These can be an appetizer, a light lunch, a side dish or a game-day snack. With only a handful of basic everyday ingredients, you can whip up crispy chicken fritters in no time.
Appetizer, light lunch or side dish
Fritters are the answer to a quick snack or light meal. They're super simple, require basic ingredients and are ready in ten minutes.
These are heartier than our beloved corn and zucchini fritters, but just as easy to make. And eat!
- Quick and easy.
- Crowd-pleasing: and we mean everyone, including picky eaters and kids. Who doesn't love a fritter or finger food?
- They are versatile and can be served as a side dish, light meal with a bowl of soup or a salad, snack for movie night or appetizer. The recipe is adaptable, allowing you to add spices, herbs, seasonings or cheese.
I love to serve them for lunch and game day with barbecue sauce, aioli with roasted garlic or spicy ketchup.
FAQ
When fritters don't stick together they may have cooked too long and are too dry. If they're hard to flip, the batter might have too much liquid and/or need to cook it longer. Ensure that the mixture is thick enough to mound lightly and help the fritters hold their shape during cooking.
Yes, you can. Use it instead of flour or substitute half of it (my choice as it can be too astringent). It makes the fritters crispy, which is why it's used in fried food coating batters.
Ingredient list
- Chicken breast: boneless and skinless. Though the breast is the easiest to clean and cut, you can use any part you like.
- All-purpose flour: or cornstarch.
- Salt.
- Egg: fresh, large.
- Mustard: I like Dijon, but you can use others or even mustard powder.
- Mayonnaise.
- Onion powder.
- Garlic powder.
- Fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro or dill.
- Vegetable oil.
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
Variations & substitutions
There are many iterations to this recipe. These are some of our favorites.
- Cheesy: add shredded melty Swiss or mozzarella cheese, asiago or parmesan for a sharper flavor.
- Spicy: incorporate diced jalapeños, red pepper flakes, or a pinch of cayenne pepper into the batter and give the fritters a bit of a kick.
- Spices: enhance the batter with a dash of ground cumin and chili powder (and serve with chopped cilantro for a Mexican touch) or use ground coriander, cumin, aleppo pepper for a Middle Eastern flavor. Or any other variations you like.
Steps to make chicken fritters
- Seasonings and herbs: this is the moment to add a spice or different herb. Don't forget the salt and pepper.
- Flour or cornstarch: you can use either or a mix to bind the fritter mixture. I like flour better but both work.
Cooking fritters
I always do a test run with a small amount of batter when checking the temperature of the oil. It should sizzle in a few seconds but not spatter wildly which usually happens when the oil is too hot.
- Stovetop: spoon the chicken mixture forming patties and cook on a lightly oiled skillet or frying pan until crisp and cooked through. Don't overcook them or they'll be dry.
- Air fryer: place them on top of parchment paper and follow manufacturer's instructions.
Vintage Kitchen Tip
Remember to blot the fritters on paper towels (on both sides) when you remove them from the skillet to prevent oiliness. Eat them immediately.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- How to keep fritters crispy: don't overcrowd the skillet when you cook them so they turn a nice crisp golden brown before drying in the center. Eat them immediately. If making a large batch, blot them and keep them in a warm oven.
- Oily fritters: if they absorb too much oil while cooking, it's usually because the temperature is too low. Ensure that the oil is hot enough by throwing in a bit of bread or a teaspoon of chicken batter. It should sizzle in a few seconds.
- Burnt and undercooked fritters result from a too-high temperature, as the exterior browns too quickly before the interior has a chance to fully cook. Do a test run until you find the right temperature.
- Don't overcrowd the skillet. With every mound of batter you add, the oil temperature will drop, and the fritters will be soggy and oily. They should have some space between them, like pancakes.
- Serving: place them on a platter with condiments and sauces like ketchup, fresh tzatziki, homemade aioli, barbecue sauce, mayo or ranch dip.
Related recipes you might like:
One last thing
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Chicken Fritters (skillet and air fryer)
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast, cut into small cubes
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs, like parsley, cilantro or dill
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch cayenne pepper , or red pepper flakes, optional for spiciness
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons mustard
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil, or other vegetable cooking oil
Instructions
- Mix the chopped 1 pound chicken breast in a bowl with ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, pinch cayenne pepper , 2 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs and 1 egg.
- Add 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons mustard and mix.
- Sift 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (for easier mixing) over the chicken mixture and stir thoroughly to incorporate all ingredients well.
- Have ready a plate with 2 or 3 layers of paper towels to blot the fritters as you cook them.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet or frying pan. Spoon small mounds of chicken mixture and form round or oval patties. They will be irregular, that is fine.
- Cook on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes on each side, flipping when golden brown. The cooking time will depend on the skillet, the temperature you use and how thick the fritters are. You can cover the pan with a lid for the last few minutes (after they've browned on both sides) if the cakes are thick and you want to ensure they fully cook inside.
- Repeat with the rest of the oil and chicken mixture.
- Transfer the fritters to paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Blot on both sides before serving immediately.
- I like to accompany them with mayonnaise, garlicky aioli, regular or spicy ketchup or fresh yogurt tzatziki.
Sharon says
At what temp should the air fryer be?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Sharon, cook them at 350°F for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on how crisp you want them. Make sure you don't overcrowd them.