Easy Leftover Chicken Cakes

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Leftover Chicken Cakes are a quick and easy recipe for pan-fried patties using shredded rotisserie chicken.

Are you running out of ideas for your leftover baked chicken from last night's dinner? Make these healthy shredded chicken patties! They're the poultry version of crab cakes with an Italian twist.

This budget-friendly, cook-once-eat-twice dish is just as good or maybe even better than the first meal. Chicken mixed with mayo, onion, garlic, and seasonings gets a crispy outer crust when browned on the stovetop.

We topped these roasted chicken cakes with cilantro garlic mayonnaise, even though they don't need a topping. Truly.

But they're even yummier and kid-friendly with garlic aioli sauce or remoulade for dipping. Think of it as the icing on the cake (pun intended!)

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• How to Poach Chicken
• How to Shred Chicken
• Directions
• Top Tips
• Cilantro Garlic Mayonnaise
• Storage
• FAQ
• More Leftover Chicken Recipes
• 📋 Recipe

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this chicken cakes recipe:

• Cooked, shredded chicken - You'll need about 3 cups of poultry (any kind, including breast meat, legs, tenders, and thighs.) Rotisserie chicken is perfect after you scrape off the skin. You can even make these with leftover turkey.
  • If the chicken is breaded or covered in sauce, then scrape it off!
  • Also, the chicken cakes will take on the flavor of any ingredients in the cooked chicken.
  • See the sections below on how to poach uncooked chicken and easily shred it.
• Mayonnaise and Egg - bind the ingredients together.
• Breadcrumbs - any type, including whole wheat, gluten-free, or low-carb-friendly.
• Red onion - finely diced.
• Garlic - minced or pressed.
• Basil - fresh or dried.
• Olive oil - for pan frying.

Variations: Add sundried tomatoes or finely chopped artichokes.

Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.

How to Poach Chicken

If you don't have leftover chicken, don't despair. It's easy to poach chicken for use in the recipe.

1. Place 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a pot and cover them with water (or broth.)
2. Bring water to a boil and then reduce the heat to low.
3. Cover and cook for about 10-12 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Insert a thermometer into the chicken while it cooks so you'll know exactly when it's ready.
4. Allow the chicken to cool slightly before working with it further.

How to Shred Chicken

It's easier to break apart slightly warm chicken! There are two ways to do it:

1. Use two forks and break the chicken apart.
2. Use beaters to quickly do the job. Add chicken to a deep bowl and run the beaters on medium speed for about 1 minute or until it's finely shredded.

Directions

You'll be at home making chicken cakes if you've made crab cakes or black bean cakes. It's the same process.

Simply combine the ingredients, form patties, and fry them on the stovetop. Follow these steps so they come out perfectly every time!

1. Mix egg, mayonnaise, breadcrumbs, diced red onion, chopped or dried basil, and minced garlic in a bowl.
2. Add shredded chicken to the bowl and mix. Keep stirring until it's well combined and the ingredients start to stick together.
   • At first, it might seem like this is not going to happen. It will. Just keep stirring. And, if you feel like it isn't sticky enough, add a little more mayonnaise.
3. Make cakes by compressing about ¼ cup of the mixture into a patty shape about ½ inch thick. You should end up with 12 patties.
4. To cook the chicken cakes, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken cakes to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and allow to cool.

Top Tips

• Use a pastry brush to lightly coat the outside of the chicken cakes with olive oil. The crust will form more evenly, and less oil is needed for frying.
• Smaller-size patties are easier to work with, but you can make 6 larger ones. Or, form the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls for 48 appetizer-sized cakes.
• As with all delicate "cakes," be gentle and try to limit how many times you flip them.

Cilantro Garlic Mayonnaise

I am absolutely giddy about the mayo for these chicken cakes. Adding garlic and cilantro to mayonnaise gives it a zesty flavor, much like aioli!

To make it, simply stir minced or grated garlic and cilantro with mayonnaise. You can also add a splash of lemon or lime juice.

Suggested quantities are in the recipe card below. But feel free to add more or less of any ingredient to taste.

Storage

The USDA recommends refrigerating cooked chicken for up to 4 days. Keep this in mind in determining how long to store leftovers safely in the refrigerator or freezer.

• Refrigerator - Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days after the chicken was initially cooked.
  • Reheat in the oven or an air fryer. Cakes won't be crispy after they are heated in the microwave.
• Freezer - Leftover chicken cakes can be stored in the freezer before they are cooked for up to 3 months. Place chicken patties in a single layer in an airtight container. (Once frozen, you can move them to a freezer bag or leave them as is.)
  • Cook - When ready to enjoy them, remove to the refrigerator to defrost overnight. You might want to re-compress them, but that's about it.

FAQ

More Leftover Chicken Recipes

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📋 Recipe

This recipe was originally published on 12/8/13 and has been updated to improve the reader experience.