These chicken fritters come out so crispy, cheesy and juicy and don’t require any breading. They are just 3 ingredients and easy to make. The fritters work well for an easy appetizer or side dish. They are also low carb, gluten-free and keto-friendly.
These crispy chicken fritters are one of my favorite things to make. The fritters come out so crispy even without the need for any breading or deep frying.
Ingredients
- Chicken
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Eggs
Chicken: You can use chicken breast, chicken tenderloin or chicken thigh meat. I used chicken breast meat. Make sure your chicken is fully cooked before making the fritters. I recommend steaming or boiling the chicken.
Mozzarella cheese: This recipe uses low moisture pre-shredded mozzarella. You do not want to use fresh mozzarella. Shredded mozzarella is the key to the fritters crisping up. You can also replace some of the mozzarella cheese with parmesan cheese which will add more flavor and make the fritters even crispier. I don’t recommend using only parmesan cheese though. While the fritters are crispier with parmesan, they also turn out a little dry. Mozzarella cheese adds moisture to the fritters.
Eggs: Eggs are used as a binding agent.
How to Make Crispy Chicken Fritters
- The cooked chicken is first pulsed through a food processor until the meat is fully shredded. The eggs and cheese are then mixed in. Your mixture should start to stick together and the mozzarella shreds should be fully incorporated, with no noticeable shreds sticking out.
- Scoop 1/2 cup of mixture and shape into a 1/2 inch thick round patty. Repeat with remaining mixture. If desired, you can also make these a little smaller and scoop just 1/3 cup of mixture.
- Cook the fritters in the air fryer until golden brown. You can also cook them on the stove in a skillet if you don’t own an air fryer.
Expert Tips
- You can add different shredded cheeses like cheddar or parmesan to add more flavor to these fritters.
- These fritters are best cooked in an air fryer. The shorter cook time will keep the fritters juicy and crispy. While they can be cooked in the oven, the fritters turn out more dry in the oven. If you don’t own an air fryer, you may want to cook them on the stove with a skillet.
More Easy Low Carb Side Dishes
3 Ingredient Crispy Keto Chicken Fritters
Ingredients
- 12 oz (340 g) cooked chicken breast see note before starting, can also use tenderloin or thigh meat
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups (216 g) pre-shredded low moisture mozzarella cheese see note before starting
Instructions
- Add cooked chicken to a food processor and pulse for a few seconds until the chicken meat is fully shredded.
- Add in eggs and cheese. Pulse again until everything is evenly mixed. The eggs and cheese should be fully incorporated and the mixture should start to clump together. There also should not be any noticeable cheese shreds sticking out. See photo in post for reference.
- Loosely scoop up 1/2 cup of mixture. Place onto a sheet of parchment paper. Use your hands to then flatten and shape into a round patty about ½ inch thick. You should have enough for 8-10 patties.
- Remove the inner basket insert/grill plate from your air fryer. Grease the inner basket insert with cooking oil spray. Place about 4 patties onto the insert, making sure none of them touch (you can do more if your air fryer fits more but mine fit just 4 at a time). Spray the surface of the fritters with cooking oil spray. Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Cook in preheated air fryer for about 7 minutes. The surface of the patties should be mostly golden brown. Working quickly, briefly open your air fryer to flip the patties and then cook for about 2 more minutes or until both sides are evenly browned and crispy (you don't need to wait for the air fryer to preheat again but keep the temperature set at 375°F/190°C). Depending on your air fryer, you may need another minute or two.
- Repeat with remaining patties. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container and keep in fridge or freezer. You can then reheat them in the air fryer. These fritters turn out best cooked in an air fryer. Baking them in the oven will cause the fritters to be dry. If you don't own an air fryer you can try cooking them in a skillet on the stove with a little oil (or cook in a nonstick skillet with no oil).
Notes
- Chicken note: The chicken does need to be cooked before using. This can be done very simply by boiling or steaming it. Chicken tenderloin or thigh meat will make the fritters even juicier and more flavorful, but I usually use chicken breast. Make sure you use 12 ounces of cooked chicken (weigh it for the recipe after it is cooked).
- Cheese note: This recipe works best with pre-shredded cheese which usually contains a little starch to keep the cheese shreds from clumping. That starch does help crisp up the fritters. While pre-shredded cheese is not usually recommended for a keto diet because of the added starch, the amount of starch added is very small. You can shred your own mozzarella if you are concerned about the added starch but your fritters won't be quite as crispy. Make sure you don't use fresh mozzarella. It needs to be low moisture mozzarella. You can also do a combination of cheeses to add more flavor. Substituting half of the mozzarella with parmesan will add more flavor and make the fritters even crispier. I don't recommend using only parmesan because the fritters will turn out dry.
- You can make the fritters smaller and more bite-sized by scooping just 1/3 cup of mixture instead of 1/2 cup.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
