Dutch Chicken Croquettes
What is a Pennsylvania Dutch chicken croquette? Croquettes are usually thought of as being a small rounded mass of minced meat that has been dipped in egg and bread crumbs, then deep fat fried. And that is exactly what a PA Dutch chicken croquette is.
These Amish chicken croquettes are made with cooked and chopped chicken that is mixed with a thick creamy sauce, shaped into balls, then dipped in eggs and coated in bread crumbs.
And to finish them off with the best and the most unhealthy part of all, they are deep-fried. But we all know that anything that's been deep-fried tastes amazing. Right?
Comfort Food = Pennsylvania Dutch chicken croquettes
Some people would classify chicken croquettes as comfort food. So the question is, what puts certain food into the classification of comfort food?
I believe that for many people comfort food is associated with their childhood or home-cooking. Often it is food with a higher carb content, and eating it provides a feeling of well-being.
For some of us, certain tastes and smells bring back memories of home. They provide a feeling of nostalgia and give us a longing for the past, typically a happy or carefree time in our lives.
Since starting my blog, I have been cooking and baking a lot more Amish food.
It's food that I grew up with. So when I'm cooking, some of the smells and tastes make me miss my home, especially my mom.
My Amish mom did a lot of cooking and baking, and she was a good cook. I have fond memories of working with her, and honestly, she was the most selfless person I've ever known.
Creamy Chicken Croquettes
To make Pennsylvania Dutch chicken croquettes, you will need to start with the cream base. Unless, of course, you don't have any cooked chicken, then you will need to cook some chicken first. But this Amish chicken recipe is a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken. Or you can also make these with leftover turkey.
I chopped my cooked chicken in my trusty little Ninja chopper. Just pulse it a few times until it's nicely chopped. Yes, I use this chopper all the time, for everything. And I'm adding an affiliate link again, in case you decide you need one...
To make the sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan or skillet. Stir in the flour. Slowly pour in the half and half, whisking to combine. Cook, stirring constantly until a smooth paste is formed. Remove from the heat and add the seasonings.
My Recommendations for making ground chicken croquettes
I recommend letting the sauce cool before adding the chopped chicken. Once it's cool, mix the chicken and sauce and form the mixture into balls. I like to use a big cookie scoop.
Refrigerate the balls for several hours or overnight before dipping them into the egg and crumbs.
You don't have to do this. You can mix the warm sauce with the chicken, form it into balls, and immediately dip and fry them. It will just be a little messier job to get the balls dipped.
And you can make the balls as big or little as you prefer. This Dutch croquette recipe can easily make nine to twelve balls.
If you like a lot of creamy filling on the inside, stick with nine balls. If you prefer having more of the crispy fried texture, make at least twelve balls.
Deep Fat Fry, Pan Fry, or Air Fry?
If you are watching your cholesterol and don't want to consume as much fried food, there are alternatives to deep-frying your Pennsylvania Dutch chicken croquettes.
I have not invested in an air-fryer yet. Maybe someday. I am told, however, that they are amazing. So go ahead and air-fry your croquettes. It would definitely be a healthier option.
*Edited to add Air-Fryer Tip: I had someone tell me that they tried this recipe, and she cooked the croquettes in the middle of her air-fryer for 14 minutes at 350 degrees. She said they were perfect! 🙂 And I had a second person tell me that she air-fried them for 20 minutes at 370 degrees. So I guess it depends on how crispy you like them.
You can also just pour a thin layer of oil into a skillet and pan-fry them. Keep turning the balls until all sides are browned.
But the most common way of cooking chicken croquettes is the deep-frying method.
You can use an electric deep fryer if you want. I have one of those, but honestly, I've never really been impressed with it. It takes a lot of oil to fill it, and it seems to have a hard time keeping the oil hot enough (maybe I need a better one).
I often end up using a medium-large saucepan on my stovetop. Fill it about three-fourths full of cooking oil (I like to use peanut oil, but I use canola oil sometimes as well).
Heat the oil to 325 - 350 degrees (use a cooking thermometer). As you are frying, you may have to adjust the burner to keep the temperature maintained between 325 and 350.
Fry a few balls at a time until they are a nice golden brown. Remove the croquettes with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels.
*Caution: The oil is very hot, so please be careful!
Sauce for Chicken Croquettes
Some people like to cook a cream sauce to serve with their croquettes, but we always ate ours with chicken gravy.
After all, Pennsylvania Dutch chicken croquettes are great served with mashed potatoes. So you can top both your mashed potatoes and croquettes with the gravy. Add some vegetables, and you've got an amazing home-cooked Amish meal.
More Amish recipes...
You can find a simple Amish Mashed Potatoes Recipe here.
Amish Meatloaf with Oats Recipe
Pennsylvania Dutch Potato Filling Recipe
Amish Wedding Chicken and Stuffing (Roast) Recipe
Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Croquettes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 c. cooked chicken, ground (leftover chicken or turkey works great)
- 2 Tbs. butter
- 2 Tbs. flour
- 1 c. half and half (you can substitute with milk)
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. minced onion flakes
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 - 1 c. panko or regular bread crumbs
- oil, for frying
Instructions
- To make the sauce, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Slowly pour in the half and half, whisking as you are pouring.2 Tbs. butter, 2 Tbs. flour, 1 c. half and half
- Cook, and stir constantly until a smooth paste is formed. Remove from the heat and add the seasonings. Cool.3/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. minced onion flakes
- Mix the chopped chicken with the creamy sauce. Form into 9 - 12 balls and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.2 c. cooked chicken, ground
- Dip the balls into beaten eggs, then roll into bread crumbs.2 eggs, 1/2 - 1 c. panko or regular bread crumbs
- Deep fat fry several croquettes at a time, with your oil between 325° and 350°, for several minutes until they are golden brown.
- Remove the croquettes with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
- Croquettes are delicious served with chicken gravy and mashed potatoes.
Connie S
I had some leftover bbq chicken and hunted for a croquettes recipe. Your recipe looked simple and I followed the instructions exactly. For cooking I sprayed avocado oil on parchment paper covering a cookie sheet and placed the croquettes on top. I sprayed a bit more oil and put them in a 375° F oven for 20 minutes then flipped them and cooked for another twenty minutes. Turned out delicious. Thank you!
Anna
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. Never tried baking them. Now I know that works too. Thank you!
Cindy
I was glad to come across this recipe. I had tried a different croquette recipe a while ago, but was not happy with it - I seem to remember it being more complex. I followed this recipe exactly as to the ingredients. I had enough chicken to make the recipe 1.5 times (3 cups of minced cooked chicken). The croquettes were delicious! I served them with a mushroom gravy. I refrigerated the mixture for a couple of hours prior to forming the croquettes, and they formed beautifully. Instead of forming smaller balls, I made larger croquettes in the shape of cones (the shape I remember from frozen ones my mom would buy, 50 years ago). Instead of frying them, I placed them on a parchment-paper lined tray, drizzled them with melted butter, and baked them at 350 for 30 minutes, though they were probably done at 20 minutes. This recipe is simple and delicious.
Anna
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I'm glad it worked for you.
Tanja Heimbach
Can I use frozen ground chicken that I defrosted that's raw not cooked when making this recipe? Don't know if I should cook the ground chicken first then add to sauce or just put raw chicken in batter then deep fry?
Anna
I have never tried it with ground chicken. Not sure if it would get cooked all the way through well enough if you put it in raw?
Carol
Delicious and easy thank you
Anna
Glad you're enjoying them!
Jennette
These look delicious!!!
Any pointers on how to air fry these in place of pan frying? I would love to try that process instead. Had anyone else tried?
Anna
I actually have instructions to air-fry within the post (given to me by a reader). It's in the section "Deep-fry, pan-fry, or air-fry".
Lupe
I did air fry at 350 for 20 minutes turning halfway. Turn out great!
Jeanine Hamilton
what are the ingredients for the sauce??
Anna
The recipe for the sauce that gets mixed with the chicken is on my page. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the recipe card.
Sara
Made these with leftover turkey and they came out so good.
Anna
Yay!
Danielle Martin
Hello, these sound amazing. How would I freeze them?
Anna
I have never tried it, but it should be fine to freeze them in airtight container.
Kim
Y mom used to make these.Looks like I will make it a regular. habit of making them also works well with rotisserie chicken,ground up.
Sherrie C.
Instructions unclear where or when you add 3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. minced onion flakes
Anna
I'm sorry, I guess I missed that step in the recipe card. Add the seasonings to the thickened sauce.
Ellen in Oregon
Back in the 60's when I was a kid my mom would make croquettes from chicken, ham and turkey. They were a treat when she made them and I have no tasted them in 40 years, but your post inspired me to make them using your recipes. They were easy & delicious. I did let them chill overnight & that made them very easy to shape and bread. I did make a white cream sauce with mushrooms because that is what my mom served with them. The meal was a big success and everyone love them. Thank you for posting this retro-recipe. I will be making it often in the future.
Anna
You are welcome! Glad you enjoyed them.
Sharonmorgan
I made these just as the recipe said , my family loved them
It will definitely be a regular meal in our house
I deep fried mine to golden brown ; put chicken gravy over them
Served with pan fried potatoes and corn on the cob
Anna
So glad you enjoyed them! Thank you!
Anna
🙂