 These delicious Chicken Croquettes are made with ricotta cheese, lemon and thyme making them lovely and light on the inside and nice and crispy on the outside.
I was craving a nice roast chicken dinner the other night and I have to say I was kinda laughing at myself bringing this big roast chicken out the oven accompanied by roast potatoes, honeyed carrots and luscious gravy because I'm still on my lonesome!
Yes I made a big roast dinner for just for me, ha!
SO as you can imagine I had a lot of left over chicken that needed to be used up and what better way to do that than make these delicious chicken croquettes with ricotta and thyme.
This is probably my favourite way of using up left over chicken, the croquettes make a perfect snack, side and are even absolutely delicious in a salad. I love making a salad with fresh tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and a couple croquettes on top, just delicious!
Unlike the well known potato croquettes there is no potato in these at all only good quality ricotta cheese, leftover roast chicken, lemon zest, onion, thyme and a little flour, it couldn't be simpler. That's what I love about Italian cooking there's always very few ingredients, all good quality that give maximum flavour.
I happily munched on these for the next couple of days it certainly helped distract me from missing Nathan so much (it's been almost 2 weeks!) but I'm SO excited he's coming home tomorrow! Woohoo!!
I've also been so good since he's been away, I've had zero vino so a glass of bubbly prosecco will go down very nicely this Saturday evening.
I hope you all have a lovely weekend, let me know what you'll be getting up to in the comments below!
If you've tried this or any other recipe on the blog please let me know how you got on, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTERESTto see more delicious food and what I'm getting up to.
Chicken Croquettes with ricotta and thyme
Ingredients
- 8.8 oz (250g) shredded roast chicken
- ½ white onion finely chopped
- 8.5 oz (250g) ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- Zest ½ lemon
- 2 heaped tbsp flour plus extra if necessary
- 5.5 oz (150g) breadcrumbs
- 1 free range egg
- 1 tablespoon parmesan grated
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil for frying
Instructions
- Add the chopped onion to a pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and sauté until soft but not browned. set aside to cool.
- Finely 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. 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 tablespoon 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 tablespoon 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.
- Put an inch of olive oil in a frying pan and fry the croquettes until golden on each side, drain on kitchen paper and serve.
Nutrition
- 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.
Nathan
I loved these so much, such a different way to use leftover chicken.
Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes
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!
Inside the rustic kitchen
Thank you so much Katie!
Brandi Crawford
I love the added ricotta cheese and thyme. This sounds and looks perfect!
Inside the rustic kitchen
Thanks so much Brandi you're so kind!
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ
These croquettes sound perfect for a relaxing weekend with a glass of bubbly 🙂
Inside the rustic kitchen
That sounds perfect!
Erren
I'm a huge fan of this recipe, I adore these!
Inside the rustic kitchen
Thank you so much Erren!
Jasmin
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.
Inside the rustic kitchen
Great, I'd love to know how you get on. Thanks for stopping by!