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My chicken patties combine simple ingredients and make for crispy, golden brown patties with a tender, cheesy center. They’re ready in minutes and are a family favorite!
Need more FAST chicken dinners? Try my air fryer chicken thighs, ground chicken burgers, and rotisserie chicken salad next.
If it’s a weekday, you can probably bet I’m cooking chicken for my family. It may not be the fanciest, but it’s easy to cook and works wonders in every form.
Inspired by my tuna patties, I swapped the canned tuna for canned chicken. Paired with a host of spices (and, of course, plenty of parmesan cheese) and then fried till golden brown, they’re addictive after the first bite.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Easy weeknight dinner. With one bowl and just 8 minutes of cooking time, you can have these patties on the table in minutes.
- Versatile. Serve them over a bed of greens, with dipping sauces, or in a sandwich. The options are limitless, and I’ll be sure to give plenty of suggestions later on.
- Convenient. Like my air fryer chicken patties, these pan-fried ones come together with mostly pantry staples, and they freeze and reheat like magic.
- Perfect texture. A little oil goes a long way, giving the patties a crispy, crunchy exterior while the inside stays juicy, tender, and cheesy.
Ingredients needed
- Chicken. I used canned chicken for maximum convenience, but leftover shredded chicken works just as well. I recommend making my Instant Pot shredded chicken or shredding up some air fryer chicken breast.
- Mayo. To bind the patties and add moisture.
- Shredded cheese. I used finely shredded parmesan cheese, but cheddar, mozzarella or a mixture of both works.
- Large eggs. To bind the patties.
- Panko breadcrumbs. For texture.
- All-purpose flour. To absorb moisture. Use gluten-free flour if needed.
- Kosher salt and black pepper. To taste.
- Italian seasoning. One of my go-to seasoning blends for chicken.
- Parsley. For freshness and color.
- Cumin. My secret ingredient for adding a subtle savory flavor.
- Oil. For frying. I used canola oil, but any neutral-flavored cooking oil with a high smoke point will work.
How to make chicken patties
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Make the chicken mixture. In a large mixing bowl, combine everything except the oil. Mix well to combine.
Step 2- Shape. Using your hands, shape the chicken mixture into patties.
Step 3- Fry. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and when the oil is hot, place the patties in the pan. Fry the patties on each side until golden brown and crisp.
Step 4- Cool. Once the patties are cooked, remove them from the pan and place them on a wire rack to remove excess oil.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Sneak in some veggies. When I’m making these patties for kiddos, sometimes I’ll sneak in some shredded zucchini. Trust me, they won’t be any the wiser!
- Make them spicy. Add cayenne pepper or red chili oil for a spicy kick.
- Swap the spices. Try garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, or ranch seasoning.
- Shape mini patties. If I’m making these to share as an appetizer, I like to make mini patties and serve them as is or as chicken sliders.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover chicken patties should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
To freeze: Allow the leftovers to cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. I like to separate each patty with a layer of parchment paper to prevent them from sticking.
To reheat: Heat the patties in an oven or air fryer at 350F until warm, or place them in a skillet over medium heat and cook, flipping periodically, until reheated. I wouldn’t recommend using a microwave since the patties will turn out mushy.
Frequently asked questions
These patties keep their texture without falling apart thanks to the balance of binding agents, in this case, eggs, breadcrumbs, and flour. Please do not omit or substitute any of them!
Your patties may be dry if they were overcooked or if there wasn’t enough moisture added. Make sure to cook them for only 4-5 minutes per side or once they look golden brown. The chicken is already cooked, so you don’t need to worry about any doneness.
Yes! If you’d like to save some of the patties to cook later, simply shape them, wrap them in sheets of parchment paper, and freeze for up to 6 months. Let the patties thaw overnight in the fridge, or add more reheating time.
More easy chicken recipes to try
Crispy Chicken Patties
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded chicken or canned chicken
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese or Cheddar cheese or Mozzarella cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons oil to fry
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded or canned chicken, mayonnaise, shredded cheese, eggs, breadcrumbs, flour, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, cumin, and parsley. Mix well until everything is evenly combined.
- Take a portion of the chicken mixture and shape it into a patty using your hands.
- Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully place the chicken patties in the pan. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crispy.
- Once cooked through, remove the chicken patties from the pan and place them on a wire rack to remove excess oil.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published September 2020, updated and republished November 2024
Very good. although I make them into meatballs. and bake 20-25 mins
What spices did you add Arman? I don’t see any spices in the recipe above.
Hi Reece- it’s super versatile, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, basil, etc are all fab additions.
I threw a a little gluten free flour in mine also. They taste good, my family loves them. I froze some for taking when I’m away from home. I have alpha gal & gluten allergy. Have to be so careful eating especially away from home. These are easy, great and a perfectly simple solution.
I threw a a little gluten free flour in mine also. They taste good, my family loves them. I froze some for taking when I’m away from home. I have alpha gal & have to be so careful eating especially away from home. These are easy, great and a perfectly simple solution.
Made this last night and it was fabulous! Served with mashed potatoes and salad. I enjoyed how easy it was to make, and the sauce while admittedly a bit oily, was very tasty!
Made this last night and it was fabulous! Served with mashed potatoes and salad. I enjoyed how easy it was to make, and the sauce while admittedly a bit oily, was very tasty!
Wow, I just made these chicken patties and they were really good! I did add a bit more zucchini, a bit of grated carrot & and extra egg (my egg’s were small) and it turned out really good and so easy! almost like a potato pancake but with chicken and veggies! Thanks for the recipe!
These were so good! I’m trying to use up random food (as in I’m way too lazy to go grocery shopping any more) and thought I’d do something with chicken and rice. Hubby’s not supposed to have milk products and they all have lots of cheese.
I came across this and we love salmon patties from canned salmon. I keep canned chicken on hand as a filler for soup or chili. I had one dry, cooked breast which I shredded so I only used one can. And I didn’t have zucchini so I used some shredded carrots with the spinach I had to pick out of my spring mix (lol). My party mix was really dry even with the tablespoon or so of mayo left in the bottle and didn’t stick well. Probably needed a second egg. ( I was already subbing in pumpkin for 2 of 4 eggs in the brownies I had to make for work tomorrow so I couldn’t spare another. Again, I found this recipe bc I have to go to grocery store)
Anyway, the point is the flavor was great and even though I wasn’t hungry at all there are no leftovers for lunch tomorrow and I will definitely make these again. I’ll also check out the other recipes. Maybe curried salmon patties will be next.
These are excellent!! I know I will be trying more of your recipes.
Thank you!
These were surprisingly delicious! I needed a quick recipe and didn’t even have most of the suggested ingredients! I had few greens, so threw in diced tomatoes, bell peppers, celary, shredded Italian cheese combo, fresh parmesano, and oregano.I used everything else as suggested. I barely coated the frying pan for the first batch, and slightly more fried the second batch, both tasted amazing. My daughter who despises canned chicken was shocked when I told her! This is a great recipe! It felt like a gourmet meal made in 10 minutes! Canned chicken, go figure! Try this!
Very easy. Tasty. Next time I might add onions. I’d add a picture if it’ll let me.
While I noticed some substantial differences, there was also some consistency.
These were very easy to put together and good too. Instead of spaghetti sauce I used pizza sauce. It gives it more of a tangy taste than the spaghetti sauce does. I also used 2 slices of mozzarella per patty. And to top it off I sprinkled chives on top. ��
Ok, so my husband bought about 6 cans of chicken. I took one look and thought “what in the hell am I supposed to do with this?”
Found your recipe but I kind of put my own spin on it. Letting you know up front that I didn’t measure anything, I just kind of threw it together and it tasted fantastic!
Canned chicken
Fresh cilantro
Ginger
Garlic
Chopped onion
Turmeric
Cumin
Black pepper
Breadcrumbs
Egg
😀 That sounds delicious!
Made this tonight. Came out very good. Bought the cans thinking it’s chicken of sea and realized too late it’s chicken:) thanks cz now I have a go to recipe for my canned chicken!
Hahahaha love it! THAT DARN NAME!!!!!! The number of times I have made that exact error…..