These chicken rissoles are golden on the outside with irresistible little pockets of oozy cheese inside. It’s my chicken mince version of the beloved Aussie beef rissole. There’s room for both in everybody’s life!
Chicken rissoles
Aussies love a good beef rissole. It’s right up there with other nostalgic Australian comfort meals like curried sausages, bangers and mash, and a good old-fashioned roast with all the trimmings.
In case you’re wondering what rissoles are, in Australia (and New Zealand) they are small meat patties that are usually pan-fried. And while we Aussies like to believe they’re exclusively ours (right!?) it turns out that actually there are different forms of rissoles all around the world made with other meats, fish/seafood and vegetables.
The classic Aussie version is made with beef mince, often mixed with grated vegetables, and flavoured with savoury seasonings such as Worcestershire sauce.
Today though I’m doing a spin on the classic using chicken. I’ve also doubled down on the non-traditional approach by adding cheese for much needed juiciness (because chicken mince = lean meat) as well as flavour.
But you know you’re going to love them. Look at these golden beauties!
Proof of oozy cheese pockets inside:
What you need for Chicken Rissoles
Here’s what you need to make these cheesy chicken rissoles:
Chicken mince (ground chicken) – This recipe is created with chicken mince but turkey or pork mince would make great direct substitutes with no alteration to the recipe. For beef and lamb, it’s better to use the classic Beef Rissoles recipe which has seasonings suited to red meats.
TIP: Chicken mince purchased in packets from supermarkets can be quite wet and soft. Pour off and discard any liquid pooled in the packet before using. If you are struggling to form patties because your mixture is too wet, add more breadcrumbs to absorb the excess moisture. But really try to avoid/minimise this as the drier the mixture gets, the less juicy your rissoles!
Panko breadcrumbs – Breadcrumbs are necessary to absorb some of the moisture so you can form patties. I like to use Panko breadcrumbs because it makes the inside of the rissoles softer than using the fine regular breadcrumbs.
Panko is a Japanese breadcrumb favoured for the extra-crispy coating it gives crumbed foods (crumbed tenders, schnitzel, Kiev). Find it in the Asian aisle of most large supermarkets.
Substitute with 2/3 cup regular breadcrumbs if you can’t find panko. A reader also reported these worked great with gluten-free breadcrumbs!
Cheese (shredded) – Adds flavour and juiciness to the inside of the rissoles. Chicken mince is very lean, so cheese really makes a difference to the tasty-factor. Pick a well-flavoured cheese that’s suitable for both shredding and melting. Colby, cheddar/tasty, Monterey Jack, gouda, and provolone are all good choices.
Carrot and zucchini – To bulk out the patties as well as adding some goodness to our diet. Double up on one or the other if you want more veg, or just prefer one veg.
Alternatives: corn, thawed peas or small diced frozen vegetables, or finely chopped cooked, cooled broccoli. You don’t want to use anything that needs cooking (like raw grated sweet potato) because the chicken mince will overcook before the vegetable cooks through.Egg – For binding. Just one. Any more and it will noticeably dry out the filling.
Parsley – Optional, for lovely little flecks of colour.
How to make chicken rissoles
I need to share more recipes that are so straightforward I only need 6 simple step photos like below! Just what I needed after Friday’s Vegetable Dumplings, which totalled a whopping 30 process shots!!! (But it’s still a really easy recipe, I swear 😂)
Grate the zucchini and carrot using a standard box grater,
Mix all the rissole ingredients together in a bowl using a wooden spoon.
Scoop up just shy of 1/4 cup of mixture. TIP: An ice cream scoop with a lever is super handy for making patties and meatballs!
Wet your hand with water (so the mixture doesn’t stick) and place the ball of mixture on your hand.
Shape it into a patty.
Cook 5 to 6 patties at a time in a non-stick pan for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until golden and crispy. Keep cooked rissoles warm in a low oven, sitting on a rack set over a tray (this stops the underside from going soggy).
And that’s it! Pile them up on a platter with ketchup on the side for dipping. Rissoles are normally a meal eaten with knife and fork, but they’re also delicious as finger food. Either way, get your people stuck in while they’re hot!!
Before you ask, I did try baking them too. It works but I found that you can’t get the same amount of attractive dark colour on the surface without overcooking the inside. They’re still tasty, and I would do it if convenience was a priority (so I’ve included directions in the notes), but pan-frying really is better for these rissoles.
If baking convenience is what you’re after, try these Baked Chicken Broccoli Patties. The addition of broccoli protects the chicken mince from drying out in the oven so you can bake it for a bit longer and thus get more nice colour on it.
Oh and don’t worry. Those have cheese in them too. ☺️ – Nagi x
Did you know … you can fritter almost anything?
Watch how to make it
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Chicken Rissoles
Ingredients
Rissoles:
- 500g / 1 lb chicken mince (ground chicken), excess liquid drained and discarded (Note 1)
- 1 carrot, medium , grated on a shallow angle (Note 2)
- 1 zucchini, medium , grated on a shallow angle (Note 2)
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cup Colby cheese, shredded (or cheddar, tasty, Monterey Jack – see Note 3)
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (Note 4)
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley , optional
- 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Cooking & serving:
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- Ketchup – for dipping
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 100°C/210°F (all oven types), to keep cooked rissoles warm. Place a rack over a tray.
- Rissole mixture: Mix all ingredients together in a bowl using a wooden spoon.
- Form patties: Wet your hands (stops the mixture sticking all over your hands). Measure out just shy of 1/4 cup and shape into a 6 cm wide x 1.5cm thick pattie (2.4" x 0.6" thick). See Note 1 if your mixture is too loose.
- Cook: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick pan over medium high heat. Cook 5 – 6 rissoles at the time, 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until beautifully golden (as pictured). (Note 5 for baking)
- Keep warm: Transfer to the rack on the tray and keep warm in the oven. Add more oil as needed and cook remaining rissoles.
- Serve straight away with ketchup for dipping!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
When Dozer has an upset stomach, it’s time for his “man buns”. They help keep parts of him – ahem – clean, shall we say. Practical – and hilarious. (PS He’s fine now! Don’t feel too sorry for him, it was no doubt self-inflicted, eating something he shouldn’t have.)
Liz says
The best chicken rissole. So mooreish. Really tasty and moist, even when reheated. Managed to get 24 from the recipe. Thanks Nagi.
Dominique says
Another amazing recipe! Can’t wait to do it again for me grandson!
1,000 Tks, Nagi
Yes No Wheel says
These chicken patties are so good! I love the flavor and the texture is perfect. I can’t wait to try them out in a recipe.
Janis says
Very good base recipe to be creative and to use whatever you have on hand.
Chris Mathers says
I cooked these as per your instructions yesterday Nagi, and they turned out beautifully. Didn’t have fresh parsley so threw some dried in. I know the fresh was mainly for colour but I
Like the flavour of the dried too! Had some for lunch (hot) then for dinner cooled and again for lunch today. I’m delighted. Still have some left as snack food for another day or two. I’ll be doing them again for sure… quality fare at a reasonable cost. Thanks for the recipe. Cheers… Chris Mathers, Lowood QLD.
Chloe says
Loved these! Quick and tasty. Swapped the parsley for chives as it’s what we had and was delicious.
Will definitely make them again.
Bawangkampong says
I myself really like this chicken recipe, only there is a slight difference in shape with the one in Indonesia
KezzaMcD says
These rissoles are next level. Soo easy to make and eat. A big hit with the fam. Thanks Nagi xx
Emma says
Hi! Is there a substitute I could use for the egg in this receipt? Thank you:)
Denise says
Hi! Do you think I can make the mix and store it in the fridge to cook the next day?
Maddie says
Hi Nagi,
Just made your rissoles for lunch and hubby and I stuffed ourselves they were so delicious! 🙂 I make your recipes as is before I make any changes and I wasn’t disappointed. I drained the chicken mince over a very fine mesh strainer whilst prepping. I also ‘squeezed’ the liquids out of the carrot and zucchini before placing them in the bowl (same as I do for Mucver). And…we used my home made sweet chili dipping sauce to finish. Will be making these again…and again…and again…LOL. Can’t wait to get your cookbook. I pre-ordered from Booktopia as soon as I received your email notice.
Cheers,
Maddie
Liliana S. says
Loved the chicken rissoles! They are very flavorful and delicious 🤤🤤🤤 and easy to make too.
Lorraine says
These are incredible
I added a little grated onion and served with her ranch dressing for dipping
Delicious
Alice says
Absolutely delicious! They are moist (often anything made with chicken mince is so dry), flavoursome (even with the salt omitted) and I love that they have veggies in them. Got a big tick of approval from my 2.5 year old and my 9 month old!
Ossie says
And another great recipe from Nagi….
Just made this. No leftovers.
Made it with pork mince and Edam cheese because that’s what I had on hand.
Luckily I have a warming drawer, and while it only goes to 80 C, it was adequate and left the oven free for other dishes.
“Stole” two ideas from other recipes of yours –
Grated the zucchini on the panko (like you do with the onion in your Salisbury steak).
And instead of ketchup made a batch of your incredible BBQ sauce (from your oven pork ribs).
Although my family said the rissoles are so good they don’t need any dipping sauce (don’t worry, the BBQ sauce will be all gone – my family is in love with it and they put it on everything…).
I was debating whether to add garlic (we are huge garlic fans), but after this first attempt, why mess with perfection?
Thank you, Nagi, for another recipe that is definitely here to stay.
P.S. and yes, please keep updating us on Dozer
Charlotte says
I was a bit disappointed with this recipe, I added quite a few
spices but even then I found the rissoles to be too bland for my taste
Nel says
So simple and so deliciously juicy! Definitely will be making these again!
Mike Green says
Hi Nagi
Tried the chicken rissoles tonight,
Both me and my wife thought they were fantastic, many thanks for the recipe
Cheers Mike
Linda K says
Cooked this tonight… swopped out chicken for pork mince, added finely cut bacon, finely diced red onion, garlic granules…. AMAZING flavour tender… Yum, Yum, Yummy Yum Yum 🥰
Ausilia says
Hi Nagi,
Thanks again for a quick and nutritious recipe. V. easy to make due to clear instructions (including number of rissoles made). We used Instant Vertex Pro to air fry at 365F for 20 minutes. We rotated racks from bottom to middle and vice versa every 10 minutes. We also flipped the rissoles when rotating to give a nice golden colour.
I used carrot, broccoli and corn. Looking forward to your new book. I also have a furry CEO at home 🙂 Hope Dozer is feeling better now.