This Chicken Croquettes recipe is that one appetizer that everyone will beg you to create for their next event. Filled with cheese and crunchy coating, it is the ideal option to serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Whip up my homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe or Copycat Chick-Fil-A Sauce Recipe to serve with these.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
These savory and delicious Chicken Croquettes are such a crowd-pleasing appetizer or dinner. They’re one of my favorites to serve because they always get rave reviews.
- TASTE: Savory bacon and chicken with earthy mushrooms and pungent garlic, these croquettes are scrumptious. The rich mozzarella is the surprise inside.
- TEXTURE: The outside of the meatball has a crispy fried texture and the inside has that gooey cheese in the center that you love.
- TIME: This recipe will take just over an hour to make.
- EASE: These croquettes are not hard to make, so just follow my step-by-step instructions and images so you make them perfect every time.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Chicken Thighs– This is the meat of the dish and needs to be ground so we can mold it into meatballs.
- Mozzarella Cheese– These cheese sticks are cut to be the filling of these Chicken Croquettes. Using a cheese stick gets you the perfect cube size when you cut them.
- Bacon– Adds a delicious savory, salty flavor to the chicken.
- Garlic– For pungent flavor that goes well with the meat.
- Baby Bella Mushrooms– This earthy vegetables adds satisfying flavor to the dish.
- Flour– This is used as a binder for the meatball and for breading.
- Milk– This also helps bind the meatballs together.
- Eggs– These cover the meatballs so the breadcrumbs can stick for the breading.
- Bread Crumbs– These give our Chicken Croquettes their amazing crispy outside.
- Oil- For frying.
- Salt and Black pepper.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute other meat- Any ground meat can work here, including ground beef and ground pork.
- Use a different cheese- Substitute block mozzarella if you would like to cube it yourself, or other cheeses like cheddar cheese, jack cheese, or havarti.
- Add other vegetables- You can also make these with celery, onion, spinach, or bell pepper.
- Substitute cooked chicken- If you chop up roasted chicken or any cooked chicken, you can mix it with condensed soup or a roux, which you then mold, bread, and fry.
How to Make Chicken Croquettes
- Cook the bacon and garlic. In a pan, cook the chopped bacon and garlic over medium heat until the bacon is crispy.
- Add the mushrooms. Add the finely chopped mushrooms and sauté until cooked.
- Mix in the flour and milk. Add the flour to the cooked mushrooms, then add the milk. Stir to combine.
- Add the chicken and seasonings. Combine the ground chicken, salt, and pepper with the mushrooms. Remove from heat right away.
- Prep the cheese. Cut the mozzarella cheese into 1 inch cubes.
Pro Tip: You don’t want the chicken cooking before you fry it, or the croquettes will fall apart when you stuff them. Remove the meat from the heat once combined with the mushroom mixture.
- Bread the meatballs. Dip the meatball into flour, then the whisked eggs, and then the bread crumbs.
- Fry them. Heat avocado or canola oil in a large skillet over high heat. Cook each croquette until golden brown and fully cooked. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
Recipe Tips
- Cut the mushrooms small- The mushrooms and bacon need to be small so that the chicken can easily mix with them. Otherwise, these croquettes will fall apart when they cook.
- Make the croquettes slightly larger than a golf ball- You want them to be about the size that they fit into your palm, so a little bigger than a golf ball. This is to ensure they fully cook.
- Don’t overfry them- Overheating the filling can cause it to expand and split the chicken croquette in half. Only cook it enough to get it golden brown.
- Allow the chicken to cool for a few minutes before eating. The hot oil will make them just a bit too hot to eat right away, but don’t wait too long! You want to enjoy the melty cheese in the center.
FAQs
These Chicken Croquettes are made with ground chicken, mushrooms, bacon, garlic, and seasonings. They’re stuffed with mozzarella cheese and breaded with eggs and breadcrumbs for a crunchy outside.
If you fry the croquettes for too long, the filling gets too hot and expands, splitting the croquettes. To avoid this, only fry them just enough to get them golden brown and lightly crispy.
Serving Suggestions
These Chicken Croquettes are versatile and delicious. You can serve them with an assortment of sauces, salads, soups, and other appetizers.
- Sauces: Serve these with a dipping sauce, such as this Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, Copycat Chick-Fil-A Sauce, or Homemade BBQ Sauce.
- Salads: Serve these Chicken Croquettes alongside a Tomato Garlic Salad, Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad, Eggplant Salad, or Antipasto Salad.
- Appetizers: Pair them with other appetizers, like these Eggplant Appetizers (Roll-ups), BBQ Chicken Wings, Mushroom Puff Pastry Appetizers, or Smoked Salmon Appetizers.
- Soups: Enjoy them with a bowl of Cream of Mushroom Soup, Baked Potato Soup, Tortellini Soup, or Clam Chowder Soup.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can prepare these stuffed meatballs up to 2 days ahead and store them in the fridge, covered. Then bread and fry them when you’re ready to serve.
Storing: Store these Chicken Croquettes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can reheat them in the oven, microwave, or air fryer.
Freeze: Flash freeze them on a baking sheet for an hour, then transfer them to a freezer ziplock bag to freeze for up to 3 months.
More Tasty Appetizers!
This recipe was originally posted January 8, 2016, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then. This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
Full Recipe Instructions
Chicken Croquettes Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 slices bacon chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 8 oz baby bella mushrooms finely chopped
- 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp flour divided
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 2 lb. ground chicken thighs
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup plain bread crumbs
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese (block or stick style)
- avocado oil for frying
Instructions
- In a pan, cook the chopped bacon and garlic over medium heat until the bacon is crispy.
- Add the finely chopped mushrooms and sauté until cooked.
- Add 1 Tbsp of flour to the cooked mushrooms, then add 2 Tbsp of milk. Stir to combine.
- Combine the ground chicken, salt, and pepper with the mushrooms. Remove from heat right away.
- Cut the mozzarella cheese into 1 inch cubes.
- Dip the meatball into flour, then whisked the eggs, and then the bread crumbs.
- Heat avocado or canola oil in a large skillet over high heat. Cook each croquette until golden brown and fully cooked. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- Cut the mushrooms small- The mushrooms and bacon need to be small so that the chicken can easily mix with them. Otherwise, these croquettes will fall apart when they cook.
- Make the croquettes slightly larger than a golf ball- You want them to be about the size that they fit into your palm, so a little bigger than a golf ball. This is to ensure they fully cook.
- Don’t overfry them- Overheating the filling can cause it to expand and split the chicken croquette in half. Only cook it enough to get it golden brown.
- Allow the chicken to cool for a few minutes before eating. The hot oil will make them just a bit too hot to eat right away, but don’t wait too long! You want to enjoy the melty cheese in the center.
Nutrition
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