Crispy Chicken Croquettes with Cornstarch

Made these on a Tuesday night when I had chicken thighs and zero patience for whole roasted birds. The cornstarch is what changes everything — it gives you that shatter-when-you-bite-it crust instead of just a dull crunch. Takes 70 minutes total. Most of that is frying time anyway.

Why You’ll Love This

Crispy outside, tender inside. One bite and it’s gone. That’s the point of a good croquette.

Pure comfort food. The kind of snack you make for yourself at 6 PM and eat standing at the counter before anyone else gets home.

Frying seems complicated but it’s not. Just listen for the sizzle and don’t move them around.

Makes enough to share. Or not. No judgment here.

Building the Crispy Coating

Egg and water mixed smooth. Cold water matters — it stays cold longer in the batter and that helps. Flour, cornstarch, salt, onion powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, baking powder. Pepper on top. Generous. Stir it once, that’s enough.

Boneless skinless chicken thighs. Not breasts. Thighs stay tender even when you overcook them slightly, which you won’t, but they’re forgiving.

Cornstarch does the actual work here. It hydrates differently than flour, creates a lighter, crispier crust. That’s why you don’t skip it. You could use corn flour instead if you’re desperate, but cornstarch is the cleaner choice.

Vegetable oil for frying. Neutral. Doesn’t smoke fast. You need a lot of it — enough depth so the croquettes float.

Preparing and Shaping Your Croquettes

Pulse the chicken thighs until minced but still textured. Don’t blend it into paste. Food processor, maybe 8-10 pulses. Salt it, pepper it, let it sit 5 minutes. Texture matters.

Scoop roughly a tablespoon. Press it flat between your palms. About a centimeter thick. Like a small hockey puck.

Flour mix first. Then egg wash. Let it drip. Soggy dredging means a soggy crust later. Back into the flour. Double coat traps the moisture inside and that’s where the crispiness comes from.

Set them on a sheet. Don’t stack. They’ll stick.

Frying Until Golden

Heat oil to 175°C. Use a thermometer. Don’t guess. 8 to 10 croquettes per batch. Crowding drops the oil temperature and you get greasy results instead of crispy ones.

Drop them gently. Listen for the steady sizzle. Not a violent crackle — that means it’s too hot, lower it. Too quiet means it’s not hot enough. The sound tells you everything.

6 to 7 minutes. Golden brown on both sides. When you press one with tongs it should give a little but feel firm. Inside should hit 75°C. Meat thermometer is your friend here.

Paper towels. Baking sheet. Drain them immediately. Don’t stack them while they’re warm or they’ll sweat back to soggy.

If you’re frying in batches hold the finished ones in a 65°C oven. Keep the crust from getting soft while you finish the rest.

Serve hot. Chili sauce, garlic mayo, whatever cuts the richness. That’s the move.

Crispy Chicken Croquettes with Cornstarch

By Emma

Prep:

25 min

Cook:

45 min

Total:

70 min

Servings:

38 croquettes

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 125 ml cold water
• 60 g all-purpose flour plus extra for coating
• 30 g cornstarch
• 7 ml fine sea salt
• 4 ml dried onion powder
• 2 ml smoked paprika
• 1 ml garlic powder
• 1 ml baking powder
• 700 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, diced
• Vegetable oil suitable for frying
• Fresh cracked black pepper

Method

1. Prepare the batter and flour mix
2. 1 Mix egg and water thoroughly in a medium bowl. Set aside in fridge to keep cool.
3. 2 In a separate large bowl combine flour, cornstarch, salt, onion powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, baking powder. Pepper generously. Stir until even. Reserve.
4. Process the chicken
5. 3 Pulse chicken thighs in food processor until finely minced but not paste. Should have some texture; you want it compact but flaky.
6. 4 Test a small chunk by seasoning with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Let rest 5 min to develop flavor.
7. Forming croquettes
8. 5 Scoop about 15 ml (1 tbsp) of chicken mixture. Press firmly and flatten to about 1 cm thickness, roughly 2 1/2 inches across.
9. 6 Dredge croquette in flour mixture fully, then dip into egg wash. Let excess drip off; too wet means soggy crust.
10. 7 Return to flour mix and coat again. This double coat traps moisture and creates that crisp crust when fried.
11. Frying
12. 8 Heat oil in heavy-bottomed fryer or deep pan to about 175 °C (350 °F). Don’t crowd the pan; 8-10 croquettes max to keep oil temp steady.
13. 9 Drop croquettes gently; listen for steady sizzle. If it crackles too violently, reduce heat; too soft means oil’s cold.
14. 10 Fry approximately 6–7 mins per batch. Golden brown, firm but slight give when pressed with tongs. Internal temp should hover around 75 °C (165 °F).
15. 11 Drain on paper towels placed on baking sheet. Avoid stacking to keep crispy.
16. 12 Keep warm in low oven if needed while frying remaining batches.
17. Serve
18. 13 Best served hot with sweet-spicy chili sauce or garlic mayo. Adds punch and cuts richness.
19. 14 Refrigerate leftovers in airtight container. Reheat in toaster oven or skillet to revive crust.

Nutritional information

Calories

130

Protein

9g

Carbs

11g

Fat

6g

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these ahead and reheat them? Yeah. Fridge in an airtight container, they last 3 days easy. Reheat in a skillet or toaster oven to get the crust back. Microwave kills them dead.

What’s the difference between cornstarch and corn flour for fried chicken? Cornstarch is powdery and light. Corn flour is grainier, heavier. Cornstarch gives you that shattering crust. Corn flour works but it’s thicker. Use cornstarch if you want the crispy version.

Does baking powder really matter in the breading? It does. Creates tiny air pockets in the crust. Makes it lighter instead of dense. Skip it and you get a heavier, tighter coating. Not the end of the world but it’s worth the 1 ml.

Can I freeze croquettes before frying? Freeze them raw on a baking sheet, then bag them. They fry from frozen just fine, takes maybe a minute longer. Or fry them first, cool completely, then freeze. Both work.

My oil temperature keeps dropping when I add the croquettes. You’re adding too many at once. Drop to 6 croquettes per batch. Oil needs space and time to recover heat between additions. Patience here pays off.

What’s the internal temperature supposed to be? 75°C for chicken. Meat thermometer through the center. That’s it. Slightly past done is fine, slightly before is fine, that’s your target zone.