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Chicken parmesan patties are a canned chicken breast, parmesan cheese, and baby spinach all mixed together and pan fried to perfection! Low in carbs and full of flavor, this quick and delicious recipe is the perfect use for canned chicken! 1 gram net carb per pattie.
When it comes to quick and easy low carb dinners, I’m partial to broccoli beef, chicken tenders, or these chicken parmesan patties.
My definition of a quick and easy dinner is one that can be whipped up in under 10 minutes, taste good, and leave me feeling satisfied after. This recipe came into play by accident.
I bought a can of what I thought was tuna, which turned out to be canned shredded chicken. I love sardines and love pretty much all tinned seafood, but chicken? Really?
After returning home from university one night, I was craving my tuna patties and reached for the can….of chicken.
This clearly wasn’t tuna and that is what I had set my heart on. Not one to ever waste food, I decided to adapt my curried tuna patties recipe and switch a few of the herbs, spices and added some cheese, and voila- what was a skeptical grocery item soon became my weekly staple.
These patties are so easy to make, and the chicken, once recooked, makes you forget it was earlier on, in a can. These patties are loaded with shredded vegetables which add texture and a nutritional punch. The parmesan cheese adds a golden, melted crust on the outside and a salty bite on the inside. The combination of spices is the final touch to make such a simple meal seem that much more.
Not only are these patties so easy to make, but they just happen to be keto, gluten free, and low carb, too!
How do you make chicken patties
The Ingredients
- Canned chicken breast– Use the plain canned chicken breast, the kind that is in springwater. Using flavored canned chicken will affect the flavor and texture of the chicken patties. Be sure to drain the chicken breast completely.
- Parmesan cheese– Gives the patties a delicious punch of flavor, and pairs well with the chicken.
- Shredded zucchini– Adds a boost of veggies to the recipe, but also helps hold the patties together. Squeeze out all extra moisture.
- Baby spinach– Chopped finely, the spinach provides extra nutrients, but also a delicious flavor to the patties.
- Egg– Binds the patties together. Do not omit.
- Salt and pepper– Only a little bit, as the parmesan cheese provides plenty of saltiness already.
The Instructions
Start by mixing together all your ingredients, until completely combined. Heat up a frying pan with oil on medium heat. When hot, form 4-5 patties and place on the hot pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes, before carefully flipping the patties and cooking for a further 3 minutes, or until golden brown on either side. Remove from the pan and enjoy.
Can I use shredded chicken breast?
Yes, if the thought of canned chicken breast skeeves you out, you can certainly use shredded chicken breast.
For this recipe, I’d recommend half a pound (250 grams) of cooked chicken.
Can I make this in the air fryer?
If you’d like to make air fryer chicken patties, you can do so!
Simply prepare the patties as normal, but place them in the air fryer rack. Cook at 200C/400F for 12 minutes, carefully flipping halfway through.
Tips to make the best patties
- Be sure to remove as much excess liquid as possible, from both the chicken and the zucchini. These patties have no flour or grains to bind it together, instead, relying on the egg.
- Do not cook the patties on super high heat, as you risk the patties burning on the outside, but being super soft on the inside.
- If you’d prefer thicker and sturdier patties, you can add 1/4 cup coconut flour or almond flour.
- Chicken patties taste delicious hot or cold!
Storing and Freezing Patties
- To store: Leftover chicken patties can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week.
- To freeze: Freeze leftovers by placing the patties in a shallow container and storing in the freezer for up to 6 months.
What to serve patties with?
- Bread– For a low carb meal, serve patties with keto bread, keto biscuits, and keto tortillas.
- Salad– Pair a few patties with some broccoli salad, couscous salad, or a crunchy noodle salad.
- Vegetables– Cauliflower mac and cheese, roasted brussels sprouts, and even some buffalo cauliflower bites
Chicken Parmesan Patties
Ingredients
- 2 12.5 oz cans chicken breast
- 1/2 medium zucchini grated and liquid squeezed out
- 1/2 cup baby spinach finely chopped
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the shredded chicken breast, grated zucchini, baby spinach, and parmesan cheese, and mix well. Slowly add in the egg. Form 4-5 patties.
- Coat a frying pan with oil and heat up on medium. When hot, add your chicken patties and cook for 4-5 minutes, before carefully flipping and cooking for a further 4-5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Hey! Could I use a different cheese? Could I swap out Parmesan and use low moisture mozzarella? This recipe looks amazing!
Hi Emily! 🙂
Absolutely- Although I’d add a dash of salt (if need be!) as I found using mozzarella to be a little lacking compared to parmesan 🙂
Thank you so much!
Hey, chicken in a can is good all you naysayers! I have massive allergies, so I keep use it for emergency food when traveling (can’t eat at most restaurants). It’s good for chicken salad lunches at home too… and available at all grocery stores, Sams and Costco
These look delicious, quick and easy. Yum!
Thank you so much for your kind words, Nataliya- hope you try them out!
Just found your blog. These sound really good! As do a lot of your other recipes. Unusual in a good way and healthy! Thank you!
Thank you so much, Jan- Hope you enjoy them 🙂
Love this! Love all the veggies…love the cheese…and hell, I’ll even love the chicken in a can, but only because you got creative with it! 😉 I can’t help but think though…what would have been wrong with using the chicken with the curry spices?? Haha!
I tried it with the curry spices but because the canned chicken is always salted (Even when it says springwater) it just made the whole thing overly salty, and also the moisture…okay that sounds really appetising :p
Saying that, I tried these with canned tuna and nup..chicken takes the bait. Baha. Tina fey, get back in your box.
One of the things I loved about your cheesy savory pancakes was all the fabulous veggies you loaded in there as well. It’s the same with these. The hot sauce doesn’t hurt either. Well done Arman.
Dude. Expect a message tomorrow with a strangebutgood recipe I came up with tonight…i’d message you now but I’m in bed with my laptop and my phone is charging.
Dirty birdie. Sending me responses in BED!
I totally use chicken from a can. No shame here. It’s great for soup.
My go-to savory recipe is stir fry. Always. Obsessed. Also since blogging… I eat kabocha squash like it’s going out of style.
Dude they just took kabocha off our shelves because it’s ‘not in season’. Urgh. Looks like it’s back to butternut for the next 8 months.
Totally making these! Except for the chicken, I always have the rest of the ingredients on hand so what a great and easy recipe. Thanks!
Of course! and you don’t even need bread crumbs to hold them together! I made them last night with coconut oil- try it with something more neutral if you have on hand like olive!
Exactly why I liked them! Good to know about the oil, thanks. 🙂 I’m gunning to make these in the next few days so I’ll let you know how they go!
Can I just say these are perfect and call it a day? 😉
I’ve never had chicken from a can.. It seems a bit risky…
My eating has changing, because I am eating all.the.food. 😀
You. Are. Doing. Awesome.
Try it with pulled chicken- even better 😉
Dinner in 10 minutes?! I’m in – pretty sure my boys will love these!
Truthfully, my diet/eating habits haven’t really changed since I started blogging.
So good and so easy, Kim! Especially for days when anything more than 10 minutes is too long in the kitchen 😉
Minus the cheese and I will dive right into these patties! Every time I think of the word PATTY – I think of Patty Mayonnaise. And now I want to watch DOUG. Well, there goes my Friday night!
Hahahahahahahahaha Patty Mayonnaise. We need to watch that when we hang out, Helga.
You can definitely omit the cheese- try my curried tuna patties but sub the tuna for the chicken…just as good 😉
LOVE!! It has to be easy for me!!! 🙂
YES! It has your name all over it- no excuses now Jody!
I’ve never had chicken from a can…I don’t think I can do it lol
Your dish looks great. Love parm. Yum yum.
Relaxing and slowing down for the next week 🙂
You can do it…FU REAL! It tastes like pho… :s
Haha why is everybody freaking out about chicken in a can? I don’t buy it myself, but you can find it at everrrrrry grocery store. We can’t all shop exclusively at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and places where the mark up is 100%!
That being said, these look great! I can totally see how you’d mistake canned chicken for canned tuna. My problem with canned meats (and most canned things) is the sodium, but otherwise I find that you’re right – if you cook them, they don’t really taste that much different. Plus it is a pain to shred chicken breasts. One thing that comes to mind for those who are lazy (don’t want to take the time to cook/shred chicken breasts)/snobby (which I say with love, meaning those who don’t want to try canned chicken) is to try this with ground chicken. I bet it would work!
Yes…the sodium tends to be quite high in most canned goods (Even ones in ‘springwater’) but I made sure not to add salt to these- also the parmesan cheese is a salty touch 😉
I’ve made it with ground chicken before- If you do it with that, add an extra 2 T or so of parmesan- it tends to get lost in the denser meat!