CHICKEN PATTIES - Leftover CHICKEN Recipe

(soft music) - Yes. (laughs) Hi everyone, I'm Natasha from NatashasKitchen.com. And today I'm going to show you a great way to use

leftover

chicken

, whether it's white or dark meat, it's so easy and good. It's sure to become a new family favorite. We're making

chicken

pot pies. Let's do this because I'm hungry. (upbeat music) (bell rings) We love using roast chicken for this, one because it's easy and two, because roast chicken has a really good rich flavor. You can buy a rotisserie chicken or check out our

recipe

on how to make the most delicious instant pot roast chicken.

And if you want to become a pro at cutting up a whole chicken, watch our video on how to cut up a whole chicken. You'll be surprised how much

leftover

chicken you can get from a rotisserie chicken. Especially those pieces of meat at the bottom of the chicken, which tend to be the most tender and flavorful. You will need a total of four cups of shredded chicken. And I like to remove the skin and fat. Very dark meat or light meat work great in this

recipe

. Just use what you have on hand. Here are a few different ways you can shred your chicken.

You can do it by hand, simply separating the chicken into small pieces. Or to keep your hands clean, you can use two forks to shred the meat. Now, my favorite and easiest way to shred chicken is to put it in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed until the chicken is shredded. Be careful not to overmix and it works best if the chicken is hot. Now, in a large bowl, we will prepare the dough. Combine two large eggs, 1/3 cup real mayonnaise and the mayonnaise adds moisture and great flavor so don't skip it.

You will also need 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Also add a teaspoon of fresh lemon zest and don't skip this because it completely transforms these chicken pot pies. Adds great fresh flavor. And last but not least, add three tablespoons of freshly chopped dill and if you can't find dill, you can also use a little finely chopped parsley. Beat everything until you have a smooth dough. The dough is the glue that holds these chicken pot pies together. So be sure to add more chicken and also increase the dough proportionally. Add the shredded chicken and 1 1/3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese.

The cheese makes them creamier, cheesier and also helps hold the cakes together. Stir until very well combined and all of the chicken is coated with the batter. Now cover the mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Chilling the mixture will make it much easier to form the

patties

. Refrigerate also marinate the chicken. and infuses every bite with incredible flavor. Once the chicken mixture has cooled, we will divide it into portions. And I use a trigger-release ice cream scoop, and I'll link one that we love and use in the notes. Using the spoon makes it easier to portion them evenly.

You should get between 12 and 15 chicken burgers total. Once you've divided that up, you'll dip each one into a bowl, filled with a cup of Panko breadcrumbs. Roll each ball in the breadcrumbs, pressing them gently to adhere. While pressing the crumbs, gently shape the

patties

so that each is 1/2 inch thick. The breading adds a crispy exterior once fried, but also seals the juicy center and prevents the cheese from sticking to the pan. The great thing about this recipe is that you can pre-make these chicken pot pies and refrigerate them overnight. So you can cook them fresh the next day.

And they also reheat very well so you can cook them and reheat them the next day. Once all the chicken burgers are formed, we are ready to sauté them. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil. I'll link it to the pan we're using in the notes. Now I add the chicken pot pies in a single layer and cook them in a couple of batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Sauté for about three to four minutes per side, or until golden brown on each side, adding more oil as needed.

Although the chicken is already fully cooked in this recipe, you still need to give the dough a chance to cook through. So be patient while they sauté and if they start to brown too quickly, reduce the heat. You can also have two pans running at the same time or use a large griddle to make this process even faster. You want them to be crispy and golden brown on both sides. (upbeat music) I found that if you add a little more oil to the pan, it helps the crust brown. Once ready, transfer them to a plate and they are ready to enjoy.

You can make the second batch now or refrigerate them and cook them fresh the next day. (upbeat music) Oh, it's time to go! One of the things that I always recommend when you are going to fry something in oil is to sprinkle a little salt on top, as soon as it comes out of the oil, as with French fries. Adds that great flavor. It's a simple trick, but it will transform your food. Well. That seems correct. Very good, and a splash of fresh lemon juice, because remember that we add lemon zest to these cakes. Okay, and then the lemon juice really refreshes it and it tastes great too.

And I love serving them with more lemon wedges that people can squeeze over their cakes. It's also a really nice presentation. Okay, put them on a tray. My kids love these with a little ranch, but I have a really good garlic aioli that we use for our chicken fritters that also pairs really well with this recipe. And I'll link to that in the notes. Oh, I'm rushing because I want to get to this fresh one because it has a little bit of cheese in it. Okay, let's do this. Let's do this. (laughs) I'm excited. Very good, crispy on the outside and super tender and juicy on the inside.

Look at this. That chicken is so tender, cheesy and super delicious. This will be a new favorite, I assure you. Well well. I'm getting ahead of myself, getting excited. Here we go. (upbeat music) Hm. Mmmmmmmm. MMM. Mmm Wow. (laughs) This is so good. Oh, I love the texture. That little crunch on the crust and really so tender inside. It's amazing how it transforms leftover chicken into the juiciest chicken bites and the cheese keeps it moist. You can leave it out if you want, but I think it makes them better. (laughs) And you can really taste that lemon because we added it fresh on top.

And that little bit of lemon zest inside is a big help. So don't skip it. Plus the fresh dill. Oh, it just has a light flavor, but it's so good with lemon and chicken. Awesome. I have to eat another bite. Mmm, oh, mmm. I don't think these need more sauce (laughs) because they are very good. Yes, a little bit of lemon. Mmm, I love lemon. (happy music continues) Mm. Hmm. Wow. (laughs) I can't get enough. I know this is supposed to be a taste test and not a lunch, but (laughs) I can't help it. Oh, and if you have leftover chicken, we have some great ideas for using leftover chicken, along with our Chicken and Avocado Salad.

It's probably the number one salad recipe on our blog or you can make a really good homemade chicken noodle soup. So don't miss that recipe either. And you can even make bone broth, the most delicious bone broth with the leftover carcass, so I'll leave a link in the notes and I'll see you in our next video. (beeping tone) Ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh (mouth burping) I don't even know, I'm so tired. (hands clapping) Okay. (laughs) (beep tone) Wah! (laughs) Ah, cut. (beep tone) I know, but my upper back, (clapping) my shoulders are...

I hustled at the gym yesterday, okay? ♪ I'm a rush baby. ♪ (beep tone) ♪ I have power ♪ (oil sizzling) (beep tone) Ah. I'm afraid. Oh. I'm going to lose my fart.