Let me give you a little bit of advice, my friends. Head to your kitchen right now and whip up a batch of these Chicken Fritters. You will be so darn happy that you did! These tasty nuggets are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and packed with cheesy goodness.
Make a big batch to serve to friends with some feta dressing or chipotle ranch dressing for dipping. Or keep them all for yourself for quick lunches or high protein snacks. They’re great over salad too!
Susan says:
“These are literally the BEST. I’ve made them so many times as a meal. Side of steamed garlic broccoli, & serve with ranch, bleu cheese, au jus, all of the above, whatever. Whole family loves them. So much flavor.”
These keto chicken fritters have been insanely popular from the moment I hit publish. And it’s not hard to see why. They’re made with simple, wholesome ingredients. And the cheddar melts into the fritters as they cook, creating a crispy golden crust and a tender, cheesy interior.
It’s easily one of my most popular keto appetizer recipes. One bite and you’ll be hooked. And if you watch the video and see me doing the happy dance, you might just want to groove along with me!
Why readers love this recipe
- Fabulous flavor: These chicken fritters are made with sharp cheddar, garlic, and red pepper flakes, for bold savory flavor.
- Wonderful texture: Crispy on the outside, tender and cheesy on the inside!
- Easy recipe: Using ground chicken makes these fritters come together quickly and easily.
- Healthy ingredients: No special ingredients in this recipe. Just some chicken, cheese, almond flour, and some seasonings.
- Gluten-free: Great for people who can’t tolerate wheat or gluten.
- Customizable: Feel free to use ground turkey or a different cheese like pepper jack. I have one reader who made a Tex Mex version!
- Make ahead: You can easily prep these ahead for easy appetizers or family-friendly dinners.
- Great macros: With 19 grams of protein and less than 2 grams of carbs per serving, these chicken fritters are ideal for low carb and keto-friendly diets.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground chicken: This simplifies the process, as there is no need to chop the chicken or to process it in a food processor.
- Sharp cheddar: I grated a full block of sharp cheddar (Cabot Seriously Sharp!) for these fritters and they were seriously amazing. They had a crispy cheese crust as they came out of the pan that was absolutely delectable.
- Almond flour: Almond flour or another nut or seed meal will help bind the mixture together. I don’t recommend coconut flour, as it will make the fritters dry and tough. Instead, try using another nut or seed meal, or even ground pork rinds.
- Egg: This is the glue that binds the patty mixture together.
- Seasonings: Garlic, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper
- Oil and butter for frying
Overview: How to make Chicken Fritters
- Combine the ingredients: Combine the chicken, cheddar, almond flour, egg, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix with your hands to make it all nicely uniform.
- Form the patties: Use about 2 tablespoons of the mixture at a time and form into small patties about 2 ½ to 3 inches across. Place a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate one hour.
- Cook the patties: Heat the oil or butter in a large skillet and add butter. When melted and hot, brown the chicken patties until cooked through.
- Drain: Place the patties on a paper towel lined plate to drain off any residual oil.
Tips for Success
An hour in the fridge allows the fritters to firm up hold together better when frying. But you can make the patties up to a day in advance of cooking.
Make them any size! I like the small fritters for appetizers and snacks but many readers turn them into full size burgers.
You should get 24 to 26 small patties, and you can cook 8 to 10 at a time in a large skillet, so you will need to work in batches. I recommend scraping out some of the stuck-on cheese between batches, to avoid burning it.
Yes, you can air fry them! Grease the basket well and then brush a little melted butter over the fritters to help them brown. I suggest cooking them at 400ºF for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping them halfway through cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can serve them with ranch dressing or homemade keto ketchup for an appetizer. Or pair them with keto coleslaw or cauliflower potato salad as part of a full meal! Really, the sky is the limit here. Check out my full list of keto side dishes to find something that strikes your fancy.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat gently in a warm oven. You can also freeze the cooked chicken fritters for several months. Use a heavy duty freezer bag and remove excess air to avoid freezer burn.
This keto chicken fritter recipe has 1.7g of carbs and 0.6g of fiber per serving. If you count net carbs, that comes to 0.9g carbs for 2 fritters.
Chicken Fritters Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb (907.18 g) ground chicken
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) Cabot Seriously Sharp, grated
- ½ cup (56 g) almond flour
- 1 large (1) egg
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) red pepper flakes
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tbsp (1.5 tbsp) butter
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, cheddar, almond flour, egg, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Use your hands to mix everything well.
- Using 2 tablespoons at a time, form the mixture into small patties about 2 ½ to 3 inches across. You should get 24 to 26 patties. Place on the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate one hour.
- Set a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the oil and ½ tablespoon of the butter. Once hot, add 8 to 10 of the chicken patties. Cook about 3 minutes per side, until cooked through (the internal temperature should reach at least 165ºF on an instant read thermometer).
- Place the finished patties on a paper towel lined plate to dry and repeat 2 more times, until all of the patties are cooked. Note: you may want to scrape out some of the baked-on cheese between batches, to avoid burning it.
- Serve warm, with some ranch or bleu cheese dressing for dipping.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Can these be baked instead?
Thank you for the recipe! Jenn
Probably!
I’ve made these a few times and love them. I have used this basic recipe using canned salmon or tuna and recently used the canned chicken from Costco. Just added an extra egg. Delicious???? Thx for all the fantastic recipes. ????
Hi. I was just about to ask if using canned chicken would work. Thanks for the tip. I’ll try this.
Hi. I was just about to ask if canned chicken could be used instead. Thanks for the tip. I’ll try this.
I plan on making these for dinner tonight and I’mpretty excited about it. However, I’m not a fan of the texture of almond flour — do you think pork rind panko could be substituted?
Please read the blog post, I already addressed this! 🙂
I have loved everyone of your recipes – – – this one was just sorry flat awful. I followed the directions to a “T”. My husband and I were not sure if it was a texture or that there was no taste. We literally pulled every sauce we had in the frig out, and I made one of of my quick Asian sauces. He settled on bbq sauce. I threw mine out! I had sent this two of my friends and quickly sent a retraction email saying do not try this. Sorry.
Whoa, Kathy. Um… something went very wrong for you because as you can see from the rave reviews, people love these. I love these and have made them many times. No taste? What cheese did you use? What chicken did you use? Again, something went very wrong for you and I think you should, in fact, ask your friends to try them. Maybe they will have better luck.
I love these and the convenience of being able to make them ahead and freeze them. Another win Carolyn!
Incredible!! I used your BBQ sauce recipe for dipping.
I was wondering what you think of using fresh parsley instead of dried? What measurement would you suggest I use?
These Are Awesome!!! I made them for me, as I am the one eating Keto, and my husband and son tore into them! I had one, maybe two and then I noticed our son taking them home…LOL! So I bought another big batch of ground turkey(my store doesn’t have the ground chicken) and will be prepping this today to have tomorrow!!! WooHoo! Thank you for Another Terrific Recipe!
We all loved these. They are so versatile and you could go in so many different directions to change up the flavor profile. Yummy!
Making these now! Can’t wait!
Do you have a keto ranch recipe you can share?
Love all your recipes and dedication! ????
This one is fantastic with the fritters. https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/chipotle-ranch-dressing/
I like these the way they are, but I’m going to try an experiment and substitute Carbquik low-carb biscuit mix for the almond flour. It’s pretty sticky when wet, so my theory is it will make a good binder, and I’m really really really really tired of almond flour. I also like the way Carbquik browns in a frying pan.
Wow, these are so easy, versatile and very delicious! I made a fiesta dip for dipping, but can easily see these being used to make keto Chicken Parmesan, a sandwich on chaffles slathered with sriracha mayo or a lettuce wrap with bacon and avocado, to name just a few options.
Thanks for another great recipe Carolyn!
Another great 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ recipe Carolyne. Delish ???? Thank you.
I love these! So easy to make, and honestly a great “heat of the summer” meal. I make them up during the day, put them in the refrigerator, and when it’s time for dinner, cook them up on my blackstone griddle outside. It’s faster to cook them since I can get them all on the griddle at once, and doesn’t heat up my kitchen! And yes, they are delicious and with honey mustard, ranch or sugar free yum yum sauce. They are really good heated up the next day, and very filling. They make a good “lunchbox” meal to take to work too! There is nothing about these that I don’t like. And those crunchy bits that I scrape off the griddle? They go right in my mouth lol! Thank you for another great recipe. I so appreciate that you do all of the hard work, and we all get to benefit.
I dont know how to even express my delight with these little nuggets of wonderfulness. I have been keto for 6 years. lost 162 pounds. and i really dont much care for most keto food. But these? these are so good i forget i dislike the food and actually LIKE it. they are perfect as written..(except the red pepper..my destroyed stomach cant take any kind of spicy). I make the bbq sauce and dip them in it..so much better than mickey d’s chicken nuggets, or anyone elses for that matter. do yourself a favor and try these!!
Note to Carolyn: my daughter gave me an air fryer for my birthday. i’ve never much wanted one but now that i have it i use it 3-4 times a week!! Would you happen to know temp and time for doing them in an air fryer? or do you not recommend it at all? thanks!!
Hi Holly… the air fryer instructions are already in the blog post.
I can’t find the air fryer directions either. I’m not sure what you mean in the blog post. I’ve read the recipe and comments.
I really like your recipes!
These are SO delicious! I initially made them a month or so ago and halved the recipe for the two of us. Made them again a few weeks ago, then made a variation of them last night….oh my gosh! I made them spicy….cilantro, red pepper flakes, pepper jack cheese AND the sharp white combined, then I diced up into teeny tiny pieces, one jalapeño, and one green onion, and kept both uncooked, added those two ingredients to sour cream, added a dash of lime to it and that was my dipping sauce. Served it with cilantro rice. We are both addicted, so thank you so, so much for giving all of us such wonderful recipes, and your constant efforts are most appreciated.
I tried baking these in the oven…it was a success! Parchment lined baking sheets. 450 degrees for 10 minutes then 3-5 minutes under the broiler to brown and crisp the tops. Faster & less mess than frying in a pan. The first time I made them I cut boneless chicken into 1″ cubes and then minced it with the rest of the ingredients (other than the cheese) in a food processor. Worked out very well, & cheaper than paying extra for pre-groud chicken!
Great to hear!