Description
These Cheesy Chicken Mince Fritters with Broccoli are a delicious and healthy snack or meal option. Made with ground chicken, soft cooked broccoli, mozzarella cheese, and fragrant shallots, these baked fritters are golden, cheesy, and packed with flavor. They are served best warm with a refreshing yoghurt ranch sauce on the side, making them perfect for family dinners or casual get-togethers.
Ingredients
Scale
Fritters:
- 500 g / 1 lb chicken mince (ground chicken), or turkey or pork
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 packed cups broccoli, soft cooked & finely chopped (1 head)
- ¾ cup finely chopped shallots
- 1½ – 2 cups shredded mozzarella (or other cheese of choice)
- ¾ tsp salt (reduce to ½ tsp if using a flavoured cheese)
- Black pepper, to taste
Cooking:
- Oil spray
Yoghurt Ranch Sauce (optional):
- ⅔ cup plain yoghurt
- 1/8 tsp dried dill
- 1/8 tsp dried parsley
- 1/8 tsp dried chives
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ½ garlic clove, minced
- 1 – 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- Squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper or spray it lightly with oil to prevent sticking.
- Mix Fritter Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine chicken mince, minced garlic, egg, panko breadcrumbs, finely chopped cooked broccoli, shallots, shredded mozzarella cheese, salt, and black pepper. Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
- Shape Fritters: Measure about ¼ cup of the mixture and press it into a round fritter shape approximately 6 cm (2.25 inches) wide and 1 cm (2/5 inch) thick. Note they will shrink slightly and become thicker when cooked.
- Prepare for Baking: Place each shaped fritter onto the prepared baking tray. Spray the top of each generously with oil to help them crisp and brown nicely.
- Bake the Fritters: Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Then carefully flip each fritter, spray the tops again with oil, and bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes until the fritters are golden and cooked through.
- Make Sauce (Optional): While the fritters bake, mix yoghurt, dried dill, parsley, chives, onion powder, minced garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice if using, in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let it rest for 20+ minutes to meld flavors.
- Serve: Serve the warm cheesy chicken and broccoli fritters immediately with the yoghurt ranch sauce on the side for dipping.
Notes
- Chicken mince: Choose chicken mince that isn’t watery to ensure better texture; packets without excess water are best.
- Broccoli preparation: Use about one medium head of broccoli, steam or boil until soft, then finely chop. You can also include peeled and finely chopped stems.
- Mozzarella cheese: Mozzarella has a mild saltiness and melts well, perfect for this recipe. If substituting with a flavorful cheese like cheddar, reduce added salt.
- Additional vegetables: You can add up to 1.5 cups extra veggies such as grated carrot, zucchini (squeezed dry), corn, peas, cabbage, spinach, or finely chopped cooked green beans/asparagus.
- Nutrition info: Nutrition values provided assume 4 servings and do not include the optional yoghurt ranch sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 3-4 fritters (approx. 150 g)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
