Ricotta Chicken Croquettes

Easy and good Ricotta Chicken Croquettes made with a crispy and crunchy outside and a soft and creamy middle made with shredded chicken, creamy ricotta, onion and thyme.

These good chicken croquettes are a Piedmontese-inspired recipe made with shredded chicken and ricotta cheese.

The ricotta gives these croquettes a beautifully light and creamy middle while the breadcrumb coating makes them crisp and crunchy on the outside. They're so good and extremely moreish!

Editor's note: This recipe was first published on 24th February 2017 but has since been updated with new photos and tips for an improved user experience.

See the recipe below including notes on ingredients, step by step photos, tips, variations and a video tutorial. For the full printable recipe scroll to the bottom or click the recipe link below

Ingredient notes and substitutions

• Shredded chicken – you can use leftover roast chicken or cook chicken thighs, chicken breasts or drumsticks to make this recipe.
• Ricotta – if there is any excess liquid in your tub of ricotta drain it before using.
• Onion – finely chop the onion to make the croquettes easy to form (big chunks can be tricky to roll).
• Thyme – We always recommend using fresh thyme instead of dried. You can also use fresh sage leaves which is what is traditionally used. Fresh rosemary or dried oregano will also work.
• Lemon – a little lemon zest adds a lot of freshness to the croquettes which we love but you can leave it out and add cheese instead depending on the flavour you're going for.
• Parmigiano Reggiano – We love to add a little Parmigiano to the breadcrumbs for a little extra flavour.
• Flour, egg and breadcrumbs – these are used for coating the croquettes to get that crispy outside. We use fine breadcrumbs but you can also use panko crumbs if you prefer.

Step by step photos and instructions

Saute the onion – First, saute the onion until soft and translucent in a little olive oil then set aside to cool (photo 1).

Make the mixture – Roughly chop with shredded chicken and mix it with the ricotta, onion, lemon zest and thyme with a pinch of salt and pepper (photos 2 & 3).

Shape them – shape them into croquettes using 1 heaped tablespoon of the mixture (should make around 12) (photo 4).

Bread the croquettes – get your flour and beaten egg in separate bowls and mix the breadcrumbs with the parmesan and a pinch of salt and pepper. Dip each croquette in flour, egg then breadcrumbs until all coated (photos 5 and 6).

Fry – heat 1 inch of sunflower oil in a pan (if using a thermometer heat the oil to 180C/355F) and fry the croquettes in batches of 3 or 4 until golden brown on each side (photos 7 and 8).

Recipe Tips and FAQs

Frying – Use a thermometer if you have one to heat the oil to 180C (350F) or you can wait until you see the oil starting to shimmer in the pan.

Fry in batches – We fry the croquettes in batches of 4 so we don't overcrowd the pan. Overcrowding can cause the temperature of the oil to drop and they'll take too long to fry.

Drain after frying – Drain the croquettes on kitchen paper. This will help absorb any excess oil.

Our mixture is too soft, what do we do?

This will depend a lot on the ricotta you use so you may or may not need to add flour to the mixture. If you find the mixture is too soft for forming into croquettes then you can add up to 2 tablespoons of flour or add the mixture to the fridge to firm up before forming into croquettes.

What's the best type of oil to use for frying?

It's best to use a flavourless oil with a high smoke point for frying such as sunflower oil. You could also use peanut oil or vegetable oil.

How long do they last?

Leftover chicken croquettes will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. They can be eaten cold or reheated in a preheated oven at 200C (400F).

Serving suggestions

There are a few different ways you can serve these good croquettes, here are some of our favourite ways.

1. Aperitivo – serve them with your favourite Italian Aperitivo cocktail such as an Aperol Spritz or Venetian Spritz.
2. Antipasto – serve them as part of an antipasti platter with olives cheeses and cured meats.
3. Salad – you can serve the chicken croquettes for lunch with some salad. Why not try serving them with our arugula salad with added fresh tomatoes?
4. Side dish – you can serve them as a side dish to a big meal on special occasions.

Antipasti

Gnocco Fritto (Italian Fried Dough)

Sides

Baked Spinach Balls with Parmigiano Cream

Antipasti

Pizza Pinwheels with Prosciutto and Gorgonzola

Sides

Crispy Baked Polenta Fries

Ingredients

Makes 12 croquettes

• 3 cups shredded roast chicken ((250g/9oz))
• 1/2 onion (finely chopped)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese ((250g))
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1/2 lemon zest (grated)
• 2 heaped tbsp flour plus extra if necessary
• 1 cup breadcrumbs ((120g))
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano (freshly grated)
• Salt and pepper
• 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
• sunflower oil (for frying)

Method

1. Add the chopped onion to a pan with 1-2 tsp of olive oil and sauté until soft and translucent but not browned. set aside to cool.

2. Roughly chop the chicken and add to a bowl with the ricotta, thyme, onion and lemon zest. Mix to combine and season with salt and pepper.

3. Tip: If the mixture is very sticky add half a tablespoon of flour at a time until you have a thicker consistency (normally no more than 2 tablespoons is needed).

4. Add the breadcrumbs to a plate and add the parmesan and a pinch of salt and pepper, mix through. Add the egg to a bowl and whisk and add 2 heaped tbsp to another plate.

5. Using a tablespoon of ricotta and chicken at a time, shape the croquettes. Roll them in flour then dip in the egg and roll in the breadcrumbs. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes or until needed.

6. Heat 1 inch of sunflower oil in a pan (if using a thermometer heat the oil to 180C/355F) and fry the croquettes in batches of 3 or 4 until golden brown on each side. Drain on kitchen paper and serve.

Kitchen notes

• Mixture too soft? if you find your mixture is too soft to form into croquettes you can add up to 2 tablespoons of flour to the mixture or put the mixture in the fridge to firm up first. The consistency will depend a lot on the ricotta you use.
• Fry in batches We fry the croquettes in batches of 4. If you add too many at once the temperature of the oil will drop and they'll take too long to fry making them greasy.
• Drain after frying use kitchen paper to drain the croquettes after frying. This will help absorb any excess oil.
• Storage leftover chicken croquettes will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. They can be eaten cold or reheated in a preheated oven at 200C (400F).