Chicken croquettes are a brilliant idea to use up that leftover chicken that is sitting in your fridge with no destination, and a delicious one as well. Shredded chicken is first pan fried for the best flavor then mixed together with a creamy roux, formed into logs, breaded and fried. These little two bite size croquettes are phenomenal.
The croquette from the French croquer, “to crunch”, can be an exiting appetizer or a snack, or a full meal if you ask me. I love the flavor of chicken croquettes but you can make them with fish, ham, meat or vegetables. This particular recipe are cuban style chicken croquettes.
To make this dish you can use any left over chicken or even rotisserie will work. Shred chicken with fork and pan fry first in a hot skillet until crispy, vaca frita style. Thit really helps to deepen the flavors of the chicken and gives it a wonderful textural contrast with a creamy roux filling.
Traditionally croquettes are deep fried and I know it is not the healthiest option, but they come out so tasty and crunchy, just like the name implies and how they are supposed to be, so we are sticking with deep frying here. The batter for the croquettes is chilled in the fridge, the mixture needs to harden in order to form into logs and coat evenly. The logs are then dipped in eggs and breadcrumbs and fried to a crispy perfection.
Serve these mouthwatering chicken croquettes with your favorite dipping sauces, squeeze of fresh lime juice and garnish with cilantro.
