Crispy Chicken Fritters

If you love easy comfort food recipes that come together in minutes, these Crispy Chicken Fritters will become a new favorite. Made with all-white canned chicken breast, a touch of seasoning, and a crisp breadcrumb coating, these fritters deliver incredible flavor with minimal work. They’re kid-friendly, budget-friendly, and perfect for quick lunches, weeknight dinners, or even homemade chicken nuggets.

The best part? You only need a handful of pantry ingredients to create these golden, crunchy croquettes.

🛒 Ingredients

To make these crispy chicken fritters, you will need:

• Two 12.5-oz cans white premium chunk chicken breast

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)

• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/quarter teaspoon onion powder

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs

• Additional bread crumbs for coating

• Vegetable oil for frying

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Drain the Chicken Well

Place the canned chicken in a colander and let it drain for several minutes.
Press the chicken firmly with a heavy bowl to remove as much moisture as possible — this helps the fritters hold their shape and crisp up beautifully.

2. Chop the Chicken

Roughly chop the drained chicken into even pieces, about 1/4 inch in size.
This step helps the mixture stay uniform and prevents pieces from sticking out of the coating during frying.

3. Mix the Ingredients

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, egg, Dijon mustard, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and thyme.
Mix with a fork until fully combined, then stir in the 1/4 cup of bread crumbs.

4. Shape the Fritters

Pour additional bread crumbs into a shallow bowl.
Divide the chicken mixture into six equal portions.
Shape each portion into a tight round patty — similar to a small hockey puck — and press into breadcrumbs to coat completely.

5. Pan Fry to Crispy Perfection

Heat about 1/4 inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, fry the chicken fritters for several minutes per side until golden brown, crispy, and cooked through.
Drain on a paper towel, garnish with parsley if you like, and serve warm.

💡 Helpful Notes & Tips

• Salt levels vary among brands of canned chicken and breadcrumbs. If you’re sensitive to salt, start with 1/4 teaspoon and adjust later.

• Make them fun-sized! Shape the mixture into smaller pieces to create homemade chicken nuggets.

• Sandwich option: Form wider patties for crispy chicken sandwiches.

• Preferred chicken: Swanson White Premium Chunk Chicken Breast works especially well.

• Using cooked chicken? Leftover or rotisserie chicken may work, but the texture may be drier and harder to bind.

• Panko substitute: Panko can be used but gives a slightly different crunch—fine bread crumbs work best.

• Mustard swap: Regular yellow mustard works if you don’t have Dijon.

• Air fryer method: Spray both sides with cooking spray and air fry at 400°F until golden and crisp.

• Not crock-pot friendly. These are meant for frying or air-frying only.

🍽️ Serving Ideas

Serve these crispy fritters with:

• Homemade ranch

• Honey mustard

• BBQ sauce

• Garlic aioli

• A simple side salad

• Fries or roasted potatoes

These fritters are versatile, satisfying, and incredibly easy to make — a perfect quick comfort meal for any day of the week.