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Easy and delicious 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 delicious 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 delicious 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
Table of Contents
Ingredients
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Pin ItIngredient 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 make sure to drain it before using.
- Onion – make sure to finely chop the onion to make the croquettes easy to form (big chunks can be tricky to roll).
- Thyme – I 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 I love but you can leave it out and add cheese instead depending on the flavour you’re going for.
- Parmigiano Reggiano – I 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 – I fry the croquettes in batches of 4 so I 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.
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.
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.
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 delicious croquettes, here are some of my favourite ways.
- Aperitivo – serve them with your favourite Italian Aperitivo cocktail such as an Aperol Spritz or Venetian Spritz.
- Antipasto – serve them as part of an antipasti platter with olives, cheeses and cured meats.
- 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?
- Side dish – you can serve them as a side dish to a big meal on special occasions.
More Italian antipasti recipes
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Ricotta Chicken Croquettes
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Video
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 – I 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 – make sure to 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).
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this recipe. Reheat very well.
I grew up eating these (frozen kind), and they had no type of cheese. I don’t like cheese, so can this be made without any type of cheese? Thank you
Hi Gina, do you mean without ricotta? You could use mashed potatoes instead (enough to form a croquette) and just leave out the Parmigiano Reggiano from the breadcrumbs. Thanks Emily 🙂
I love croquettes. My mom used to make them with left-over leg of lamb. I’ve never tried making them with chicken and ricotta though. That sounds seriously delicious. Have fun when Nathan returns!
Thank you so much Katie!
I love the added ricotta cheese and thyme. This sounds and looks perfect!
Thanks so much Brandi you’re so kind!
These croquettes sound perfect for a relaxing weekend with a glass of bubbly 🙂
That sounds perfect!
I’m a huge fan of this recipe, I adore these!
Thank you so much Erren!
Oh yum! What a great way to use up leftover chicken. This looks so delicious and fresh, I’ll definitely give it a go next time my family makes a roast.
Great, I’d love to know how you get on. Thanks for stopping by!