These Chicken Cakes And Remoulade Sauce are the poultry version of a crab cake. They’re much less expensive to make, filled with sweet bell peppers, fresh garlic and green onion with just the right amount of seasonings. The balance of flavors, along with the crispy panko coating makes them a budget friendly entree that’s a real family pleaser.
Chicken Cakes And Remoulade Sauce
I first made these chicken cakes out of necessity. It was one of those days that we wanted something different for dinner, but, I only had my pantry to turn to for ideas. I didn’t have crab meat on hand, but, as I looked around in my pantry trying to garner inspiration, the perfect substitution was right in front of me….as always, there’s chicken. My boys love jumbo lump crab cakes and go for these based on the similarities between the two savory cakes.
An Unlikely Kitchen Tool Is Key
To make these chicken cakes, I used a 4 oz ice cream scoop to make these chicken cakes dinner size but, using a 2 oz or medium ice cream scoop, you could really serve these as appetizers, as well. If you or a loved can’t tolerate shell fish or if like me, you’re budget conscience, these chicken cakes will hit the spot. See also Salmon Patties, Spicy Chicken Cakes with Spicy Aioli and Chicken Cakes Parmigiana.
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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Chicken Cakes And Remoulade Sauce
Servings: 8 chicken cakes
Ingredients
- Chicken cakes:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil plus add'l for frying
- 1/4 cup red pepper finely diced
- 1/4 cup yellow pepper finely diced
- 1/4 cup green onions finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced [more or less to your taste]
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 12 oz cans fully cooked white meat chicken, drained well OR 3 cups poached chicken chopped
- 2 large eggs slightly beaten
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp Italian parsley chopped
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tsp creole or old bay seasoning
- 1 tsp dried tarragon
- 2 cup panko breadcrumbs divided
- Remoulade sauce See Cook's note
Instructions
- In a stove top pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the diced peppers and green onions to the pan and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Saute over medium-high heat until beginning to brown. Add the minced garlic cooking for one minute, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
- To the mixing bowl add chicken, lemon juice, Dijon, mayonnaise, garlic, tarragon, chopped parsley, creole/old bay seasoning and 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs.
- Mix in the sauteed vegetables. Mix making sure chicken is thoroughly blended with the other ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Add beaten egg, mix well.
- Pour the remaining panko breadcrumbs onto a plate. Using a 4 oz ice cream scoop, divide the chicken. Coat with bread crumbs, using additional crumbs as needed. Flatten to your desired thickness gently turning to coat the chicken cake on all sides.
- Place in a single layer on a pan or platter and chill for 30 minutes.
- To cook: Remove from the refrigerator. Heat a few drizzles of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry chicken cakes for 3-4 minutes on each side depending on the thickness. Fry in batches adding more oil, as needed. Serve hot with the remoulade sauce.
- Remoulade Sauce: Place all of the ingredients for the remoulade sauce into a bowl and mix until smooth. Chill until serving.
Notes
For the remoulade sauce: Makes approximately 2/3 cup
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chili sauce
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp green onion, minced
1 tsp capers, chopped
1 tsp dry tarragon
1/2 tsp creole/old bay seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
a few drops of hot sauce
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chili sauce
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp green onion, minced
1 tsp capers, chopped
1 tsp dry tarragon
1/2 tsp creole/old bay seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
a few drops of hot sauce
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!
Hi, thanks for stopping by to visit my website My name is Melissa, I’m a busy Mom, author, recipe developer, photographer, food writer and blogger. I’m passionate about creating delicious dishes to share with family and friends!
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Holly says
OH MY!! I’ll be making those!!!
Melissa says
Enjoy!
Karl says
Melissa these were absolutely delicious as well as the sauce. The only issue we had was that all the ingredients that were used are all natural diuretic which means we were getting up many times in the night to use the bathroom other than that they were excellent.
Anonymous says
If only they are half as good as they look and sound like they will be, you won’t be able to get enough of it. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Melissa says
Thank you! Yes, on both counts, we love them, thanks for stopping by. ~ Melissa
Elena says
Do you think this would work with baking it instead? I hate to fry/pan fry!! lol
Melissa says
Panko does very well in the oven. I’ve never baked these, but suspect they would do well with the panko breading. Let me know if you try it! ☺ Melissa
Joyce says
Where is the recipe for remoulade sauce? Did I miss something?
Melissa says
I placed it in the Cook’s note as these chicken cakes are delicious with or without. Just in case it doesn’t load for you here you go.
For the remoulade sauce: (Makes approximately 2/3 cup)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chili sauce
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp green onion, minced
1 tsp capers, chopped
1 tsp dry tarragon
1/2 tsp creole/old bay seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
a few drops of hot sauce
Dotty Petrocelli says
I could not pot it to Pinterest.
Maggie says
I don’t see the Panko in the ingredients list.
Melissa says
You’ll need 2 cups of panko breadcrumbs. One cup for the filling and one cup for breading. Have extra on hand just in case you need more when breading the chicken cakes.
Christina McConnell says
Could I use ground chicken for this?
Melissa says
You could make chicken cakes using ground chicken however that’s not how this recipe was developed.
LaQuita says
Is there anything you could substitute for the capers in the Remoulade sauce?
Melissa says
If you prefer you could just leave them out. The same amount of pickled onion would be tasty, too.
Lesa Shutack says
I made these tonight for dinner, really good! Will definitely be making these again soon.
Melissa says
Oh wonderful!
Jennifer McCarty says
These were awesome!! Will definitely make again!
Melissa says
Thank you!
Christina says
What would you serve as a side dish to these? They look wonderful for dinner!
Melissa says
These go great with a rice pilaf, mashed potatoes, baked potato and any vegetable you like even as simple salad.
Lisa Overton says
Made these last night! Delicious! I used a Rotesserie chicken! Definitely will make again!
Phyllis says
Would these freeze well after frying?
Melissa says
I’ve never frozen these so I’m not sure. If you try it, let me know.
Brenda says
Is the canned cooked chicken, like the Swanson chicken found next to canned tuna??
Melissa says
The type I used was from Costco but, yes any good quality cooked chicken or even chicken you shred and chop yourself would work.
Sherunda says
This was an absolutely delicious dish. I improvised just a little, due to me trying to avoid the additional carbs from the bread crumbs. Replaced the bread with shredded parmesan cheese, and it worked great. Just had to be a little careful when turning them over. I also made sure I used a non stick skillet. My family loved the remoulade sauce and all!!
Melissa says
Oh wonderful, great adaptation idea. Thanks so much for letting me know!
Linnie says
I’ve made these a number of times and have them on the nenu again this week. We love them every time!
I just wanted to compliment you on the originality and tastiness of this recipe!
Melissa says
Ah wonderful, I’m delighted you’e enjoying these thanks!
Violet says
What can I use instead of tarragon?
Melissa says
You can just omit if you don’t care for it.
diane says
So you could just boil chicken breasts and shred and that would work? Should I put lemon slices and cook in both or just plain water? I think orzo with tiny chopped up vegetables in it would be good like zucchini and bell pepper.
Melissa says
Yes, you could use poached chicken chopped very fine. I would always cook in seasoned liquid so I suggest using broth for sure.
Cherise Kachelmuss says
Yum! Can you think of an egg substitute? We have an egg allergy.
Melissa says
Perhaps Vegan mayonnaise and additional crumbs? The eggs serve as the binder in these crab cakes.
Lynn says
What do you mean when you say ‘chili sauce’? Like Sriacha?
Melissa says
In this case I’m referring to Heinz chili sauce. You can use sriracha if you like to add a bit of kick but, in tiny amounts or to your taste.
Kathy says
Awesome recipe, I am celiac and substituted the pano with glutino bread crumbs and worked like a charm! Will make again!
Melissa says
Great adaptation thanks for sharing that tip!
Sandy says
Will regular bread crumbs work? I don’t have any planko.
Sandy says
I mean panko.
Melissa says
Sure, you can use regular breadcrumbs, if you prefer.
MAry says
Has any one tried using air fryer with these? Wondering how they come out. Love the original recipe.
Melissa says
Great question Mary, more and more people are cooking with air fryers. Maybe someone with one will weigh in.
GGrocke says
Melissa – my husband and I just can’t get enough of these wonderful cakes. Thanks for sharing!
Melissa says
That makes me happy we love them, too. Thanks so much for visiting!
kristin says
Made these last night…they were delicious! Definitely will be making these again!
Melissa says
Glad you enjoyed these,thanks!
Mary says
I made these tonight. I didn’t have green onion or any peppers so I skipped the whole 1st step. All I had was traditional breadcrumbs so that is what I used. It was one of those ‘use what you have” nights. In spite of mutilating your recipe, it was still good! My hubby is picky and my 11 year old even pickier. They gave their stamp of approval and cleaned their plates!
Melissa says
Glad it worked for you!
Leslie Gandy says
Hi Melissa: First let me say that I made these last night and Y.U.M. I was counting down until lunch time to eat them as left overs too. I had one question. I put all of my ingredients into my stand mixer and when I compare my finished product to yours, I think I might have mixed to long. DID YOU HAND MIX THESE TO KEEP THE CANNED CHICKEN SLIGHTLY CHOPPED/SMALL CHUNKS? Mine resulted in more pate consistency.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Melissa says
Hi Leslie, yes ma’am I hand mix these for sure. While I totally get why you used your mixer (I love mine, too) it does change the texture of the chicken. Try that next time, you may like the texture better.
Paige says
Have you tried freezing before frying? Trying to make these for Father’s Day! They were AMAZONG when I made them last week 🙂
Melissa says
Hi Paige, I’m glad you liked these! I haven’t tested them frozen but, my thought is they should freeze well.
Fareeha says
Have you tried freezing them? Was it successful?
Mary says
Fabulous recipe! I am making 1/2 a batch tonight and will freeze the other 1/2 for next week. I’ll report back as several people have asked.
Jen says
These were wonderful! My 1.5 year old gobbled them up and we really enjoyed them too. The flavours were spot on! Thanks for a great recipe!!
Melissa says
Wonderful, thank you!
Denise Long says
Prepared recipe and as I was a bit off on ingredients needed for remoulade sauce, I improvised. (Sriracha, ketchup & Chinese chili paste- 1/3 of each for total 1/4 cup needed.) leaving out the capers as my husband doesn’t care for them. It was spot on, as the chicken cakes were. I used GF panko crumbs (made from ground pork rinds) and although my son swears he doesn’t like any meat, he never noticed. In fact he went back for seconds. Served with cream spinach, Ramen rice noodles dressed in Tahini and Sesame oil along with a few other “leftovers”. Random combination, but it all worked and they want this added to our growing list of GF, chicken recipes !
Melissa says
Great gluten free tips, I’m delighted you all loved these!
D Long says
Family loved these. My husband and sons love spicy food, however one son will not eat crab cakes (which I love) so…compromise and what a great substitute. Flavorful and the remoulade sauce is excellent too ! I’ve use this sauce when serving fish tacos too.
Melissa says
I’m so happy you all enjoyed this one, thanks!
Kat Rowell says
I’m looking for easy weeknight dinners, do you think they would hold up if made the night before and refrigerated?
Melissa says
Yes, you can.
NanaSharon says
Do you think it would work with ground chicken?
Melissa says
The chicken used in these is already cooked. I’ve never tested it with ground chicken.
Carolyn says
My family loved this. I used a rotisserie chicken, very good meal. I think these would be good as a slider.
Melissa says
Thanks so much and yes, they would make a delicious slider.
Hillary says
We are Marylanders that moves south. The one thing we miss most is a good crab cake. Hubby says these are better than any “crab cake” he’s ever had down here and said he thinks you could pass these off as a crab cake to non Marylanders. Very impressed. Have you ever made batches and froze them after baking? Trying to find a way to have easier accessible in a pinch.
Melissa says
Hi Hillary, I’m delighted you loved these as much as we do. You can prepare them in advance and freeze, sure. From frozen, place onto a baking sheet, brush with butter and bake at 325°F for 20-25 minutes. You may need to increase to broil to crisp. If thawed in the fridge overnight, cook in a skillet with oil or butter until golden per the recipe.
The Bearded Hiker says
We totally loved these! Very delicious, didn’t have to add or change anything and I had everything in my pantry/fridge already. This will be on the regular rotation.
Melissa says
I’m so happy you loved these, thanks so much!
Andrea Westbrook says
I made this and my family loved it!!!! Thank you so much for the alternative to fish!!!! Picky eaters over here
Melissa says
Awesome, I’m so happy your family enjoyed this!
Lucas says
Absolutely amazing. How do you come up with something that good. Made it for my GF and she loved it. Thanks a lot! Are there any other recipes that you have that are like crab cakes? Maybe pork cakes? Thanks.
Melissa says
Hi Lucas, what a nice thing you did for your girlfriend! Thanks for the request, I’ll add more crab cake-like recipes to my “to do” list. Thanks so much for visiting!
Shelli says
Hi! Making these tonight. What exactly is the chili sauce you mention for the roumelade? 🙂 At first I thought it was Louisiana type hot sauce, but then you also mention a few drops of hot sauce. Thanks so much!
Melissa says
Hi Shelli, the chili sauce is like Heinz, or your favorite brand any will work.
Cindi Poole says
Are these good if you bake them instead of frying them. I would love to try these next week. They look so good
Melissa says
I typically make these just as the recipe directs but, I suppose you could, if you prefer. I can’t say they’d be exactly the same but, the flavor should still be good.
Tracy says
Wonder what the airfryer conversion would be?
Melissa says
While I’m sure these could be made in an air fryer, I haven’t tested them and couldn’t direct you specifically. If you give it a whirl, let us know how it goes.
Margie Laramore says
You might try spraying them with cooking spray (Pam) before baking. I bake my breaded jalapeno poppers instead of frying them and it works great for my poppers, if fact we prefer poppers baked instead of fried.
David from Richmond says
Wonderful recipe with easy to follow instructions. I didn’t have any fresh veggies so I substituted a frozen pepper and onion mix, and added a few carrots. I gave them a few pulses in the food processor and then sauteed them as per the directions. They were great! I will add a bit more creole seasoning or pepper next time, but that’s because I like spicy things. Thank you.
Melissa says
Sounds great,thanks so much!
Jacquelyn Peck says
My family loved the chicken cakes. Can you please tell me how many calories per cake? Thanks so much
Jacquelyn
Melissa says
Please use one of the 1000’s of free online nutrition calculators like this one on My Fitness Pal.
Kathy says
Would love to make so many of these recipes but so many either calls for some variety of citrus, (lemon, and lime, orange, grapefruit, juice of any kind. I am allergic Citrus does not matter how much or how little is used.
What can be used instead of citrus?
Melissa says
You can omit in this particular recipe.
Bethany says
Do you freeze these raw or cooked? Thanks.
Melissa says
It would work either way.
Kim says
I wonder how these would be using ground chicken?
Melissa says
I’m going to assume you mean cooked ground chicken. If you prefer a finer texture, you could adapt using ground chicken.
Janet Jones says
Our family loved this recipe!! I made it exactly as written. I’ll never use crab for crabcakes again. No one could tell the difference. Way cheaper too. Thanks for a keeper recipe.
Melissa says
I’m so happy you enjoyed these chicken cakes, thanks!