With just a few ingredients you can transform chicken into the yummiest Chicken Fritters to share with the kids. These are great as a baby-led weaning food, a nutritious finger food, or just a delish family dinner option.
These chicken fritters are delicious, yes, but they also solve a problem I often have—what to do with leftover chicken to ensure that it actually gets eaten. In the colder months, I use it in my Chicken Soup for Kids, but otherwise, I haven’t found an option that we really enjoy…until now!
You can make these tender chicken fritters with any cooked chicken you have on hand, either leftover or purchased cooked from the store.
Then, you can make the chicken fritters in just a few minutes, with or without the addition of vegetables, as an easy meal component.
This chicken recipe for kids can even be packed as a toddler lunch idea or an easy toddler dinner. They are versatile in terms of their flavor and have such a great texture. And they work with any dip your family enjoys!
Table of Contents
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Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at the ingredients you need to have on hand to make Chicken Fritters so you know what to pick up from the store or have ready.
- Chicken: You can use any fully cooked chicken you have or prefer. It can be leftover chicken (like my Chicken Bites) or purchased cooked chicken, such as rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken, or sauteed chicken. I prefer the chicken to not be breaded and to be either breast or thigh meat, not ground chicken. If the chicken is damp, pat it with a paper towel.
- Cheese: I like to make these fritters with shredded mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese.
- Egg: Eggs help the mixture hold together and cook up into fritters that hold their shape nicely.
- Flour: A little flour helps ensure that the mixture holds together, I use all-purpose flour here.
- Cumin or oregano, optional for more flavor.
- Broccoli (optional): You can use kitchen scissors to trim off some of the ends of broccoli florets to add some veggie goodness to the fritters. I use raw broccoli.
Featured Review⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Kids crawling all over me and trying to think of something for dinner – looked through your recipes while being stepped on and this was perfect! 1 YO and 3 YO ate them with ketchup. Big kid aka hubby loved them too! Quick and easy.” —Mary
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a preview of how to make these Chicken Fritters so you know what to expect from the process. Scroll down to the end of this post for the full information, including the amounts and the timing.
Step 1. Mince the cooked chicken.
Step 2. Add all the other ingredients to a large bowl with the chicken. Mix well.
Step 3. Warm the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Form the fritters and add to the pan.
Step 4. Cook fritters through on both sides until golden brown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Serve with dipping sauces such as ketchup, Cucumber Sauce, sour cream, or salsa. Serve with fruit, pasta, rice, or any other side you like.
This recipe contains chicken, cheese, egg, flour and seasonings. The combination holds together well so you can bake or fry the fritters. And you can add veggies to make this a more complete meal for toddlers.
Yes. Add minced raw broccoli for a dose of veggies in the mix.
How to Store
Store cooked Chicken Fritters in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Warm through on a heat-safe plate in the microwave for 30 seconds or for 2-3 minutes in an air fryer on 325 degrees F.
Best Tips for Success
- Use a small ice cream scoop to make portioning out the mixture easy.
- Serve Chicken Fritters with dipping sauces such as ketchup, Cucumber Yogurt Sauce, Peanut Sauce, sour cream, mayonnaise, or salsa.
- Pair with Cheesy Broccoli Rice, Marinated Chicken Tenders, or Air Fryer Chicken Tenders.
- Pack in a thermos as an easy school lunch idea.
- Serve with Carrot Fries, fruit, pasta, rice, or any other side you like.
- For more fritter ideas, try Broccoli Fritters, Quinoa Patties, and Baked Zucchini Fritters.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on this post, so please rate and comment below!
Easy Chicken Fritters
Ingredients
- 2 cups minced cooked chicken
- ½ cup shredded cheese (such as cheddar or mozzarella)
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cumin or oregano (optional for more flavor)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
- ¼ cup minced broccoli (optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a medium bowl. Mix well with a spoon or clean hands.
- Form into fritters using ¼ cup batter in each. (I use a measuring cup to make this easy.)
- Warm the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the fitters, allowing a little space in between for even cooking. Cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Be gentle when flipping over.
- Serve warm with a dipping sauce, as desired.
Notes
- Store cooked Chicken Fritters in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Warm through on a heat-safe plate in the microwave for 30 seconds or for 2-3 minutes in an air fryer on 325 degrees F.
- Use leftover rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken, or pan-seared chicken.
- Add minced raw broccoli for a dose of veggies in the mix.
- Serve with dipping sauces such as ketchup, Cucumber Yogurt Sauce, sour cream, or salsa.
- Serve with fruit, pasta, rice, or any other side you like.
- Dairy-free: Use nondairy cheese.
These are amazing! My toddler hasn’t been liking chicken but she loved these! The whole family did. I used shredded carrots and it was great. Do you have any advice on how to freeze these? Thanks for sharing
Kids crawling all over me and trying to think of something for dinner – looked through your recipes while being stepped on and this was perfect! 1 YO and 3 YO ate them with ketchup. Big kid aka hubby loved them too! Quick and easy.
So delicious! I love that it’s easy to change the flavor or add veggies! This will be one of my go-to quick meals. 🙂
I am so glad you liked them!
My toddlers didn’t like – it but my husband did! Lol. I added some panko for crunch 🙂
Could you pre-make the fritter mix, refrigerate, and then cook them when you’re ready? Should you let the mix come up to room temp before cooking?
Should be fine and I don’t think the temperature will matter!
These are great! Both of my kids love them; that never happens! I typically use the standard chicken, but this recipe is also a great way to use up leftover (cooked) hot dogs.
The only thing I do differently when using hot dogs is to remove the hot dog skins (with a veggie peeler) and either mash them with a fork or run them through the food processor until they’re in small crumbles. After that, it’s business as usual!
Could I try making these with shrimp?
Love this recipe! Can you freeze these and thaw to eat at a later date?