Cuban-Style Chicken Croquettes

Another great recipe for using pre-cooked or leftover chicken is to make croquettes! I absolutely love the Cuban chicken croquettes my abuela and mother make, especially with a side of chicken soup loaded with fideos. Actually, my nephews and niece go crazy for my mom’s chicken croquettes, which they adorably dubbed “chicken nutties,” because they taste that good! So, it should be no surprise that the chicken croquette recipe I am sharing is a family recipe. There are actually different ways to make Cuban-style croquettes as there are various ingredient combinations that can be used for the filling.  However, this recipe will focus on a basic chicken croquette. In my family, the croquettes are made alongside sopa de pollo (recipe for Cuban chicken soup here), because the chicken used to make the soup is taken out and converted into croquettes. My family’s croquette and soup recipe is very economical as 3 lbs of chicken makes a large quantity of soup and a dozen relatively large croquettes (or even more if made smaller). This is a typical cooking strategy in Cuban cuisine as it helps get the most out of a minimal amount of ingredients, particularly if your access to food is limited. The croquettes are quite simple to make, and provide a different way to eat chicken that is delicious! The crunchiness of the coating of the croquettes offers the perfect textural contrast to the soft, moist, and smoothness of the chicken filling. So have fun trying out this recipe and enjoy! 

Cuban-Style Chicken Croquette Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 pounds of chicken, cooked and then ground 
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• ½ tablespoon of onion powder
• 1 cup of homemade soup broth (recipe found here) or you can use premade canned or cartooned soup broth
• 1 cup breadcrumbs plain, unseasoned (you can use seasoned if you want)
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup of milk

TOOLS NEEDED:

• A frying pan
• A food processor
• 1 medium-sized mixing bowl, 2 dishes at least 1 ½ inches deep, and 1 dish or tray to place the croquettes
• A wire rack
• Utensils (e.g., forks, spoon, tongs)

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION / INSTRUCTIONS     

    

                                                                  

BRIEF DIRECTIONS (See the video demonstration for detailed instructions):

1. Collect ingredients. First, take the cooked chicken, and remove the bones, skin, and any cartilage. Then finely grind the chicken meat with a food processor.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, put the ground chicken and add the garlic powder, salt, and onion powder. Give it a quick mix. Then add the chicken broth and mix until the chicken mixture has a smooth (not pasty) consistency. (Note: You can add additional broth if needed, but you don’t want the chicken mixture to be too wet, or the croquettes won’t hold their shape or stay crispy once fried.
3. Next, set up a breading station with the chicken mixture, breadcrumbs, egg mixture, and a tray or dish to place the croquettes.
4. First, take a few (3 or 4 tablespoons) of chicken mixture and use your hands to form it into a small log/cylinder about 2 ½ inches long by 1 inch in diameter. Then coat the croquette thoroughly, on all sides with the breadcrumb, and place on a tray or plate. Repeat the process for the rest of the chicken mixture.
5. Now, coat the croquettes a second time. First, use a fork and a spoon to fully coat the croquette in the egg-milk mixture. Next, move the croquette to the breadcrumb and coat thoroughly on all sides. Then place the croquette on your tray or dish. Repeat the process for the rest of the croquettes.
6. Let the croquettes rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before frying (Note: This is an important step, as it helps dry out some of the moisture from the egg in the coating of the croquettes, and make the croquettes crispy once fried).
7. Put oil about a ½ inch deep in a frying pan and heat on high heat. Use a few breadcrumbs to test if the oil is hot enough. If you see bubbles, the oil is ready, and you can begin frying the croquettes.
8. Reduce the heat to medium-high (about a setting of 8), then place the croquettes in the oil. Don’t overcrowd the pan as you need room to roll the croquettes to fry them on all sides. Cook the croquettes on each side for about 20 to 25 seconds or until golden brown (Note: the first croquettes put in the frying pan may take longer to brown on the first side, about for 35 to 40 seconds). Continue rotating the croquettes until all sides are golden brown or brown. For the small ends, you can either spoon some oil over the ends or stand the croquettes up using utensils, and hold it in the oil for 20 seconds. Once finished frying, remove the croquettes from the oil and place them on a wire rack. Repeat the process for all of the croquettes. Then place on a plate and serve.