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Chicken Pot Pie Croquettes
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Croquettes are a fried appetizer made from a binder like potatoes or béchamel (in this recipe I use both) and additional fillings with iterations from countries around the world. French croquettes are made with potatoes, while Spanish croquetas are bound with a thick béchamel sauce. In this recipe I use both for a creamy and flavorful appetizer.
They are crispy on the outside with a golden brown exterior and fluffy on the inside. These chicken pot pie croquettes are made with sautéed carrots, celery, shallots and peas with chopped chicken thickened with béchamel and folded with mashed potatoes. I serve them with a tangy aioli, flavored with hot sauce and Worcestershire. This recipe is great to make ahead and freeze and then reheat in the oven or air fryer for quick serving. It’s also great for kids! I cut it into pieces for my son for an easy dinner. Love these flavors? Try my mini chicken and prosciutto pot pies or these hearty stout braised steak and mushroom pot pies.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Comfort food in bite-size form. All the cozy flavors of classic chicken pot pie—creamy chicken filling, vegetables, and herbs—wrapped in a crispy, golden shell.
- Perfect for entertaining. These croquettes are an unexpected yet familiar appetizer that always impresses guests.
- Great way to use leftovers. A creative way to repurpose leftover rotisserie chicken or extra filling from pot pie.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Potatoes – I boil russet potatoes until they can easily be pierced with a fork before draining them. I use a potato ricer to rice the potatoes for the best light texture, but they can be mashed using a fork or potato masher if needed.
- Chicken – Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are seasoned simply with salt and pepper and cooked in a pan in a bit of oil until golden brown. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before finely chopping it for the filling.
- Mirepoix – The vegetables are cooked in the remaining brown bits on the pan and butter from the chicken for added flavor.
- Peas – I use frozen sweet peas to add some texture to the croquettes. Fresh shelled English peas can easily be swapped for the frozen peas if you have them on hand, just add a few additional minutes for cooking time.
- Béchamel – Béchamel sauce is made from a roux base and one of the five French mother sauces in cooking. A bit of flour is cooked in butter or fat to reduce the flavor of the flour before it’s combined with milk. The béchamel is used to create a creamy interior of the croquettes.
- Breadcrumbs – The shaped croquettes are rolled in breadcrumbs, then eggs, and once more in plain breadcrumbs for the crispy, crunchy exterior.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to make with leftover chicken
Rather than using chicken thighs, leftover rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken breasts can also be used in place of the chicken thighs. Substitute 1 cup (140g) of finely chopped, cooked chicken and continue to sauté the vegetables in the oil and butter as directed below.
Swaps and substitutions
- To mash: If you don’t have a potato ricer you can mash the potatoes using the back of a fork.
- Chicken: The boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be swapped for leaner chicken breasts if desired. You can also use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken.
- Classic pot pie veggies like peas, carrots, and corn work beautifully, but you can swap in sautéed mushrooms, leeks, or spinach for extra flavor.
- Vegetables: Classic pot pie veggies like peas, carrots, and corn work beautifully, but you can swap in sautéed mushrooms, leeks, or spinach for extra flavor.
- Cheese: Add shredded cheddar, Parmesan, or Gruyère to the filling for a richer, more savory flavor.
How to Make Chicken Pot Pie Croquettes (Step-by-step)
Add the mayonnaise, oil, mustard, Worcestershire and hot sauce to a small mixing bowl. Season with pepper then cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 week.
Add potatoes to a large pot, cover with salted water by 1” (2.5cm) and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook the potatoes until they are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes completely and add them back to the pot to help dry any remaining water. Rice the potatoes, add to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat through. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 6 to 8 minutes total.
Remove cooked chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes, then finely dice the chicken and set aside.
Return the pan to medium heat, add the butter and allow to melt. Add the carrot, celery and shallots, sautéing until tender, about 6 minutes. Add the peas and garlic, continuing to cook until the peas are tender, about an additional 2 minutes.
Return the chicken to the pan, stirring to combine. Add the flour and stir to combine, cooking for just a minute so the flour flavor cooks off. Add the milk and stir, let simmer over medium low heat until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with Worcestershire, salt and pepper.
Let cool, then add to the potatoes, stirring to combine, being careful not to over-mix.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop the filling in 2 tablespoon portions, shaping into balls and placing them on the baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 to 2 hours or up to overnight.
Add the eggs to one shallow bowl, whisking to combine. Then add the breadcrumbs to another bowl. Add enough oil to reach 1” (2.5cm) up the side of a large cast iron pan or Dutch oven. Heat oil to 350ºF (180ºC).
Working one at a time, roll one of the croquette balls in the breadcrumbs, then into the egg wash, and back into the breadcrumbs.
Carefully add to the oil and fry, working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, until golden brown on all sides, about 1½ to 2 minutes. Remove from the oil to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet to drain.
Serve the croquettes on a platter with the sauce on the side for dipping.
How to cook in air fryer or oven
While frying gives the croquettes their signature crunch, you can bake them at 400°F (200ºC) for 18–20 minutes or air fry them at 375°F (190ºC) for 10–12 minutes for a lighter version.
How to reheat chicken pot pie croquettes
The croquettes are best fried in oil and reheated in an air fryer or in the oven. If reheating in an air fryer, work in batches and add several croquettes to the basket of the air fryer and heat at 350ºF (180ºC) until crispy and heated through, about 6 minutes. If reheating in the oven, heat oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and bake until heated through, about 12 to 15 minutes.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Croquettes are crispy, breaded bites usually made from a creamy filling that’s chilled, breaded, and fried or baked until golden brown.
Yes! While frying gives the croquettes their signature crunch, you can bake them at 400°F (200ºC) for 18–20 minutes or air fry them at 375°F (190ºC) for 10–12 minutes for a lighter version.
Yes, and that’s why I love them! Form and bread the croquettes, then refrigerate for up to 24 hours before cooking, or freeze them for up to a month. You can also fry then reheat them.
They’re delicious on their own, but a creamy aioli (as directed below), ranch dressing, or even a bit of gravy makes the perfect dip.
Yes! Shredded rotisserie chicken makes these even easier to pull together without sacrificing flavor.
Other Recipes to Try
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Chicken Pot Pie Croquettes
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Ingredients:
For the aioli:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
- 1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the croquettes:
- 1 pound Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ pound chicken thighs, about 2 medium chicken thighs
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup finely diced carrot
- ½ cup finely diced celery
- ½ cup diced shallot
- ½ cup frozen sweet peas
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
- 3 large eggs
- 1½ cups plain breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil, as needed, for frying
Instructions:
For the aioli:
- Add the mayonnaise, oil, mustard, Worcestershire and hot sauce to a small mixing bowl. Season with pepper then cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 week.
For the croquettes:
- Add potatoes to a large pot, cover with salted water by 1” (2.5cm) and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook the potatoes until they are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes completely and add them back to the pot to help dry any remaining water. Rice the potatoes, add to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat through. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 6 to 8 minutes total.
- Remove cooked chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes, then finely dice the chicken and set aside.
- Return the pan to medium heat, add the butter and allow to melt. Add the carrot, celery and shallots, sautéing until tender, about 6 minutes. Add the peas and garlic, continuing to cook until the peas are tender, about an additional 2 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the pan, stirring to combine. Add the flour and stir to combine, cooking for just a minute so the flour flavor cooks off. Add the milk and stir, let simmer over medium low heat until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with Worcestershire, salt and pepper.
- Let cool, then add to the potatoes, stirring to combine, being careful not to over-mix.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop the filling in 2 tablespoon portions, shaping into balls and placing them on the baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 to 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Add the eggs to one shallow bowl, whisking to combine. Add the breadcrumbs to another bowl.
- Add enough oil to reach 1” (2.5cm) up the side of a large cast iron pan or Dutch oven. Heat oil to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Working one at a time, roll one of the croquette balls in the breadcrumbs, then into the egg wash, and back into the breadcrumbs.
- Carefully add to the oil and fry, working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, until golden brown on all sides, about 1½ to 2 minutes. Remove from the oil to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet to drain.
- Serve the croquettes on a platter with the sauce on the side for dipping.
Notes:
Nutrition:
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These are INSANELY delicious! I appreciate an Italian twist to any dish and these are top of the list. I could eat the whole batch solo! A must try!
I’m so glad you enjoyed!!