Homemade air fryer chicken patties from 4 ingredients that we will make from scratch with simple ingredients. All you will need for these yummy chicken patties are ground chicken meat, onions, cheddar cheese, cream, and seasonings. Ideal to use for healthy burgers, and sandwiches, or serve the chicken burgers near your favorite side dish.
If you want to opt for healthier food and not just use some frozen chicken patties, then I highly recommend you make your own no-breading raw chicken patties for your family from quality ingredients and without any additional preservatives. The best part? You will need only 4 simple ingredients and a little bit of your time.
Making your own healthy chicken cutlets at home can be easier and quicker than you think. You will have them on the table in just 30 minutes. Start-to-finish. Then you can enjoy them as is with some sauces, near some side dishes, or make delicious homemade burgers.
Quick Note: If you want to make a healthy burger, then I highly recommend also making your own homemade burger buns.
Also, this recipe can get you handy if you have difficulties introducing vegetables to children’s diets. This recipe is the perfect solution. You can add grated carrots or zucchini to the meat mix. The chicken burgers will be so delicious that your kids will not observe the vegetables from the burger patties.
Pro Tip: You can scroll down for the recipe card for quick instructions, or read the entire page for multiple tips and suggestions on how to make the recipe even better.
How to Cook Chicken Patties in an Air Fryer?
- Mix the ground meat with chopped onions, cream, and cheddar cheese. Mix well the ingredients.
- Form 4-6 patties depending on the serving size that you plan to serve.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C) and cook the chicken patties for 15 minutes.
- Remove the air fryer basket and flip the chicken patties on another side.
- Cook them for another 5 minutes at 400°F (200°C).
- Serve them near a side dish or on a burger bun.
🥰 Why You Will Love This Recipe?
- It’s healthier than store-bought frozen burgers. It doesn’t use any preservatives.
- You can adjust the fat and juice level of the chicken patty cooked in the air fryer.
- You can use different spices to make it exactly to your taste.
- It is a quick recipe. You will need only 30 minutes. From start to finish.
- If you have kids, this recipe is a perfect fit for them. You can add also some vegetables to the meat mix.
👨👩👧👦 Making It With Your Kids
This experience can be both enjoyable and educational for your children. By involving kids in the kitchen, you not only create lasting memories but also nurture their culinary skills and appreciation for home-cooked meals.
Use this opportunity to discuss the importance of balanced and nutritious meals. Explain why homemade chicken patties are a healthier choice compared to store-bought frozen ones, as they don’t contain preservatives or excessive additives.
When preparing these homemade air fryer chicken patties, consider age-appropriate tasks for your kids to tackle.
For younger children, tasks like washing vegetables, mixing ingredients, or forming patties with their hands can be both entertaining and educational.
Older children can be entrusted with more complex tasks, such as chopping onions or measuring ingredients.
Quick Note: Make sure to provide guidance and supervision, especially when handling kitchen tools.
Cooking together can turn meal preparation into a delightful family activity. Explain the ingredients and their roles in the recipe. Encourage questions and curiosity.
Personalize The Patties
Allow children to personalize their chicken patties. Set up a “toppings station” with various toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and sauces. Let them choose their favorite toppings to build their own burgers.
This not only empowers kids to make choices but also makes mealtime more enjoyable as they have a sense of ownership over their creations. Cooking together as a family creates cherished memories that last a lifetime. Share anecdotes from your own family’s cooking adventures to inspire others.
Recall the joy on your children’s faces as they helped prepare a meal, the laughter shared over a mishap in the kitchen, or the sense of accomplishment when they took their first bite of the delicious homemade chicken patty they helped create.
🏆 Tips for Success? How to Make It Better?
- Use a mix of chicken thighs with chicken breasts to control the fat levels and the juice level you want to obtain. If you want to obtain juicier chicken patties, increase the ratio of chicken thighs. The downside is that you also will get more fat. If you want to reduce the fats, you should add more chicken breasts than thighs, but you will lose a little bit from the juiciest meat.
- Make all the chicken cutlets the same size to make sure that all of the patties will be cooked in the same way avoiding overcooking some of them and undercooking others.
- If you use a smaller air fryer, consider cooking the chicken burgers in a few batches for the best results. Avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket.
- Flip the chicken cutlets to get a nice texture and golden color on both sides.
- Use a meat thermometer or cut the burgers into halves to see if the meat is fully cooked. It should be white, not pink.
🌶️ Recipe Variations
- Classic Herbs and Spices: Add 1-2 teaspoons of dried herbs like oregano, thyme, or basil to the chicken mixture for an Italian-inspired flavor. Incorporate minced garlic or garlic powder (1-2 cloves or 1/2 teaspoon) for a subtle garlic kick.
- Spicy Kick: Sprinkle cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes (adjust to taste) for a spicy twist. Use a dash of paprika or smoked paprika for a smoky and spicy flavor.
- Mediterranean Flavors: Mix in chopped fresh parsley, minced red onions, and a squeeze of lemon juice to the chicken mixture for a Mediterranean touch. Add a pinch of ground cumin or coriander for an extra layer of flavor.
- Asian Fusion: Incorporate grated ginger (1-2 teaspoons) and soy sauce (1-2 tablespoons) for an Asian-inspired twist. Sprinkle sesame seeds or drizzle with sesame oil for added depth.
- BBQ Delight: Combine your favorite BBQ sauce (1-2 tablespoons) with the chicken mixture for a tangy and smoky taste. Consider using a BBQ rub blend in place of some of the seasonings for an authentic BBQ flavor.
- Cheesy Goodness: Experiment with different cheeses, such as mozzarella, parmesan, or pepper jack, for a cheesy delight. Mix in grated Parmesan cheese, dried Italian seasoning, and a pinch of black pepper for a chicken parmesan-inspired patty.
- Sweet and Savory: Create a sweet and savory combination by adding a tablespoon of honey or maple syrup to the chicken mixture. Combine it with a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg for a unique flavor. Use a fruit-based chutney or salsa as a topping for the patties for a burst of sweet and tangy flavors.
- Curry Infusion: Introduce curry powder or paste (1-2 tablespoons) into the chicken mixture for a fragrant and slightly spicy twist. Garnish with fresh cilantro or mint leaves for a burst of freshness.
- Herbaceous Green: Mix in finely chopped fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley, and mint for a vibrant and herbaceous flavor profile. Serve with a yogurt-based tzatziki or raita sauce for added freshness.
- Fruity Twist: Incorporate fruit elements like finely diced pineapple, mango, or apple for a sweet and fruity chicken patty. Pair with a fruit-based salsa or chutney to enhance the fruity notes.
🥘 Ingredients Needed for This Recipe?
One of the things I love about homemade raw chicken patties is that I can control the ingredients I put in them, and I can control the level of fats and juiciness I want to get in the end. And most important, I can add whatever spices I want into the meat mix.
- Ground Chicken. As I said, I use a mix of 50% chicken thighs and 50% chicken breast for an ideal balance between fatty and lean meat. You can add into the mix also turkey meat, or even you can use pork or ground beef. I highly recommend making your own ground chicken meat composition because you’re sure about the quality of the meat that was used for this mix.
- Onions. You can skip them if you don’t like the taste of raw onions, or cook the onion initially until they become transparent. And only after that add the cooked onions into the mix.
- Cheddar Cheese. You could use another type of cheese that you prefer. A safe option is to use parmesan cheese for these air-fried chicken patties. The cheese will help the chicken burger patties keep them together.
- Cream. You can replace the cream with milk or even water keeping the same proportions.
- Seasonings. You can also add chili flakes, garlic, or finely chopped parsley. Or just use your favorite mix of spices for the chicken meat.
🍽️ What to Serve with Air Fryer Chicken Patties
Wondering what goes well with these chicken patties? You can serve these chicken patties for burgers, you can eat them as such next to a salad or other garnishes such as Potato wedges, Parmentier potatoes, Caprese salad, Frozen Asparagus in Air Fryer, Nando’s spicy rice, or Air Fryer Smashed Baby Potatoes.
In case if you’re looking for different things to do with chicken patties then consider serving them with homemade caramelized onions and make some quick sandwiches or delicious burgers.
A Few More Serving Suggestions:
Stuffed Mushrooms Without Cream Cheese
4-ingredient Air Fryer Eggplant Fries (from scratch)
4 Ingredient Zucchini Chips in Air Fryer
Air Fryer Frozen Green Beans
👩🍳 Step-By-Step How to Make the Air Fryer Chicken Patties
If you can, I always recommend making your own minced meat at home using a food processor. I used a mix of chicken thighs and chicken breast to get some juicier raw chicken patties. Use a 1:1 ratio.
When you have the ground meat ready (wondering if you can cook the mince from frozen?), finely chop or grate the onions.
After you have all the ingredients ready, take a large bowl in which it will be easy for you to mix the meat with the rest of the ingredients.
Put in the bowl the ground meat, onions, cheddar cheese, cream, and spices. Mix well all the ingredients.
Pro Tip: Initially it will seem that the composition is too liquid. Continue to mix it for about 5-7 minutes. During this time, the meat will absorb the liquid excesses. This will allow us to get juicier chicken patties.
After that, divide the meat into 4-6 parts, depending on how big you want to serve the chicken burgers. Keep in mind also the size of your air fryer basket. I’m using a Cosori Air Fryer 5.8QT size and I fitted all the patties at once in it.
If you have a smaller air fryer, consider cooking the ground chicken patties in a few batches.
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C), arrange the chicken patty in the air fryer basket, and cook the cutlets for 15 minutes.
Quick Note: Keep in mind that the cooking time is only an estimate and may differ from one air fryer model to another because different models use different power, air fryer basket sizes, and heating modes. Because of that, in the last minutes of cooking keep an eye on the air fryer check the basket from time to time, and adjust the timing if needed. Personally, I used the Cosori Air Fryer 5.8QT for this recipe.
After 15 minutes, remove the basket from the air fryer, and flip upside-down the chicken burger patties to give them a golden color on the other side as well. Cook them for another 5 minutes at the same temperature.
The chicken patties are ready to be served. I served them with delicious salsa. You can also use them for delicious homemade burgers.
Pairing with Sauces
- Classic Ketchup and Mustard: Offer a classic combination of ketchup and yellow mustard. These familiar condiments provide a sweet and tangy contrast to the savory chicken patties.
- Homemade Garlic Aioli: Prepare a homemade garlic aioli by mixing mayonnaise, minced garlic, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. This creamy and garlicky sauce adds depth to the patties.
- Honey Mustard Sauce: Create a honey mustard sauce by combining equal parts honey and Dijon mustard. Adjust the sweetness and tanginess to your liking. It complements the savory chicken with a sweet and tangy kick.
- Ranch Dressing: Offer ranch dressing as a dipping sauce. Its creamy texture and herbaceous flavor pair wonderfully with the chicken patties. You can make your own ranch dressing with buttermilk, mayo, and herbs.
- Sriracha Mayo: Spice things up with a sriracha mayo sauce. Mix mayonnaise with sriracha sauce to create a creamy and spicy condiment. Adjust the heat level by adding more or less sriracha.
- Buffalo Sauce: For a bold and zesty twist, toss the chicken patties in buffalo sauce before serving. Drizzle with blue cheese dressing to balance the heat.
- Tzatziki Sauce: Accompany your chicken patties with a refreshing tzatziki sauce made from Greek yogurt, cucumber, dill, and garlic. It’s perfect for a Mediterranean-inspired pairing.
- Barbecue Sauce: Pair your chicken patties with a smoky barbecue sauce. Consider offering a variety of barbecue sauces, such as sweet, spicy, or hickory-smoked, to cater to different preferences.
- Sweet Chili Sauce: Provide a sweet chili sauce as a dipping option. Its sweet and spicy profile complements the chicken patties and adds an exciting kick.
- Fruit Salsa: Create a fresh fruit salsa with ingredients like diced mango, pineapple, red onion, cilantro, and lime juice. This vibrant and fruity salsa pairs beautifully with the chicken patties for a tropical twist.
- Homemade Pesto: Serve your chicken patties with a dollop of homemade pesto sauce. Pesto, made from fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil, adds a burst of herbaceous flavor.
- Cilantro-Lime Crema: Whisk together sour cream, fresh lime juice, minced cilantro, and a pinch of salt to create a cilantro-lime crema. This creamy and tangy sauce enhances the patties’ flavors.
- Asian-Inspired Dipping Sauce: Prepare a dipping sauce with soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and a touch of honey or brown sugar. Add minced ginger and garlic for extra depth.
- Maple Dijon Glaze: Glaze the chicken patties with a mixture of maple syrup and Dijon mustard before air frying. This combination offers a sweet and savory coating.
- Homemade Salsa Verde: Offer a homemade salsa verde made from tomatillos, jalapeños, cilantro, and lime juice. It provides a tangy and slightly spicy kick.
🤔 Answering Your Questions:
What Is the Best Meat for Chicken Patties?
If you’re looking for how to make chicken patties better, then consider using a mix of 1:1 chicken thighs and chicken breast. This will give you the best results between fats and juiciness that you will get in the end.
The Difference Between Chicken Patties and Burger Patties?
The burger patties are usually made from beef and a few simple seasonings like salt and black pepper, while the patties, also called “patty” are more complex and use more spices and aromatic herbs and usually are made from pork or poultry. The patties are also thinner and have a higher fat content.
Can You Eat Chicken Patties on Keto?
Yes! As these keto chicken patties in the air fryer are low in carbohydrates and considering that we used fatty ground chicken meat and added extra cream and cheese that is also fat, we get a recipe that is keto-friendly.
🐔 Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
Are you in love with cooking the chicken in the air fryer? Give it a try and to other air-fried chicken recipes:
📋 Recipe Card:
Air Fryer Chicken Patties (4 ingredients)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 20 oz Grounded Chicken 10 oz of Chicken thighs, 10 oz of chicken breast
- 2 Pieces Onion Medium
- ½ cup Cheddar Cheese
- ½ cup Cream 33%
- ½ teaspoon Salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Chop the onions and mix it with ground chicken, cream, cheddar cheese and seasonings. Mix well the composition.20 oz Grounded Chicken, 2 Pieces Onion, ½ cup Cheddar Cheese, ½ cup Cream, ½ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 400°F (200°C) and form 4-6 chicken patties and put them in the air fryer basket.
- Cook the chicken patties for 15 minutes.
- Flip the chicken patties and cook them for another 5 minutes.
- Serve them as-is near a sauce, side dish, or on a burger buns.
Quick Note
I highly recommend reading the entire recipe to find more tips and notes about this recipe. Read Full Recipe ⇑
Notes
- Form equal-sized patties to make sure that all of them will cook in the same way.
- Use your own choice of seasonings to make right to your taste.
- If your air fryer basket doesn’t have an anti-sticking cover, consider using perforated parchment paper.
- Cooking time is an estimate only because the actual time may differ from one air fryer model to another. The recipe timings are for the quantity of ingredients that I specified and for the Cosori 5.8QT.
Tavo
Looks really yummy! I am going to give this a try for dinner!
Dannii
What a great way to use the air fryer. These would be great in a brioche bun.
Tara
Oh yum! These chicken patties look so good. Especially love that texture with the help of the air fryer.
Alison
Super simple and flavorful! The air fryer makes cooking so easy!
Beth
My kids loved this recipe and so did my hubby! I just love using my air fryer for new recipes for us to try. I’m beyond excited to make this for lunch again today!
Monica
Highly recommended!!! Me and my husband love this recipe
Julia
Didn’t make any changes, and these patties were delicious. Now I’m asking myself why I didn’t try to make them earlier from scratch instead of buying the frozen ones? Those were much better and not so hard to make as I was initially thought.
Dona R.
Wow! These were super-good. I made them again today. This is a great keto recipe. Thanks so much.