Recipe

Cuban roasted chicken croquettes, creamy inside

Name: Cuban roasted chicken croquettes, creamy inside
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 315 min
Ingredients: 350 g (about 12 oz) roasted chicken, deboned and skinless; 60 g (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter; 80 g onion (½ medium onion), very finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped; 100 g (¾ cup + 1 tablespoon) wheat flour; 500 ml (2 cups + 2 tablespoons) low-sodium chicken broth, hot; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 pinch nutmeg (optional); Salt to taste (from ¼ to ½ teaspoon, only after tasting); 70 g (generous ½ cup) wheat flour; 2 large eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water; 150 g (1⅓ cups) fine breadcrumbs; Approximately 1 liter (1 quart) vegetable oil for frying

Cuban roasted chicken croquettes with a creamy, moldable broth-based dough, fine breading, and golden frying. Ideal for using up leftover chicken.

CiberCubaNovember 6, 2026

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Preparation50 min
Cooking40 min
Total time5 h 15 min
Servings24 medium croquettes (6 appetizer servings)
DifficultyMedium

Croquettes are quintessentially ours: they are never missing from the café display case, on birthday tables, or as an afternoon snack alongside some cookies. This version uses roasted chicken as the only protein, so it is perfect for using up leftover Sunday chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken, always well deboned and skinless.

The dough is made with chicken broth instead of milk, which reinforces the chicken flavor and leaves a creamy but firm filling that is easy to shape. If you prefer beef ones, our recipe collection also has our beef croquettes; these are something else: softer, with the toasted taste of roasted chicken.

Method

Dough

Remove all skin, bones, and cartilage from the chicken and weigh 350 g of meat. Shred it with your fingers and then chop it with a knife until you have pieces of 2-3 mm. If using a processor, use short pulses so it does not become a paste.
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Chop the onion and garlic as finely as possible, almost in brunoise, so that no chunks are noticeable in the croquette.
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot of about 3 qt (2.8 l) over medium-low heat. Sauté the onion for 5-6 minutes, stirring, until translucent but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Add the flour all at once and stir for 2-3 minutes with a wooden spoon, until it smells slightly toasted without taking on color. This way the dough will not taste like raw flour.
Add the hot broth in 4 or 5 parts, beating with a whisk after each addition until no lumps remain. Do not add more broth than indicated: this is what keeps the dough moldable.
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Cook for 5-6 minutes without stopping stirring, until the mixture is very thick, like a dense purée. Add the pepper and nutmeg, if using.
Incorporate the chopped chicken and continue working the dough over medium-low heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring from the bottom. It is ready when it comes away from the bottom and sides in a single block and, when passing the spoon, the groove remains marked for a few seconds. Taste and adjust the salt now. The dough must be creamy and homogeneous, with finely chopped chicken distributed inside, without long strands.

Cooling

Lightly grease a 20×20 cm (8×8 in) glass dish and spread the dough in an even layer of about 2-2.5 cm. Cover with plastic wrap pressed against the surface so it does not form a crust.
Let it cool for a maximum of 30 minutes and put it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or better overnight, until firm and not sticking to the finger. When taking it out, mark a 4×6 grid with a knife to obtain 24 equal portions.
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Shaping and breading

Take each portion (about 40 g) and, with slightly oiled hands, form a compact cylinder 6-7 cm long and about 2.5 cm thick (2½ × 1 in). Flatten the ends well and smooth any cracks.
Prepare three plates: flour, egg beaten with water, and breadcrumbs. Pass each croquette through the flour shaking off the excess, then through the egg letting it drip, and finally through the breadcrumbs, rolling it and gently pressing the ends so it is completely covered.
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Place the breaded croquettes on a tray and refrigerate for 15 minutes so the breading sets.

Frying

Heat the oil in a deep pot of 3-4 qt (about 3-4 l), with about 5 cm (2 in) depth, to 175 °C (350 °F). Use a thermometer if you have one.
Fry in batches of 5 or 6, for about 3-4 minutes, turning them with a slotted spoon until evenly golden. Check with a kitchen thermometer that the center reaches 74 °C (165 °F); time may vary depending on size and how cold they are. Between batches let the oil recover to 175 °C (350 °F).
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Drain them on a rack or paper towel and let them rest for 2-3 minutes before serving, so the filling settles and does not burn.

Tips and variations

How time is distributed. About 50 minutes of preparation (deboning, chopping, shaping, and breading), about 40 minutes of cooking (20 for the dough and about 20 for frying in batches), and almost 4 hours of resting: 30 minutes for the dough to lose heat, at least 3 hours in the refrigerator, and 15 more minutes with the croquettes already breaded. It is best to make the dough in the afternoon and fry them the next day.

Watch out for salt. Store-bought roasted chicken usually comes quite seasoned, and the broth, even if low in salt, also contributes. That is why salt goes in at the end, after tasting the dough with the chicken already incorporated. If you use homemade unsalted broth, you will probably need the full ½ teaspoon. You can use our homemade chicken broth.

To prevent them from opening. The dough must be very cold and firm; form compact cylinders, without cracks, and flatten the ends well. Cover the entire surface with breadcrumbs, leaving no gaps, and fry with oil at 175 °C (350 °F): if it is colder, the croquette absorbs fat and bursts; if it is hotter, it burns on the outside before heating through inside. Do not fill the pot: 5 or 6 per batch.

Fine breading. Use fine breadcrumbs (if they are coarse, pulse them for a few seconds in the processor), shake off excess flour well, and let the egg drip before passing to the breadcrumbs. One pass is enough; if any croquette has gaps, re-coat only that one with egg and breadcrumbs.

Storage. Roasted chicken must go into the refrigerator (4 °C / 40 °F or less) within 2 hours of cooking and be used within a maximum of 3-4 days. The cooked dough is stored covered with plastic wrap in contact for up to 2 days, without exceeding that limit counting from when the chicken was roasted. Breaded and raw croquettes freeze well: place them separated on a tray until they harden, transfer them to a freezer bag, and use within about 2 months; fry them directly from frozen at 170 °C (340 °F) for about 5-6 minutes, and check that the center reaches 74 °C (165 °F). Refrigerate the fried ones before 2 hours pass and consume within a maximum of 3 days, without extending the indicated time for the chicken used. Reheat them in the oven at 190 °C (375 °F) for about 10-12 minutes, or until reaching 74 °C (165 °F) in the center.