price

      September 19, 2020 at 8:39 pm

      They are great… made them….placed some sliced ham and Swiss cheese for some chicken burgers.
      So tasty,

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        September 21, 2020 at 1:51 pm

        Sounds delish!

        Reply
    5. Alice

      February 25, 2020 at 12:24 pm

      These look amazing, and I know my kids would love them…but can you make a big batch and freeze them for convenience?

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        February 25, 2020 at 12:29 pm

        Yes. They might lose a bit of the crispiness, but they’ll still be good.

        Reply
    6. Cindy A

      March 30, 2019 at 5:09 am

      Can you share what all is in that delicious looking bowl of greens? Or did I miss it? Thks!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        March 30, 2019 at 7:53 am

        It’s just a green salad with feta. 🙂

        Reply
    7. Elizabeth

      February 19, 2019 at 5:30 pm

      5 stars
      Loved it! Delicious on a pita with cucumbers, feta, grape tomatoes, and kalamata olives. Awesome on a bun with dill pickles. Seriously good.

      Reply
    8. 2pots2cook

      October 29, 2018 at 10:47 pm

      5 stars
      Enjoy your creations very much !

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Jessica! I'm a 4x cookbook author and 6x mom. I know what it is to be in a hurry and on a budget. I believe anyone can prepare delicious meals -- no matter what's on their plate. I've been featured on Good Morning America, PBS News Hour, and NBC.

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