These easy chicken fritters make the best keto appetizers. They have a delicious cheddar crust and are perfect for dipping in your favorite sauce or dressing. This post is sponsored by Cabot Creamery.
Game Day approacheth! Are you ready to munch your way through the Super Bowl with some delicious keto snacks?
The truth is that I don’t care much for the actual game. I hardly pay it any mind… I’m just here for the snacks.
And if you happen to be serving some of these keto chicken fritters, chances are good that I will hover near them. I won’t be able to help myself, they are so cheesy and full of flavor.
I could easily make a whole meal out of them. In fact, I already have!
Game Day and Cheese Snacks
You really can’t watch a big sports game without plenty of cheese. They go together like peanut butter and jelly.
I’ve got quite a collection of cheesy keto snacks, and you know what? Almost every one of them is made with Cabot cheddar. Hmmmm, I think I sense a trend here.
A few on my list to make this year include keto stuffed mushrooms and possibly my keto sausage dip. But I do know that these cheesy chicken fritters will have a prime spot on that appetizer table!
You simply can’t beat Cabot Seriously Sharp for flavor. And that’s why it wins so many awards. You also can’t beat it being such an awesome brand. Cabot is entirely owned by the collective of over 700 farm families, and they are a certified B corp that takes sustainability seriously.
Ingredients
To make these easy cheesy chicken fritters, you will need:
- Ground chicken
- Cabot Seriously Sharp cheddar
- Almond flour
- Egg
- Garlic
- Parsley
- Salt
- Pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Oil and butter for the pan
How to make keto chicken fritters
- Use ground chicken: I’ve seen a number of recipes calling for very finely chopped chicken breast. But that
’sadds a lot of work and makes the fritters more likely to fall apart in the pan. - Grate the cheddar: I used a full block of 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.
- Add some almond flour: Ground chicken can be very wet and sticky when making meatballs or fritters like these. Almond flour or another nut or seed meal will help bind the mixture better.
- Mix in the seasonings: A little garlic, parsley, and red pepper flakes complement the cheddar nicely. And salt and pepper too, of course!
- Keep them small: Make the fritters no bigger than 3 inches in diameter. This helps hold them together, as well as making them perfect for appetizers and finger food.
- Refrigerate the patties: An hour in the fridge helps the fritters hold together better when frying.
- Fry them up! You should be able to fit 8 to 10 fritters in together in a 12 inch skillet so work in batches.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t recommend coconut flour for these chicken fritters, as it will make them dry and tough. Instead, try using another nut or seed meal, or even ground pork rinds.
Yes, you can cook these keto chicken fritters in an air fryer. 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.
Yes, ground turkey should work well in this chicken fritters recipe.
They reheat very well! In fact, you can make them a few days in advance and reheat them prior to serving. I recommend a low temperature oven to warm them through.
Storage instructions
Store any leftover fritters 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.
Cheesy Keto Chicken Fritters
Ingredients
- 2 lb ground chicken
- 8 ounces Cabot Seriously Sharp grated
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 large egg
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoon 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.
Debbie says
Can I use pecan flour.
Carolyn says
Probably. You will need to experiment!
Rachel Kamigwi says
Excellent. I love your recipes. I will definitely try them.
Do you have a recipe for home made cheese. I usually make my own cream cheese.
Laura Domitrz says
OOPS – Typo…I weigh 156.
Carolyn says
Congrats!
Teresa Joy says
Ok, so I love the flavor of these! I’ve made them twice, but they stick so badly in my pans. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong! Can you help? I’m thinking of trying them in my air fryer with a liner instead. Any thoughts?
Carolyn says
What kind of pans do you have? Lower heat and more oil would be my suggestion. Please read the blog post for air fryer instructions.
Laura Domitrz says
Hi Carolyn, do you have a suggestion for using a different type of cheese? Because of my migraines, the sharper the cheese, or more aged, the worst the migraine. This recipe looks delicious and I would love to try it with an alternative cheese. Any suggestions?
Carolyn says
Interesting. Sorry to hear it but honestly, any hard or semi-hard cheese should be good in these. Hey, even feta would be tasty!
Laura Domitrz says
Thanks Carolyn. Your recipes have helped me immensely on my journey to healthy living. I used to weigh 262 but after a major lifestyle change, walking and your help I currently weigh 256. Huge fan! Thank you.
Laura Domitrz says
😜OOPS = I weigh 156. ☺️
Anne-Marie Mazur says
These were fantastic. They were not dry, but a perfect consistency, which is not easy to do when working with chicken. I fried mine in olive oil and served them with my “wild rice” alternative. I will be making batches of these to freeze for quick meals—they will be my go-to gourmet chicken nuggets!
I really appreciate the time and effort of your recipe creations. I have made many of your recipes now and it has been quite a life-saver to have a source for so many good ones. This keto diet is extremely difficult and takes much dedication and discipline—and good recipes makes it easier to stick to. Salute!
Carolyn says
Thanks!
Carmel Watson says
is the chicken in this recipe raw or cooked?
Carolyn says
If it was cooked, I would specify that. 🙂
Traci says
I made these tonight using my air fryer at 400 for 12 minutes, flipping them halfway through. I made them a little bigger than appetizer size and we had for dinner with a salad. They were so tasty, cheesy, and crispy – my husband and I both loved them! I didn’t refrigerate them first but they held together well in the fryer. Thanks, Carolyn!
Randi J Condit says
I was going to ask how they did in an air fryer. Thank you for posting your results! I will give this a try.
Monty Tanner says
These are a fave in our house and on regular rotation these days. This last batch we made, we added approx. 1/4 cup of hemp hearts that added a bit of nuttiness and amplified the taste further.
Iris Anthony says
Is the « ground chicken » cooked or uncooked?
Carolyn says
Ground chicken typically comes uncooked.
Iris Anthony says
Thanks…cuz I need to grind it myself! (Barcelona)
Grete says
Do you think this could work for a kid’s lunch box? I can’t wait to try this!
Carolyn says
Absolutely! They can be out of the fridge for a few hours.
DavetteB says
Sure, homemade chicken nuggets 😉 You’ll be Mom of the Year!
Melanie Cummings says
Would this work using canned chicken? I have some that I want to use up so I was just wondering.
Gail O says
This is a much requested recipe in our house. I have made it both with ground chicken and with canned white meat chicken (both are equally delicious). I have also experimented with different cheeses. Each time it has been a hit. It is a wonderful recipe for parties as it is a great finger food. Thank you for another hit out of the park recipe!
Patricia R. says
Thanks for the tip on canned chicken. I always have that in the house. Not so much the ground chicken.
Melanie Cummings says
How much canned chicken did you use? I have 2 Costco cans. Would I use 1 or 2?
Eva Howard says
I made this for my class reunion and it was the only appetizer that didn’t have any leftovers. Several folks asked for the recipe, so I posted the link in our class chat.
Always flavorful and not labor intensive. I think it will become my go to for carry-in appetizers.
THS class of 78 is great!!
Sarah says
how could this recipe be made using leftover chicken breasts?
Carolyn says
I don’t know, as I didn’t make mine that way. Sounds like you need to experiment!
JANET STE MARIE says
my family loved these.
Mary Heim says
How long should you reheat in oven? Don’t want them to dry out. After I reheat I want to throw them in crockpot on warm setting to take to craft day retreat.
Carolyn says
I reheat mine for 10 minutes or so. Just until warmed through in the center.
Susan Cusato 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. Do NOT shortcut the cheese. Buy your favorite block & grate. My personal favorite is Cabot New York Seriously Sharp. Makes all the difference.
Dave says
Winner, winner, chicken dinner. Literally! These are delish! So happy I made these. I followed the recipe to the T. And they were awesome!
Mary Jane says
These are the best! I used a 2 TBS cookie scoop and then flattened with my hand on the cookie sheet before placing in the refrigerator. Since I made a double batch, so I could freeze some, this made it very easy.